Northern Cardinal
The male Northern Cardinal is one of the most brilliantly colored birds in the continental 48 states, in my humble opinion. With its' bright red coloration and crest the Northern Cardinal is one of the most recognized birds in the country.
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While the male is bright red and has a crest the female is much more subdued in coloring being buffy-brown with reddish tinge on wings, tail, and crest. Both have a large thick, reddish, cone-shaped bill specialized for see cracking. |
The Northern Cardinals are found through out the eastern three fifths of the country. They tend to hide in the bushes, but the male puts himself on display in the tree tops when singing. Cardinals typically do not migrate. |
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Cardinals are the state birds for five of the Midwest states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia and also it is the state bird of North Carolina and Virginia.
