Cardinal (Northern)

Named because its colour matches the red garment of the Catholic Cardinals. Cardinals can be found year round popping into feeders with close by shelter from shrubs and trees. 

Males are bright red with a black mask and orangey red short bill

Females are dull brown and red in body colour with matching beaks and mask and with red tail feathers. She can hide very well while nesting. Did you know after when not breeding the male will loose most of its red and almost look like a female

Cardinals are known for their bonding and can be heard singing to its mate. This makes it ideal to be able to see both the male and female. They are fairly new to the northern area.

Here is a female on Marco Island FL that spent all day checking herself out in the side mirror of the car and side window. My 89 year old mother said thats typical of a female ! I had no comment but chucked! These birds are very common in March on the Island.

photographed in the wild, Toronto ON

and Marco Island, FL