Description
Cardinalis cardinalis, the Northern Cardinal, is the state bird for seven eastern states. The male colors are a bright scarlet, although the plumage of the upper body and crest is tinged with gray, and the bill is a dull red. The area between the bill and eyes and the throat are black. Although the females have the same black face and reddish bill, the body is a browner tone red with reddish tinges at the crest and extremities.
Habitats and Habits
Because the cardinal thrives in edge habitats – such as field-forest borders, the shrubby areas landscaped by suburbs, and fields overgrown with thickets – its population has expanded with human neighborhood development. (Suburban bird feeders filled with sunflower and other seeds attract the birds as well!) As a result, the species has an extremely large population and range, and, therefore, the cardinal is not on the State of the Birds Watch List.
Cardinals are obsessed with defending their territory against any intruders. Both the male and female have been known to attack their reflection in windows, mirrors, and other shiny objects for hours on end – or until the sun sets! Their crest, which is normally low and barely visible, raises and becomes pointed when the bird is so agitated.
Sounds
Unlike most birds, both the male and female cardinals sing, particularly just before and during nesting. But the songs are different. To clearly hear the difference between the male and female songs, visit Birds and Blooms (http://www.birdsandblooms.com/blog/video-the-cardinals-song/ ).
“Calls” are short simple vocalizations, in contrast to “songs” that are longer and complex. Cardinals have at least 16 different calls to indicate the approach of intruders, predators, or egress to and from the nest. The call is commonly a loud metallic chirp, although a mating pair uses a softer note when feeding each other.
The cardinal song, on the other hand, is a loud 2 to 3-second series of clear, rising, sweep whistle notes, many of them without overtones and some delivered sharply staccato. Every note is in fairly accurate pitch, and the intervals are mostly distinct. The notes are really a dulcet whistle; birdy, birdy, birdy, repeated about ten times, and then a sudden descent in the pitch, and the same syllable over again. (Matthews) The music to the right represents the birdy, birdy, birdy song.
Links to Cardinal Audio Files:
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/sounds http://www.almanac.com/content/bird-sounds-northern-cardinal (Old Farmer’s Almanac)
- http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-cardinal (See sidebar, lower right) https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/norcar/introduction;JSESSIONID=DAACB0A6F1CBD256EFB39D0606503C75
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andromo.dev230101.app214369&hl=en
- http://www.junglewalk.com/sound/Cardinal-sounds.htm#.WRtkUPkrLIU
- http://macaulaylibrary.org/browse/taxa/Cardinalis-cardinalis
- http://www.orangefreesounds.com/cardinal-sounds/
- http://soundbible.com/1515-Best-Cardinal-Bird.html
- http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Cardinal_bird_sounds
- http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Cardinalis-cardinalis (364 foreground recordings and 1864 background recordings of Cardinalis cardinalis )
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrI8t6nhlgg (Wolfhart Willimczik)
Products
Visit the Avian Note Art collection at Watershed Wildlife Designs (watershedwildlifedesigns.com) to find these cardinal designs on a wide variety of items, such as:
blankets, pillows, totes, shower curtains, shirts, hoodies, mugs, greeting cards, aprons, cutting boards, pot holders, phone and ipad covers. And more!
Gifts for birdwatchers, friends, and family!
Avian Note Art 