Week of 01.20.25
Today’s post is short and sweet, just like this bird! The Northern Cardinal is a hard to miss songbird found across the majority of the Eastern United States. These birds do not migrate, and are a welcome pop of color during cold, grey winter.
Cardinals are sexually dimorphous, meaning that female and male birds have differences in their physical appearance, despite being from the same species. The bird pictured above is a male, identifiable by its bold, red plumage. Female cardinals have a more subdued color palette, allowing them to camouflage, pictured below. Both stand just a few inches tall, and weigh less than 2 ounces.
Despite their shocking color, male cardinals do not get all the fun features! If you have heard the beautiful cardinal song, it was likely a female. The female cardinal has a significantly more melodic tune than the male, which can be harsh and more aggressive.
Both male and female cardinals have a tuft of plumage on their head, which they can move up and down. The plume will lay flat when a bird is resting. Cardinals get their name from this tuft, which has a similar appearance to the red robes and attire worn by high-ranking officials in the Roman Catholic Church, also called cardinals.
The cardinal is striking, bold, and representative of hope - so it is no surprise that 7 U.S. states have claimed it as their state bird! That’s 14% of the country, but who’s keeping track? (me) The states are: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
If you are up for an adventure, the Amtrak Cardinal awaits, a train named for its route through 5 of the 7 states listed above.
The northern cardinal is also the mascot for two professional sports teams, the MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals and the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
If you would like to attract cardinals to your backyard feeder, try sunflower seeds! Black oils are a favorite snack for cardinals and other wintertime songbirds. Thanks to my mom for the bird suggestion. You can add your own by visiting the "suggest a bird" page!
Have a great week!
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Art by Anne Longman