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The cardinal, also known as the "redbird" or "cardinal grosbeak," is a member of the Fringillidae or "finch" family. Finches are considered the most highly developed and skilled of all birds. Finches are stout, compact birds that survive on a diet of seeds and insects. Of the "cardinalis" species, the cardinal is one of the most favored song birds in North America.
HISTORY
During the early 1800s, cardinals were bought and sold as caged pets. Considered highly valuable for their song and coloring, thousands of birds were trapped each year, and sold for profit. America made a pact with Europe in the later 1800s, which involved trapping of the cardinal in North America and trading or selling it to Europeans. The passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 brought this trade to an end and today, the cardinal can no longer be held captive.
It is believed that cardinals were named after the Cardinals of the Catholic Church, who donned red robes.
The original cardinal is known as the "Northern Cardinal." Once found only in the southern most regions of the United States, its range has grown during the last 100 years, expanding to reach almost every state in the U.S.
APPEARANCE
Cardinals are 8-9 inches in length. The male is brilliant red in color and has a black mask that stretches from its eyes to its throat. The female cardinal bears a duller red or olive brown coloring, and has spots of red on her chest, wings, tail and breast area. Both sexes have pointed crests, short, rounded wings, long tails and thick, red bills. The legs and feet of the cardinal are dark red.
LIFESTYLE
Unlike most other birds in existence in North America today, cardinals do not migrate. North American cardinals seem to fair well year round and their southern cousins, do little traveling, either. Cold, winter months often give way to large winter flocks of cardinals, which travel close to home in groups of 70, or more, and live within a close proximity to each other.
Cardinals are probably most well-known for the whistling. Pairs of birds can often be seen spitting out loud, clear whistling noises year round. It is not uncommon for females to counter sing with a male, whistling a duet of sorts. Some variations in song, such as accent, have been noted in cardinals living in different regions.
Cardinals survive on a diet made up mostly of insects. Because of this, cardinals are often introduced into areas in North America to help control insect populations. Cardinals also eat seeds, wild fruit, leaf buds, berries and flowers. Almost one-third of the cardinal's summer diet consists of insects, and 90 percent of its winter diet is made up of vegetable matter.
Cardinals live in nests, which are made from small collections of twigs, pieces of bark, roots, and lined with grass. Their natural habitats include thickets, bushes, woodlands, parks, and residential areas.
MATING AND BREEDING
Cardinals mate for life. If you've spotted one cardinal, it's most certain that its partner is close by. The female cardinal lays 3-5 eggs at one time and incubates them herself while the father brings food to her. Baby cardinals hatch in just under 14 days, at which time, both parents share in the responsibility of feeding and watching over them. Up to four separate broods of birds may be raised by one couple during a single breeding season. Very often, the male will tend to the young while the female starts the next brood. Juvenile birds look much like their mother, except that their bills are black at birth. The beak of the young bird will change from black to cream to bright red during the process of maturity.
TODAY
Cardinals survive in abundance in North America, and are especially abundant in the southern portions of the United States. In recent years, the cardinal has been introduced into Bermuda and Hawaii, where it has adapted well, and continues to thrive.
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