NORTHERN CARDINAL

 A few photos of a regular visitor who liked to perch on top of the hanger before hopping down to feed.  His mate usually arrived first and he would follow soon after.

A few facts.

The bird’s scientific name is Cardinalis cardinalis, but cardinals have had many colloquial names depending on their region, including: Common Cardinal, Cardinal Grosbeak, Red-bird, Cardinal-bird, Cardinal Redbird, Crested Redbird, Top-knot Redbird, Virginia Redbird, and Virginia Nightingale.

Cardinals get their trademark red plumage from their food. While they are mostly granivorous, or grain and seed eating, cardinals also eat insects and a wide variety of fruits like wild grapes, dogwood berries, and mulberries. These fruits contain carotenoids that can create the reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks found in avian feathers.

 There are currently 19 Northern Cardinal subspecies recognized by the IOC World Bird List, with 14 of them being found south of the United States in Mexico and the far north of Brazil and Guatemala. Researchers have proposed making some of the subspecies in the southwest their own species but so far, the AOS has rejected the idea without more supporting data.

If you ever see a bald Northern Cardinal, do not worry: Though the bird might look sickly, it’s actually just molting. Every year birds replace their worn-out feathers for fresh ones, typically replacing a few feathers at a time. But cardinals can often lose all their head feathers at once, giving them a decidedly punk-inspired look in late summer after breeding. 

All my information and more can be found at this website.

Thanks for the visit and 

I hope your week is going great.