The Northern Cardinal

The northern cardinal is a fairly large bird that lives at the south yet mainly eastern region of north america. The male northern cardinal is reddish throughout the whole body with a reddish and orange thick bill and a black face, while the female northern cardinal is pale brown with a tint of red on its wing, tail, and crest. The northern cardinal can weigh up to 1.5-1.7 oz, is 8.3-9.1inches in length, and has a wingspan of 9.8-12.1 inches. The northern cardinal travel and act in pair as they share responsibilities. This act of working together is something especially seen during the mating season for the northern male and female cardinals. The northern cardinals communicate through songs. This is especially useful when preparing the nest and providing food. Before the female cardinal lays its egg the male cardinal provides food for the female with the intent and hope that if he provide a lot of food for the female she would have a better chance of producing and laying healthy offsprings. Even in the process of building the nest the male cardinal provides the female with the necessary resources needed to build the nest. The norther cardinal's nest consist of twigs and grass. The male cardinal provides the twigs while the female begins and concludes the building of the nest. The female cardinal first breaks the twigs into pieces, then uses the twigs to create a bowl shape nest, and at last cover the nest with grass, which was provided by the male cardinal. Unlike most birds the northern cardinals do not migrate. This is because of the fact that there isn't a need to. The northern cardinal eat foods from insects, plants, and fruit which either one or the other are available somewhere throughout the whole year.