The Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal

The northern cardinal can be found in the eastern and central regions of America. The Northern Cardinal whose Latin name is Cardinalis Cardinalis is territorial songbirds. These birds are dimorphic species which means they have two different/distinct forms. That is why male and female cardinals are different colors. The male cardinals are bright red while the females are olive or brown colored. The northern cardinal does not migrate and molt or shed feathers but they protect its territory and they attack anything near its territory. In the process of protecting their territory, they mistake their reflection for rivals. This tendency sometimes leads to cardinals to fly into glass windows, when they charge an intruding bird. Cardinals are nesting birds that make open cup nests using twigs, branches, grass, weed, and etc. They build their nest about 3-15' above the ground and this process nesting takes about 11-13 days. According to the Migratory Treaty Act, it is illegal to own, harm, or kill this species. If you want to find these birds you should look in residential areas, bushes or shrubs, trees and etc.