Charlie Fineran’s Photo of the Week is about a beautiful bird that’s also a nickname for a famous ballclub. The Cardinal, in rich red, is dazzling. The ballclub in question? The St. Louis Cardinals, sometimes referred to as the Redbirds.

One of our most popular birds, the Cardinal is the official state bird of no fewer than seven eastern states. Abundant in the Southeast, it has been extending its range northward for decades, and it now brightens winter days with its color and its whistled song as far north as southeastern Canada. Feeders stocked with sunflower seeds may have aided its northward spread. West of the Great Plains, the Cardinal is mostly absent, but it is locally common in the desert Southwest.

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

Searching and thinking about what to use for a subject of my article this week I decided to check some of my recent photos and see if anything stands out and catches my attention.  Perusing through my July 2021 photos, using the slide show feature and suddenly this bright red bird is staring me in the face!!  I remember taking these photos from my car approaching my house, couldn’t get over how he stayed in one spot, making it easy to photograph through the passenger side open window!!  Wonder if I did an article for insidewarren.com??  Went through all my articles and didn’t see any on the Northern Cardinal, I’ve got my next Photo of the Week article!!

INTRODUCTION:

The Northern Cardinal, in referring to my research, is one of three birds in the genus Cardinalis and is included in the family ‘Cardinalidae’, which is made up of ‘passerine’ birds found in North and South America.

(TIME-OUT) – While I like, the short and to the point description of the Northern Cardinal as an introduction to my article, I simultaneously, am wondering, (Hmmm) exactly what was being described, especially concerning the words ‘Cardinalidae’ and ‘passerine’!  I am getting a feeling, a feeling, that those very words might just be covering/describing, if you will, quite a bit of information! I better hit the dictionary and roam around the internet and figure out, exactly what is being described by those two words!!  ‘Gotta’ love these scientific words!  The following is what I found:

‘CARDINALIDAE’ – the birds in this family are medium-sized and eat seeds.  They have strong, cone-shaped bills that can crack open seeds.  They usually live in open areas or at the edges of woodlands.  They are found in North and South America.  Males in this family are usually more brightly colored than females.  There are around 58 species in this family of birds (Cardinals – Grosbeaks – Saltators – Buntings)  HOLY SMOKE, that word means all that!!??  Almost afraid to see what ‘passerine’ means! 

‘PASSERINE’ – are birds pertaining to an order of small to medium sized, chiefly perching songbirds, having grasping feet, with the first toe directed backward: more than half of all birds are included.

Before continuing on, a PERSONAL OBSERVATION.  The above introduction phase of my article, actually was a very interesting experience for me!  Serving more as a reminder, just how important it is, when communicating with others, to fully comprehend the words you are using, along with having some insight with whom you are communicating with!!  For example, I know for a fact, many of you are involved with Nature, Wildlife and Open Space, for you, that short and to the point introductory statement about the Northern Cardinal on ‘face value’ served its purpose.  For others, and I include myself within that group, we are interested and enjoy Nature, Wildlife and Open Space but are always happy to learn more about same, for us, I believe we enjoy the longer version of introduction, where things are literally point by point described in the introduction and presentation.  I am very happy that I followed my senses and verified just what those words meant!  I believe we ALL received an understandable introduction to MR. Northern Cardinal!

INTERESTING FACTS:

Description – 8-9” inches.  Male is bright red with crest, black face and a stout red bill.  Female buff-brown, ringed with red on crest, wings and tail.  The male is slightly larger than the female.

Voice – Melodious rich, “what-cheer-cheer-cheer; purty-purty-purty-purty or sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet” Also a metallic “chip” The male is a territorial song bird, he will sing in a loud clear whistle from the top of a tree or another high location to defend his territory.  He will chase off other males entering his   territory.  He may mistake his image on various reflective surfaces as an invading male, and will fight his reflection relentlessly.  The Northern Cardinals learns its songs and as a result the songs vary regionally.  Mated pairs often travel together.

Range – Resident in eastern United States and southern Canada. (locally) south to Gulf Coast and from southern California , Arizona and southern Texas southward.

They are also known colloquially as the redbird, common cardinal, red cardinal, or just cardinal (which was its name prior to 1985)  This species, named after the red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals, has extended its range northward into southern Canada in recent decades.  Cardinals are aggressive birds that occupy territories year-round.  Both sexes are accomplished songsters and may be heard at any time of year, rather than just in the spring when most other birds are singing.  Seeds form the main part of the diet, although insects are eaten in the breeding season.  These birds often come to feeders in winter.

The northern cardinal was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10^th edition of Systema Naturae.  During winter, both male and female will fluff up their down-feathers in order to trap air next to their body and keeping cold air from reaching their body.  The down feathers are small and hairlike at the base of each flight feather.  The legs and feet of almost all birds are thin and lack feathers and are vulnerable to extreme cold.

The diet of the Northern Cardinal consists mainly (up to 90%) of weed seeds, grains and fruits.  It is a ground feeder and finds food while hopping on the ground through trees and shrubbery.  It will also consume snails and insects, including beetles, cicadas and grasshoppers.  It feeds its young almost exclusively on insects.  Other common items include corn and oats, sunflower seeds, the blossoms and bark of elm trees and drinks of maple sap from holes made by sapsuckers, an example of commensalism.  During the summer months it shows a preference for seeds that are easily husked, but is less selective when food is scarce during winter.  NOTE: Putting safflower seed in a feeder is a strong strategy for attracting cardinals.

Pairs may mate for successive years, but some also ‘divorce’ between seasons or choose a new mate when one dies. Pairs generally stay together year-round but are not necessarily monogamous. DNA studies of two populations of cardinals found that between 9 and 35% of nestlings were not fathered by the female’s mate. Mated pairs sometimes sing together before nesting. During courtship they may also participate in a bonding behavior where the male collects food and brings it to the female, feeding her beak-to-beak. If the mating is successful, this mate-feeding may continue throughout the period of incubation.  Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building. She crushes twigs with her beak until they are pliable, then turns in the nest to bend the twigs around her body and push them into place.

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran, Director Open Space

Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission – Chairman