Meet Our December Bird of the Month, the Northern Cardinal

This year-round Rio Grande Valley resident is particularly striking over the festive season.

 

Fun Facts

• The cardinal's redness comes from eating red and purple fruits with carotenoid pigments, like mulberries. However, non-native plants with such berries may be low in fats and proteins, contributing to poor health.

• Males reach peak redness in midwinter in prep for spring breeding.

• Both genders fiercely defend territory and will “fight” their reflections.

• Female cardinals are brownish with a reddish bill, compared to similar looking Pyrrhuloxias, which are grayer with a yellow bill.

• One of the few female songbirds in N. America that sing, possibly to signal males to bring food to the nest.

Learn more on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site.

 

Feeding Tips

• Often visits feeders.

• Eats many kinds of bird seed, but especially likes safflower. See our selection of highly nutritious bird foods.

 

Related

• Please join us Dec. 21st for our second guided bird walk at beautiful Edinburg Scenic Wetlands! Details on our Events page.