Crazy for Cardinals

Cardinals are among North America's most recognizable and popular songbird. Male cardinals are known for their bright red feathers while .....

the females sport a more dullish red color. They both have coral red beaks and a crest. Cardinals are among the most beautiful birds in the world and several states have designated this bird as their state bird, one of them being my home state, Ohio.

Cardinals mate for life and stay together throughout the year. If one dies the other one will find a new mate.

Cardinals are not migratory and are easily attracted to backyard feeders all year long, and most days they are the first to arrive and the last to leave. Some of their favorite foods are sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cracked corn and suet.

Thay love to roost in thickets and shrubs and rarely stray more than a few miles from their nest, especially if there is food available.

 Their colors sure brighten up the dismal landscape in the winter.

They keep their bright red plumage all year making them very striking against the snow.

 If I had to find one negative thing about a cardinal it would be their habit of attacking its reflection in the window in the spring. They are very territorial and are obsessed with defending their territory against intruders.

In addition to food, provide a source of water for drinking and bathing.

Many birds like to clean their feathers in a birdbath but this was a first for me in the winter.

One very frigid morning last winter, I'm talking temperatures in the teens, I just happened to see this cardinal in the water taking a bath.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I just grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures. I didn't have time to adjust any settings so the quality isn't the greatest but I thought it was worth sharing.

"That was invigorating!!"

Cardinals love to sing but one fact I did not know is that scientists have described at least 16 different calls for the cardinal the most common being a sharp loud "chip chip".