Cardinal (Richmondena cardinalis)
Color alone would make cardinals favored birds. Their striking
plumage is easily seen and long remembered. Though mild
mannered, they will sometimes chase each other from a feeding
station in early winter, but by late winter and spring, they eat side by
side.
Preferring vines, shrubbery, and thickets, they will live comfortably in
city yards and parks. Since cardinals do not migrate, they will remain
in one yard the year round, as long as food is available. Often
nesting in bushes beside busy sidewalks, or near enough to homes
that their every move can be watched, they often have several
broods a year.
Their usual song is a clear and ringing whistle. While no two birds
seem identical in sound, their songs are distinctive, and once
learned, will always bring pleasure.
These fine birds are now found in most states, and range north as far
as southern Canada.