Meet the Northern Cardinal 

Affectionately known as redbird, the Northern Cardinal is often featured in white winter scenes because of their splash of colour. The male’s conspicuous red plumage, crested head, and warbling song make it one of the most identifiable and beloved birds in Ontario. Even the muted brown female has hints of warm, rosy accents.

The bright crimson colour is thought to help attract a mate. Scientists hypothesize that females are more attracted to males with the brightest feathers because they feel they are superior. In fact, studies indicate that the brighter the plumage, the healthier and more fit the male.  

Mating 

Cardinals generally mate for life and stay together year-round. During courtship, a male shows his affection and proves his strength as a suitor by feeding the females seeds. Their beaks touch momentarily as she takes the food. This endearing ritual, known as “beak to beak,” appears as though the cardinals are kissing. 

While the female builds the nest, the male is her assistant, carrying nesting material to her. Their cup nests are built in shrubs, protective evergreens, or the lower branches of trees. Due to the male’s vibrant colour, the eggs are mainly incubated by the camouflaged female. During this time, the male stays near the nest, defending his territory from intruders, feeding and caring for his mate, and protecting the eggs. The male shares in parenthood duties once the eggs have hatched.  The nestlings are fed insects and spiders by both parents until they learn to feed themselves.  

Song 

During the breeding season, males establish and defend their domain through song. They can be extremely protective of their breeding territory, showing their anger with a sharp tink-tink-tink call, and dive-bombing intruders and other males they feel are a threat. Male cardinals are so obsessed with defending their territory that they may attack their own reflection in windows or car mirrors, mistaking it for another male. After the breeding season, they become more tolerant of others and will cross borders, gathering where food is most available. This is when you see small flocks of cardinals at your feeder.  

Cardinals are amazing singers, producing more than two dozen songs. Their sweet what cheer, what cheer, what cheer whistles or pew, pew, pew songs are one of the first sounds of the morning. They are vocal most of the year and only during the deepest part of winter do they take a break from singing. Unlike many species of songbirds, where only the male can vocalize, female cardinals are among the few who also sing and a mated pair will often sing duets. The females express themselves using slightly more elaborate songs than the males. They often do so to reinforce bonding early in the breeding season or while incubating their eggs to communicate to their mate. While moving through their territory, the pair calls back and forth with a sharp, metallic “chip” to stay connected.  

Habitat  

The Northern Cardinal can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from deciduous forests to urban parks with low, dense cover, throughout eastern North America. Southern Ontario is the most northerly reaches of its range. Surprisingly, the cardinal was originally a southern species and began to expand northward in the early 1900s. Experts believe a warming climate, the growth of urban areas, and the introduction of backyard feeders are the main drivers of this expansion.

Diet

While cardinals are mostly seed eaters, in the summer months their diet is supplemented with insects and spiders, particularly during the breeding season, and a wide variety of berries, such as wild grapes, dogwood berries, and mulberries. Unlike many other songbirds, cardinals do not migrate and can be enjoyed in the north year-round. Most cardinals live within a mile of where they were born. During the fall and winter, they forego their territorial ways and gather to form flocks, as a group looking for food collectively is more successful than a single pair.  

The males get their bold red colouration from their diet. It is the result of consuming carotenoid pigment, which is found in red and purple fruits. The amount of the pigment ingested, especially during fall molt, and then deposited in the feathers influences the quality and strength of their colouring. If a cardinal is unable to find berries, its hue will gradually begin to fade. Some cardinals have a defect that fails to convert the carotenoids, causing the birds to be yellow instead of red. 

Cardinals are a symbol of hope, joy, and enduring love. Spotting a red cardinal is a sign that a family member or friend is safe and happy, even if they are far away. This vibrant bird also reminds us that those we have lost will never be truly forgotten if we keep their memory alive in our hearts.  

Contact: Brenda Gallagher, Forestry Technician