Cardinal (bird)

The Cardinal is sometimes called the redbird. The Cardinal is found in both North America and South America. The Cardinal in North America lives mostly in the eastern United States from South Dakota, southern Minnesota, and Connecticut southward to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The Cardinal can also be seen in certain parts of the western states. The cardinal grows to about 8.5 inches long. The head of the cardinal has a crest of feathers that stick up. The male cardinal is mostly red with a grayish tinge on their back side. The female cardinal is more of an olive grayish brown with red highlights in their tails, wings, and crests. Male and female cardinals have reddish orange or bright red bills. Cardinals mate in early spring. Cardinals like to make their nests in the lower branches of trees. the nests are built with grass, dead leaves, and stems. They usually lay from two to five eggs which are white with colored speckles. Cardinals usually feed on seeds, wild berries, and insects. The classification of the cardinal is: Kingdom:Animalia;
Phylum:Chordata; Class:Aves; Order:Passeriformes; Family: Cardinalidae
To hear the song of this bird go to: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Cardinal.html click on listen to songs of this species.