Description and ecology

The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is songbird and a member of the Cardinalidae Family, found exclusively in the Americas. There are two other species of Cardinals, the Vermillion Cardinal (Cardinalis phoeniceus) of northern Colombia and Venezuela, and the Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) of arid regions in the southwestern United States, and northern Mexico. Other members of the Cardinal Family found in the Great Lakes Region include the Rose-breasted Grosbeak Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) and the Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). The Northern Cardinal is very widely distributed – found throughout Eastern North America, around the Gulf Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize. It has a very large breeding population, with estimates above 100 million birds.

Unlike many songbirds in the Great Lakes Region, Cardinals are generally non-migratory – they remain in the same region year-round. Their preferred habitats are open forests, oak savannas, shrublands, and meadows, though they are occasionally observed in dense forests. In the spring and early summer, male Northern Cardinals are often heard singing. Songs include the popular “”Cheer, cheer, cheer! What, what, what, what, cheer!” or “birdy birdy birdy” mnemonics used by birders, but Cardinal birdsong has a very large variation. A sure sign of spring, Northern Cardinal birdsong is loudest in the months of April and May. Males continue to sing throughout early summer, but quiet down by mid-August after the last brood has fledged.

Northern Cardinals raise 1 or 2 broods per year. Females lay an average of 3 eggs per clutch. Incubation, done mainly by females, is completed in 13 days, and nestlings are raised for 12 days from hatching until fledge. Eggs are pale blue with brown markings. Male cardinals provide the nest material, which includes vegetation and animal fur, while the female builds and weaves the nest.

Cardinals are primarily frugivorous, with seeds rich in fats and carbohydrates being especially preferred. A wide variety of fruits are consumed, including dogwood berries (Cornus sp.), wild grapes (Vitis sp.), grasses (Poaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), mulberry fruits (Morus sp.), hackberry fruits (Celtis sp.), ash samaras (Fraxinus sp.) blackberries (Rubus sp.), sumac fruits (Rhus sp.), tulip-tree samaras (Liriodendron sp.), sunflower seeds (Helianthus sp.), rose hips (Rosa sp.), maple keys (Acer sp.), cherries (Prunus sp.), chokeberries (Aronia sp.), elderberry (Sambucus sp.), and honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.). In the breeding season of spring and early summer, Cardinals will also consume protein-rich insects, including flies (Diptera), spiders (Araneae), beetles (Coleoptera), crickets and katydids (Orthoptera), leafhoppers and cicadas (Hemiptera), and butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera).

 

Written by Matthew Palarchio, HBSc in Environmental Sciences, Western University

All photos are Stock photos retrieved from Canva

 

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