Illinois State Bird
Northern Cardinal (common name)  Cardinalis cardinalis (scientific name) Overview The northern cardinal is a favorite backyard bird common at bird-feeders year-round. The male's uniform scarlet color is widely admired, especially during the winter, when it makes a striking contrast against the snow. The northern cardinal was adopted as the state bird of Kentucky in 1926, Illinois in 1929, Indiana and Ohio in 1933, North Carolina in 1943, West Virginia in 1949, and Virginia in 1950. Cardinals are hardy seed-eating birds with stout orange bills. The sexes are distinct, the male red with a black face mask, the female light brown with tinges of red on the wings and tail. Both sexes have a pronounced crest.  Cardinals live in woodlands, gardens, shrub lands, and swamps. They forage on the ground, in bushes, and in trees, feeding primarily on seeds and also eating grains, fruit, insects, and snails. The Northern Cardinal is an admired songbird; both males and females sing loud, beautiful phrases during courtship rituals. The male sings a loud, clear "wa-cheer" from the top of a tree or large shrub to defend his territory. Loud, abrasive "chips" are also used as contact calls and alarms. Northern cardinals nest in dense tangles of shrubs and vines. Both parents feed their chicks a diet of insects, and the chicks begin leaving the nest one or two weeks after hatching. The parents continue to feed the chicks for one or two months after they leave the nest. Close-up STATUS Official ALSO KNOWN AS Arizona cardinal, common cardinal, red-bird, Virginia nightingale, winter redbird PHYSICAL DETAILS  Male Female  Size Length to end of tail: 7.5-9.25 in (19-23 cm) Wing from flexure: 9.8-12.2 in (25-31 cm) Length of tail: 4 in (10 cm) Length to end of tail: 7.5-9.25 in (19-23 cm) Wing from flexure: 9.8-12.2 in (25-31 cm) Length of tail: 4 in (10 cm)  Weight 1.5-1.7 oz (42.5-48 g) 1.5-1.7 oz (42.5-48 g) BEHAVIOR Cardinals spend most of their time low in bushes and trees or foraging on the ground for seeds. During the breeding season they often forage in pairs, although in fall and winter they may form flocks of a dozen to several dozen birds. Cardinals have many visual displays to signal alarm, including tail-flicks and raising and lowering the crest feathers. HABITAT Backyards, parks, woodlots, dense, shrubby forest edges, overgrown fields, hedgerows, marshy thickets, and mesquite stands. Range: Resident in eastern and central North America. Populations have spread to the west coast as well. Migration: Non-migratory Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) NESTING Nesting Period: March to September Size of Clutch: 2-5 eggs Incubation Period: 11-13 days Egg Description: Grayish white eggs with brown speckles Egg Size: Length 0.9-1.1 in (22-27 mm), Width 0.7-0.8 in (17-20 mm) SIMILAR SPECIES Scarlet tanagers, summer tanagers, California towhee, orange-breasted bunting, black-headed saltator, grosbeaks TRIVIA The northern cardinal is the state bird of seven U.S. states, more than any other bird.  After leaving or being driven out of their parents' territory, young birds often join in flocks.
	Click to enlarge an image Male Northern Cardinal Female Northern Cardinal Northern Cardinal Chick Juvenile Northern Cardinal Northern Cardinal Eggs Northern Cardinal Distribution Map (pdf) CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Cordinalidae Genus: Cardinalis Species: C. cardinalis
	Author: World Trade Press