Natural History

The Northern Cardinal is a member of the Cardinal Family. The male is bright red with a reddish bill and black face. The female is light brown or tan and red, with a red bill and crest. It has a large range which extends from southern Ontario to South America. It prefers woodland edges, mesquite thickets and riparian areas.
 

Cardinals feed on insects, berries and seeds. In the spring the birds build a cup-shaped nest of twigs and plant stems, lined with grasses and hairs, usually in a dense shrub or mesquite 5-10 feet off the ground. Females lay 3-4 eggs that are incubated for 12-13 days. Cardinals typically raise 2-3 broods per year.