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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

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Maximum longevity: 28.5 years
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Associations

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Adult northern cardinals are predated by domestic cats, domestic dogs, Cooper's hawks, loggerhead shrikes, northern shrikes, eastern gray squirrels, long-eared owls and eastern screech-owls. Nestlings and eggs are vulnerable to predation by snakes, birds and small mammals. Egg and nestling predators include milk snakes, black racers, pilot black snakes, blue jays, fox squirrels, red squirrels and eastern chipmunks. Brown-headed cowbirds also remove eggs from the nest, sometimes eating them.

When confronted with a predator near their nest, both male and female northern cardinals will give an alarm call that is a short, chipping note, and fly toward the predator in an attempt to scare them away. They do not aggressively mob predators.

Known Predators:

  • domestic cats (Felis silvestris)
  • domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)
  • Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii)
  • loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus)
  • northern shrikes (Lanius excubitor)
  • eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis)
  • long-eared owls (Asio otus)
  • eastern screech owls (Otus asio)
  • milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides)
  • black racers (Coluber constrictor)
  • pilot black snakes (Pantherophis obsoletus)
  • blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata)
  • fox squirrels (Sciurus niger)
  • red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
  • eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus)
  • brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater)
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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Morphology

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Northern cardinals are medium-sized songbirds. Males are bright red except for a black mask on their face. Females are light brown or light greenish-brown, with reddish highlights and do not have a black mask (but parts of their face may be dark). Both males and females have thick, orange-red, cone-shaped bills, a long tail, and a distinctive crest of feathers on the top of their heads. Males are slightly larger than females. Males are 22.2 to 23.5 cm long whereas females are 20.9 to 21.6 cm long. The average weight of adult cardinals is 42 to 48 g. Immature cardinals are similar in appearance to females, but have a gray-black rather than orange-red bill.

There are 18 subspecies of Cardinalis cardinalis. The majority of these subspecies are distinguished based on the color of the face-mask in females.

Range mass: 42 to 48 g.

Range length: 20.9 to 23.5 cm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry ; polymorphic

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.5163 W.

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Untitled

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Northern cardinals are also known as common cardinals, cardinal grosbeaks, red-birds, Virginia nightingales, cardinal-birds, cardinal red-birds, Virginia redbirds, crested redbirds and top-knot redbirds.

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Behavior

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Northern cardinals primarily use vocalizations and physical displays to communicate. Male and female cardinals both sing. Their songs are loud, beautiful whistled phrases. Their songs have been described as sounding like "whoit whoit whoit " and "whacheer whacheer." These songs are used to defend territories and to court mates. Male and female cardinals use "chips" as contact calls and alarms. They also have many visual displays to signal alarm. These include "tail-flicks" and raising and lowering the crest.

Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Conservation Status

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Northern cardinals appear to have increased in number and geographic range over the last 200 years. This is probably the results of increased habitat due to human activities. There are an estimated 100,000,000 individuals worldwide. This species protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Act.

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Benefits

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There are no known adverse affects of northern cardinals on humans.

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Benefits

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Northern cardinals affect humans by dispersing seeds and eating insect pests such as boll weevils, cutworms, and caterpillars. They are also an attractive visitor to backyard birdfeeders.

Positive Impacts: controls pest population

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Kari Kirschbaum, Animal Diversity Web
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Associations

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Because northern cardinals eat large quantities of seeds and fruits, they may act to disperse seeds for some plants. They may also influence the plant community composition through seed eating.

Northern cardinals provide food for their predators. They also sometimes raise the chicks of brown-headed cowbirds that parasitize their nests, helping local brown-headed cowbird populations. Northern cardinals also host many internal and external parasites.

Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Trophic Strategy

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About 90% of northern cardinals' diet consists of weed seeds, grains, insects, fruits, and sunflower seeds. They prefer seeds that are easily husked, but are less selective during winter when food is scarce. According to one observer, a cardinal was seen feeding on a dead black-capped chickadee on a cold snowy day. Northern cardinals also eat some insects and feed their young almost exclusively insects.

Animal Foods: carrion ; insects

Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit

Primary Diet: herbivore (Frugivore , Granivore )

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Distribution

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Northern cardinals are native to the Nearctic region. They are found throughout eastern and central North America from southern Canada into parts of Mexico and Central America. They have also been introduced to California, Hawaii and Bermuda. Cardinals have expanded their range considerably since the early 1800’s by taking advantage of moderate temperatures, human habitation and supplemental food available at bird feeders.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native ); oceanic islands (Introduced )

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Habitat

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Northern cardinals have a preference for the edges of woods, hedgerows, and vegetation around houses. This may be partially responsible for the increase in their population since the early 1800's. Cardinals also benefit from the large numbers of humans who feed them and other seed-eating birds with backyard bird feeders. Cardinals prefer to build their nests in dense thickets.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; mountains

Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Kari Kirschbaum, Animal Diversity Web
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Life Expectancy

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The oldest wild cardinal banded by researchers lived at least 15 years and 9 months. Annual survival rates for adult northern cardinals have been estimated at 60 to 65%.

Range lifespan
Status: wild:
28.5 (high) years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild:
189 months.

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Kari Kirschbaum, Animal Diversity Web
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Reproduction

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Northern cardinals are serially monogamous, though polygyny occasionally occurs. Despite being monogamous, northern cardinals frequently engage in extra-pair copulations. In one study, 9 to 35% of nestlings were the result of extra-pair copulations. Pair formation begins in early spring, and is initiated with a variety of physical displays. The male performs a variety of displays to attract a female, including courtship feeding. Breeding pairs may remain together year-round, and may breed together for several seasons.

Mating System: monogamous

Northern cardinals breed between March and September. They usually raise two broods a year, one beginning around March and the second in late May to July. The second nest is often parasitized by brown-headed cowbirds. Nests are built by the female in dense tangles of vines or twigs in shrubs and small trees. The female lays 1 to 5 (usually 3) white to greenish eggs that average about one inch in length and one-half inch in diameter. Incubation begins when the last egg is laid, and is performed solely by the female. The male brings food to the incubating female. The eggs hatch after 11 to 13 days of incubation. The female broods the chicks for the first 2 days. Both parents feed the chicks a diet of insects. Both parents also remove fecal sacs from the nest. The chicks begin leaving the nest 7 to 13 (usually 9 to 10) days after hatching. The parents continue to feed the chicks for 25 to 56 days after they fledge from the nest. After leaving or being driven out of their parents' territory, young birds often join flocks of other juveniles. They may begin breeding the next spring.

Breeding interval: Northern cardinals usually raise two broods a year, one beginning around March and the second in late May to July.

Breeding season: Northern cardinals breed between March and September.

Range eggs per season: 1 to 5.

Range time to hatching: 11 to 13 days.

Range fledging age: 7 to 13 days.

Average fledging age: 9.5 days.

Range time to independence: 25 to 56 days.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 to 1 years.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 to 1 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous

Average eggs per season: 3.

The female northern cardinal builds the nest, incubates the eggs for 11 to 13 days, and broods the altricial chicks for the first 2 days or so. During incubation, the male brings food to the incubating female. Both parents feed the nestlings a diet of insects and remove fecal sacs from the nest. The parents continue to feed the chicks for 25 to 56 days after they fledge from the nest.

Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female)

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Crane, J. 2001. "Cardinalis cardinalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cardinalis_cardinalis.html
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Jonathan Crane, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Brief Summary

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The loud, clear songs of the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) are a familiar part of the suburban soundscape across the eastern United States. The Northern Cardinal is abundant throughout the eastern United States and adjacent Canada, with a range extending south to Belize. This species has also been introduced to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is well established on all the main islands from Kauai eastward, and has been established locally in coastal southern California and in Bermuda. These striking birds inhabit woodland edges, swamps, streamside thickets, and suburban gardens, as well as the Sonoran Desert and riparian areas of the Southwest. In the East, the Northern Cardinal has expanded its range northward during the past century. Northern Cardinals are permanent residents throughout their range. The Northern Cardinal has been selected as the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. The diet of the Northern Cardinals is highly varied, but consists mainly of seeds, insects, and berries. The young are fed mostly insects. The male sings to defend his nesting territory and actively attacks intruders. In courtship, both male and female raise their heads high and sway back and forth while singing softly. Early in the breeding season, the male often feeds the female. The female sings mainly in the spring before nesting. The nest, which is an open cup built by the female, is typically hidden in dense vegetation 1 to 3 m above the ground, sometimes higher. The 3 to 4 (sometimes 2 or 5) eggs (whitish to pale bluish or greenish white marked with brown, purple, and gray) are incubated for 12 to 13 days, almost always by the female alone. Both parents feed the young, which leave the nest around 9 to 11 days after hatching. The male may continue to feed the fledglings as the female initiates a second brood. There may be two to three broods per year (rarely four). (Kaufman 1996; AOU 1998; Dunn and Alderfer 2011)
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Threats

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Currently cardinals are doing well with their population, but that does not exclude them from threats. Although cardinals have become more adapt to living around humans, pesticides, collisions with man-made objects, and domestic animals still pose a threat to them. There are also many predators in nature that threaten the eggs including, snakes “Blue Racers, Coluber constrictor;, Rat Snakes, Elaphe obsolete; and Milk Snakes, Lampro-peltis doliata, rodents, Gray Squirrels, Sciurus carolinensis; Red Squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, Eastern Chipmunks, Tamias striatus, and other birds Blue Jays, Cyanocitta cristata, and American Crows, Cor-vus brachyrhynchos. (Filliater et al 1994). The biggest threat posed by these species is the thievery of eggs. The adults are typically well protected against these predators, but with this threat the eggs suffer causes a large mortality and threat to the species. A typical nest will only produce about 15-37% fledgling (Halkin et al. 1999). There are also many infections that can harm them. Some of these include protazoans, internal worms and ectoparasites (Halkin et al. 1999). Even though the cardinal population is currently on the rise, there are still many threats to the species.

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Habitat

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Although they do not migrate, cardinals can live anywhere from Canada, the east and middle of the United States, and many parts of Mexico. They typically live in small trees, bushes, marshes, grasslands, fields and gardens (Halkin et al., 1999). They will also choose brush, thickets and vines as long as their nests are sufficiently covered (Ehrhart and Conner 1986). The height of the nest is not very important, when females were selecting the nesting area, and could range anywhere from 0.2032 m. to 7.3152 m.(Dow 1968), (Filliater et al. 1994). This means that the choice for nesting area is more dependent upon the vegetation and the coverage that it provides than the height off the ground. The cardinals choose their habitats because they need to be inaccessible by predators and will only move their nests if there is a threat presented to them (Filliater et al. 1994). As they do not have many other forms of protection, cardinals use their nests and surrounding cover as their primary line of defense.

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The Northern Cardinal Bird

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An in-depth article on the Northern Cardinal bird.

Northern cardinal

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The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a bird in the genus Cardinalis; it is also known colloquially as the redbird, common cardinal, red cardinal, or just cardinal (which was its name prior to 1985). It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California, and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and Hawaii. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands.

The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in). It has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on the face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is a vibrant red, while the female is a reddish olive color. The northern cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on insects and fruit. The male behaves territorially, marking out his territory with song. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid, and two to four clutches are produced each year. It was once prized as a pet, but its sale as a cage bird was banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Taxonomy

The northern cardinal is one of three birds in the genus Cardinalis and is included in the family Cardinalidae, which is made up of passerine birds found in North and South America. The northern cardinal was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.[2] It was initially included in the genus Loxia (as Loxia cardinalis), which now contains only crossbills. In 1838, it was placed in the genus Cardinalis and given the scientific name Cardinalis virginianus, which means "Virginia cardinal". In 1918, the scientific name was changed to Richmondena cardinalis to honor Charles Wallace Richmond, an American ornithologist.[3] In 1983, the scientific name was changed again to Cardinalis cardinalis and the common name was changed to "northern cardinal", to avoid confusion with the several other species also termed cardinals.[4]

The common name, as well as the scientific name, of the northern cardinal refers to the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, who wear distinctive red robes and caps.[5][6] The term "northern" in the common name refers to its range, as it is the northernmost cardinal species.[5]

Subspecies

There are 19 subspecies:[7]

  • C. c. cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • C. c. affinis Nelson, 1899
  • C. c. canicaudus Chapman, 1891
  • C. c. carneus (Lesson, 1842)
  • C. c. clintoni (Banks, 1963)
  • C. c. coccineus Ridgway, 1873
  • C. c. flammiger J.L. Peters, 1913
  • C. c. floridanus Ridgway, 1896
  • C. c. igneus S.F. Baird, 1860
  • C. c. littoralis Nelson, 1897
  • C. c. magnirostris Bangs, 1903
  • C. c. mariae Nelson, 1898
  • C. c. phillipsi Parkes, 1997
  • C. c. saturatus Ridgway, 1885
  • C. c. seftoni (Huey, 1940)
  • C. c. sinaloensis Nelson, 1899
  • C. c. superbus Ridgway, 1885
  • C. c. townsendi (van Rossem, 1932)
  • C. c. yucatanicus Ridgway, 1887

Description

Male northern cardinal in Hudson, Ohio

The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23.5 cm (8.3–9.3 in) and a wingspan of 25–31 cm (9.8–12.2 in). The adult weighs from 33.6–65 g (1.19–2.29 oz), with an average 44.8 g (1.58 oz).[8] The male averages slightly larger than the female.[9] The adult male is a brilliant crimson red color with a black face mask over the eyes, extending to the upper chest. The color becomes duller and darker on the back and wings.[10] The female is fawn-colored, with mostly grayish-brown tones and a slight reddish tint on the wings, crest, and tail feathers.[11] The face mask of the female is gray to black and is less defined than that of the male. Both sexes possess prominent raised crests and bright coral-colored beaks. The beak is cone-shaped and strong.[10] Young birds, both male and female, show coloring similar to the adult female until the fall, when they molt and grow adult feathers.[12] They are brown above and red-brown below, with brick-colored crest, forehead, wings, and tail.[4] The legs and feet are a dark pink-brown. The iris of the eye is brown.[4] The plumage color of the males is produced from carotenoid pigments in the diet.[13] Coloration is produced from both red pigments and yellow carotenoid pigments.[14][15] Northern cardinal males normally metabolize carotenoid pigments to create plumage pigmentation of a color different from the ingested pigment. When fed only yellow pigments, males become a pale red color.[14] A few "yellow morph" cardinals, a trait called xanthochroism, lack the enzyme to do this conversion. Their beak and feathers (except for black face mask) are yellow. Sightings are rare.[16][17][18][19]

During winter, both males and females will fluff up their down feathers in order to retain warm air next to their body. The down feathers are small and hairlike at the base of each flight feather. The legs and feet of almost all birds are thin and lack feathers, and are vulnerable to rapid heat loss.[20]

In lower temperatures, they resort to more drastic measures which require even more energy expenditure. These techniques include shivering and adjusting their body temperature. Many wild birds, including northern cardinals, will shiver to stay warm. They tense their muscles, especially breast muscles, to generate heat. Cardinals have the ability to drop their body temperature 3 to 6° if needed. In dire conditions, they resort to dropping their temperature in order to survive.[21]

Distribution and habitat

Northern cardinals are numerous across the eastern United States from the southern half of Maine to Minnesota to the Texas-Mexico border and in Canada in the southern portions of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, all the way east to Cape Breton Island. Its range also extends south through Mexico to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, northern Guatemala, and northern Belize. An allopatric population is found on the Pacific slope of Mexico from Jalisco to Oaxaca; note that this population is not shown on the range map. The species was introduced to Bermuda in 1700. It has also been introduced in Hawaii, southern California and southern Arizona. Its natural habitat is in woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands.[1]

Ecology

Song and call

Song of the northern cardinal

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The northern cardinal is a territorial song bird. The male sings in a loud, clear whistle from the top of a tree or another high location to defend his territory. He will chase off other males entering his territory. He may mistake his image on various reflective surfaces as an invading male, and will fight his reflection relentlessly. The northern cardinal learns its songs, and as a result the songs vary regionally. Mated pairs often travel together.[22] Also, the songs of a northern cardinal will usually overlap more in syllables when compared to other northern cardinals near it than those far away from it.[23]

Both sexes sing clear, whistled song patterns, which are repeated several times, then varied. Some common phrases are described as "cheeeer-a-dote, cheeer-a-dote-dote-dote", "purdy, purdy, purdy...whoit, whoit, whoit, whoit", "what-cheer, what-cheer... wheet, wheet, wheet, wheet"[24] and "cheer, cheer, cheer, what, what, what, what".[12] The northern cardinal has a distinctive alarm call, a short metallic chip sound. This call often is given when predators approach the nest, in order to give warning to the female and nestlings.[4]

The songs of the two sexes of the northern cardinal, although not distinguishable by the human ear, are sexually dimorphic. It is suggested that this is because of the differences in levels of hormones of the two sexes.[25]

Predators

Northern cardinals are preyed upon by a wide variety of predators native to North America, including falcons, all Accipiter hawks, shrikes, bald eagles, golden eagles and several owls, including long-eared owls, and eastern screech owls. Predators of chicks and eggs include milk snakes, coluber constrictors, blue jays, crows, eastern gray squirrels, fox squirrels, eastern chipmunks, and domestic cats.[9]

Diet

The diet of the northern cardinal consists mainly (up to 90%) of weed seeds, grains, and fruits. It is a ground feeder and finds food while hopping on the ground through trees or shrubbery. It will also consume snails and insects, including beetles, cicadas, and grasshoppers; it feeds its young almost exclusively on insects.[9] Other common items include corn (maize) and oats, sunflower seeds, the blossoms and bark of elm trees, and drinks of maple sap from holes made by sapsuckers, an example of commensalism.[26]

Reproduction

Pairs may mate for successive years, but some also 'divorce' between seasons or choose a new mate when one dies.[27] Pairs generally stay together year-round but are not necessarily monogamous. DNA studies of two populations of cardinals found that 9–35% of nestlings were not fathered by the female's mate.[27] Mated pairs sometimes sing together before nesting. During courtship they may also participate in a bonding behavior where the male collects food and brings it to the female, feeding her beak-to-beak.[24]

Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building. She crushes twigs with her beak until they are pliable, then turns in the nest to bend the twigs around her body and push them into a cup shape with her feet. The cup has four layers: coarse twigs (and sometimes bits of trash) covered in a leafy mat, then lined with grapevine bark and finally grasses, stems, rootlets, and pine needles. The nest typically takes three to nine days to build; the finished product is 5.1–7.6 cm (2.0–3.0 in) tall, 10.1 cm (4.0 in) across, with an inner diameter of about 7.6 cm (3.0 in). Cardinals do not usually use their nests more than once. The female builds a cup nest in a well-concealed spot in dense shrub or a low tree 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) off the ground. The nest is made of thin twigs, bark strips, and grasses, lined with grasses or other plant fibers.[28] Eggs are laid one to six days following the completion of the nest. The eggs are white, with a tint of green, blue or brown, and are marked with lavender, gray, or brown blotches which are thicker around the larger end.[29] The shell is smooth and slightly glossy.[28] Three or four eggs are laid in each clutch. Eggs measure approximately 26 mm × 19 mm (1.02 in × 0.75 in) in size.[29] The female generally incubates the eggs, though, rarely, the male will incubate for brief periods of time. Incubation takes 12 to 13 days.[28] Young fledge 10 to 11 days after hatching. Two or three, and even four, broods are raised each year.[28] The male cares for and feeds each brood as the female incubates the next clutch of eggs.[26]

The oldest wild cardinal banded by researchers lived at least 15 years and 9 months, although 28.5 years was achieved by a captive bird.[30] Annual survival rates for adult northern cardinals have been estimated at 60–65%.[31]

Relationship with humans

The northern cardinal is found in residential areas throughout its range. Backyard birders attract it using feeders containing seeds, particularly sunflower seeds and safflower seeds. Although some controversy surrounds bird feeding, an increase in backyard feeding by humans has generally been beneficial to this species. It is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN Red List, with an estimated global range of 5,800,000 km2 (2,200,000 sq mi) and a global population of some 100 million.[1] Populations appear to remain stable and not threatened to reach the threshold of inclusion as a threatened species, which requires a decline of more than 30% in ten years or three generations.[1] It was once prized as a pet due to its bright color and distinctive song.[11] In the United States, this species receives special legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which also banned their sale as cage birds.[32] It is also protected by the Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds in Canada.[33] It is illegal to take, kill, or possess northern cardinals, and violation of the law is punishable by a fine of up to US$15,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.[34]

In the United States, the northern cardinal (referred to as just "cardinal") is the mascot of numerous athletic teams; however, most teams portray the bird with a yellow beak and legs. In professional sports, it is the mascot of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball's National League and the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, which for many years were also based in St. Louis. In college athletics, it is the mascot of many schools including Ball State University, The Catholic University of America, Illinois State University, the University of the Incarnate Word, Lamar University, the University of Louisville, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, North Idaho College, Otterbein University, Saint John Fisher College, the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Wesleyan University, Wheeling University, and William Jewell College.[35]

A study conducted in 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia, on West Nile virus transmission in the United States, found that unlike other species, northern cardinals biologically suppress the disease upon infection.[36]

U.S. state bird

The northern cardinal is the state bird of seven U.S. states, more than any other species: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia; although in each case the particular state just refers to the bird as "cardinal". It was also a candidate to become the state bird of Delaware, but lost to the Delaware Blue Hen.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b c d BirdLife International (2018). "Cardinalis cardinalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22723819A132024136. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22723819A132024136.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. T(Laurentii Salvii) (in Latin). Vol. 1. p. 824.
  3. ^ Bailey, Florence Merriam (1921). Handbook of Birds of the Western United States. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 500.
  4. ^ a b c d Ritchison, Gary (1997). Northern Cardinal. Stackpole Books. p. 2. ISBN 0-8117-3100-6.
  5. ^ a b Holloway, Joel Ellis (2003). Dictionary of Birds of the United States: Scientific and Common Names. Timber Press. p. 59. ISBN 0-88192-600-0.
  6. ^ Duchesne, Bob (2012-09-21). "Proliferation of cardinals a fairly recent event". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
  7. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Cardinals, grosbeaks and (tanager) allies". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  8. ^ Dunning, John B., ed. (1992). CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses. CRC Press. ISBN 9780849342585.
  9. ^ a b c Dewey, Tanya; Kirschbaum, Kari; Crane, Jonathan (2002). "Cardinalis cardinalis". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Archived from the original on 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  10. ^ a b "Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2014-08-20. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  11. ^ a b Wright, Mabel Osgood (1907). Birdcraft: A Field Book of Two Hundred Song, Game, and Water Birds. Macmillan Publishers. p. 161.
  12. ^ a b Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "Cardinalis cardinalis". Cornell University. Archived from the original on 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  13. ^ Krinsky, Norman I; Mayne, Susan T. & Sies, Helmut (2004). Carotenoids In Health And Disease. CRC Press. p. 258. ISBN 0-8247-5416-6.
  14. ^ a b McGraw, Kevin J.; Hill, Geoffrey E.; Stradi, Riccardo; Parker, Robert S. (2001). "The Influence of Carotenoid Acquisition and Utilization on the Maintenance of Species-Typical Plumage Pigmentation in Male American Goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) and Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis)". Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. University of Chicago Press. 74 (6): 843–852. doi:10.1086/323797. PMID 11731975. S2CID 10265039.
  15. ^ McGraw, Kevin J; Hill, Geogffrey E.; Parker, Robert S. (August 2003), "Carotenoid Pigments in a Mutant Cardinal: Implications for the Genetic and Enzymatic Control Mechanisms of Carotenoid Metabolism in Birds", The Condor, 105 (3): 587–592, doi:10.1650/7281, S2CID 32164111
  16. ^ Dennis Pillion. 'One in a million' yellow cardinal spotted in Alabama. AL.com. 22 Feb 2018
  17. ^ "'One in a million' yellow cardinal named 'Sunny' spotted in Florida". FOX 35 Orlando. October 15, 2019.
  18. ^ McClenny, Brad (March 10, 2022). "'It's a show stopper': One-in-a-million picturesque yellow cardinal spotted in Florida". The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  19. ^ Goldsberry, Jenny (May 11, 2022). "SEE IT: Rare yellow cardinal seen in Florida". Washington Examiner. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  20. ^ toughlittlebirds (2012-12-27). "How do birds keep warm?". Tough Little Birds. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  21. ^ onthefeeder (2021-12-16). "How Cardinals Survive Winter & Ways You Can Help". OnTheFeeder. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  22. ^ Robison, B C; Tveten, John L (1990). Birds of Houston. University of Texas Press. p. 59. ISBN 0-89263-303-4.
  23. ^ Anderson, Mary E.; Conner, Richard N. (1985). "Northern cardinal song in three forest habitats in eastern Texas". The Wilson Bulletin. 97 (4): 436–449.
  24. ^ a b Elliott, Lang; Read, Marie (1998). Common Birds and Their Songs. Houghton Mifflin Field Guides. p. 28. ISBN 0-395-91238-5.
  25. ^ Yamaguchi, Ayako (1998). "A sexually dimorphic learned birdsong in the northern cardinal". The Condor. 100 (3): 504–511. doi:10.2307/1369716. JSTOR 1369716.
  26. ^ a b Terres, J. K. (1980). The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. New York, NY: Knopf. pp. 293. ISBN 0-394-46651-9.
  27. ^ a b "Northern Cardinal - Introduction | Birds of North America Online". birdsna.org. doi:10.2173/bow.norcar.02. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  28. ^ a b c d Harrison, Hal H. (1979). A Field Guide to Western Birds' Nests. Houghton Mifflin Field. p. 228. ISBN 0-618-16437-5.
  29. ^ a b Davie, Oliver (1900). Nests and Eggs of North American Birds. D. McKay. pp. 399–400.
  30. ^ "Northern Cardinal". Pennsylvania State University. 2002. Archived from the original on 2013-12-26.
  31. ^ Halkin, S., S. Linville. (1999). Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). pp. 1-32 in A. Poole, F. Gill, eds. The Birds of North America, Vol. 440. Philadelphia, PA: The Birds of North America.
  32. ^ "Birds Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
  33. ^ "50 CFR 10.13 - List of Migratory Birds". Code of Federal Regulations. Cornell Law School. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
  34. ^ "16 U.S. Code Chapter 7, Subchapter II Migratory Bird Treaty Act". Code of Federal Regulations. Cornell Law School. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
  35. ^ Jackson, Laura Spess; Thompson, Carol A.; Dinsmore, James J. (1996). The Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas. ISBN 9781587291166.
  36. ^ Levine, Rebecca S.; et al. (November 2016) [9 June 2016 (online publication)]. "Supersuppression: Reservoir Competency and Timing of Mosquito Host Shifts Combine to Reduce Spillover of West Nile Virus". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 95 (5): 1174–1184. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0809. PMC 5094236. PMID 27503511.
  37. ^ deValinger Jr., Leon (July 8, 1940). "Letters to the Editors". Life. p. 4. Retrieved 2015-02-23.

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Northern cardinal: Brief Summary

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The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a bird in the genus Cardinalis; it is also known colloquially as the redbird, common cardinal, red cardinal, or just cardinal (which was its name prior to 1985). It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California, and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and Hawaii. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands.

The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in). It has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on the face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is a vibrant red, while the female is a reddish olive color. The northern cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on insects and fruit. The male behaves territorially, marking out his territory with song. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid, and two to four clutches are produced each year. It was once prized as a pet, but its sale as a cage bird was banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

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