Cardinals were perhaps the very first bird species I could identify when I was a nature-addicted little kid. I don’t remember much from those carefree days in rural Connecticut but if I wasn’t outside running about in the woods, I was almost always peering out the window with my nose against the glass. I suspect when I saw cardinals way back then from my side of the window, I most likely referred to them something like this, “I see a red bird!” I’m still a great fan of our ‘red birds” a.k.a. the Northern Cardinal, a highly recognizable species for non-birders as well.

Friday, Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day, but I wager as I write these words a week before that day, groundhogs will still be snoozing away in their subterranean burrows. That leaves naturalists and nature writers searching for something else that’s eye-catching. That’s where the cardinals come in! They will most likely be highly visible at bird feeders with black-oiler sunflower seeds being crunched in their beaks. Cardinal watching is a year-round event for birdwatchers in Oakland County; especially since they do not migrate south for the winter.   

Male cardinals are brilliant red and have a black squarish face surrounding their beak making them stand out even on a snowy or foggy day. Female cardinals have the same body size and shape, but my birder friends refer to their overall color as “tawny” with reddish tinges on their pointed crest, wings and tail feathers.

Regardless of the color descriptions and variations, their body shape is extremely recognizable. When you see a cardinal, you know it’s a cardinal and the brilliance of the males and their noticeable crest demands attention. Perhaps that fact gives the slight drabber-appearing female a better chance to remain unnoticed in the nest.

When I see a cardinal, I am certainly not thinking about a church, but the prestigious American Bird Conservancy refers to cardinals lightheartedly as “A churchless cardinal” and describes them as:

“The Northern Cardinal’s bright red plumage reminded early European settlers of the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, high-ranking bishops who wear red robes and caps”. Both this bird’s common name and its scientific moniker Cardinalis cardinalis refer to these church officials.”

The American Bird Conservancy also shared the fact that a group of Northern Cardinals is called a “college,” “conclave” or “Vatican.” I’ll confess here. When I see a group of cardinals together, I always did and always will simply call them a flock of cardinals; but now you know how they earned the name cardinal.

The eye-catching red coloration of the males led to the cardinal becoming the official state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Lest you wonder, the state bird of Michigan is the American Robin; but the year-round presence of cardinals and their high visibility would have made them an honorable contender to also be the State bird of Michigan.

Today, as I work on this cardinal tale, I am watching about half a dozen cardinals feast on sunflower seeds; without a doubt one of their favorite foods at my bird feeder. A bit of fact-checking on their dietary preferences disclosed that they are a “granivorous” species. Granivorous was a new word to me but as the spelling hints at, it means it’s a species that eats grains. Cardinals are well-adept at munching on grains and cracking open sunflower seeds, and when they find a good food source, they tend to stay with it.

The brilliant plumage of the male cardinal along with its “sweet songs” made it a very popular caged pet bird back in the 1800s. I discovered that bit of history from the American Bird Conservancy along with a reminder that cardinals and almost all other birds are now protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 

I came across another interesting, perhaps “bird-romantic” fact while fact-checking my writing. This too is from the American Bird Conservancy:

“The female cardinal sings duets with her mate during courtship and while she’s on the nest. During that time, her singing tells her mate when to bring food and when to stay away. This warning keeps the more conspicuous males’ visit to a minimum, lest his flashy color exposes the nest to predators.”

I have rarely seen a cardinal’s nest, but I was going to photograph one last spring at Indian Springs Metropark when by chance I noticed a male cardinal flying into thick shrubs carrying small twigs. I was also set to move in closer for an unobstructed photo before noticing the nest was located just above a large shrub-like patch of poison ivy. I opted out of that mission.

Spring will be here before you know it, and that’s the season you will hear more cardinals singing. You may even witness a cardinal flying into a window or other shiny surface over and over again. Why would they keep flying into a window? They are simply defending their territory from what they think is another cardinal, not realizing it’s their reflection. Cardinals, however, seem to ignore other bird species and just last week I photographed a pair of House Sparrows perched near “my” cardinals. I suspect abundant food and the shelter of my arbor were the common denominator.

Unlike many other bird species, the Northern Cardinal does not migrate but may relocate closer to food sources. Well-stocked bird feeders are one of those locations.

I take great pleasure in watching “my” cardinals feast on sunflower seeds at the bird feeders on a wintery day and I often see them hunkered down in shrubs along the woodland’s edge. Even on a foggy day, such as the days we had about a week ago, they are eye-catching standouts; especially when caught in action diving down from the top of my bird feeding array. Hats off to our red birds for always brightening the day!

Jonathan Schechter is the nature education writer for Oakland County Government and blogs about nature’s way on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.

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