Exploring Nature: Northern Cardinals

Lots of birds are migrating south this time of year, but one of the stalwart species that stays behind is the northern cardinal.

We have this plucky bird in our area on a yearround basis and it is a very popular creature.

Seven states have adopted it as their state bird — Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Also, many sports teams have chosen it as their mascot, such as the St. Louis baseball team.

But why is it called the “northern” cardinal? To differentiate it from other, more southern species, including the yellow cardinal.

Male northern cardinals are a dark crimson and the females are a warm brown with reddish accents.

The name cardinal was inspired by the bird’s bright red plumage, which reminded people of crimson robes and caps worn by cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. A group of northern cardinals is called a college or conclave.

Scientific name for the bird is Cardinalis cardinalis, and on a less formal basis, it is called redbird, crested redbird, Virginia redbird and Virginia nightingale.

At one time, northern cardinals were basically a southern bird, but they began moving north in the 1900s, with a gradually warming climate and the proliferation of yard feeders in the winter. Now they are found throughout the eastern United States and range from southern Ontario to the Gulf of Mexico.

If you see a cardinal that is bald and scraggly looking, chances are it is molting since it replaces its feathers every year, usually one or two at a time. However, sometimes it loses its head feathers all at once, usually in late summer.

A cardinal’s song is described as cheer, cheer, cheer. And certainly this is a popular bird that brings lots of cheer.