The Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is one of the most popular birds in the US so much so that it is the official bird of no fewer than seven eastern states. Originally the the range for the Northern Cardinal was the southern US. Beginning in the 1900s the increase in “edge” habitat created by more and more towns and suburbs resulted in the Cardinal’s range increasing to as far north as Canada.

European settlers arriving in North America were taken by the bright red birds and their resemblance to the vestments of Roman Catholic bishops right down to the jaunty crest and its similarity to the shape of a church officials tall pointed headgear the mitre. It is believed this gave rise to the name Cardinal.

Common folklore suggests that a visit from a cardinal represents a sign from a loved one who has passed. While this belief cannot be traced to a single origin, birds have often symbolized heavenly visitors, messengers to the gods, or even the gods themselves in feathered form. This belief has been part of ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Maori, Irish, and Hindu spiritualism, as well as the lore and legends of many Native American tribes, including the Ojibwe, Lakota, Odawa, Sioux, Algonquin, and Menomini."

Some bird dads are useless. For example, the ruby-throated hummingbird seems to live only to impregnate females. Once he does that, he is never seen again. This is the absolute opposite of the northern cardinals

Cardinals mate for life. Most cardinal couples stay together as long as their mate is alive. They don’t just mate for life — they spend most of the year together. They are a true couple.

Attracting these beautiful birds to your backyard is easy. Nearly any bird feeder will bring them in as long as you live in their range. Almost any commercially available wild bird food will suffice but the Cardinal seems to particularly love sunflower seeds. In addition, leaving undergrowth around the edges of your yard will attract these bright red beauties and you just might find a mated pair setting up housekeeping in your backyard.