Stats

Lifespan: 3-15 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Pair
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: North America
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Speed
Status: Common

About

A vivid red songbird of eastern North America, the male's pointed crest and black face mask make it one of the most recognisable birds at any winter feeder. Cardinals don't migrate, and pairs often hold the same territory year-round, the male singing duets back and forth with his mate.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small clutch of speckled eggs is incubated in a cup nest, turned and kept warm by the parent.
2.
hatchling
A pink, blind hatchling is fed by its parents in the nest, gaping its bill at every visit.
3.
juvenile
A feathered juvenile fledges from the nest, learning to fly and to forage close to its parents.
4.
adult
Fully grown with adult plumage and song.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Cardinalis
Species: Cardinalis cardinalis