Cardinal Bird Facts

The cardinal birds, at times referred to as the cardinals, are passerine birds native to the continents of North America and South America. Several facts about the cardinals, including the wide variety observed in this species, make them a delight for ornithologists. In terms of size, the species range from 12 cm long orange-breasted Bunting, which weighs just around 12 gm, to 25 cm long black-headed Saltator, which weighs around 85 gm.

Cardinals: Cardinalidae Family
The Cardinalidae family of birds is divided into 5 species, which share traits that are derived from a common ancestor. Each of these species are further divided into some subspecies. Given below are the 5 clades (species) and genus belonging to each of them.

• The masked clade
  • Genus Periporphyrus (1)
  • Genus Caryothraustes (2)
  • Genus Rhodothraupis (1)
  • Genus Cardinalis (3)
  • Genus Piranga (9)
• The blue clade
  • Genus Amaurospiza (3)
  • Genus Cyanocompsa (3)
  • Genus Cyanoloxia (1)
  • Genus Passerina (7)
  • Genus Spiza (1)
• The Ant-tanager clade
  • Genus Habia (5)
  • Genus Chlorothraupis (3)
• The Chat clade
  • Genus Granatellus (3)
• The Pheucticus clade,
  • Genus Pheucticus (6)

The number corresponding to the name of the genus is the number of sub-species belonging to this group. Other than these, the cardinal birds family also includes Genus Saltator (16), Genus Porphyrospiza (1) and Genus Parkerthraustes (1).

General Information about the Species
Almost all of us know that this species derives its name from the bright red color it features, but not many people are aware of an important red cardinal fact, that only the male birds in this species have this bright red color, while the females have a relatively dull appearance. This is considered to be an adaptation of the species, which helps it to attract the opposite sex for mating. Cardinal birds generally tend to gather in big flocks of around 70 to 100 birds. These birds are omnivorous in nature. Cardinal bird food includes seeds and grains, as well as a wide variety of insects. You will often find them foraging for these things in your yard.

Interesting Facts about Cardinals
One of the most popular species of cardinal birds in North America, the Northern cardinal is often referred to as the 'state bird' in the United States, owing to the fact that it is the state bird of as many as seven states of the nation. These states include North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. Interestingly enough, the cardinal is the only red colored bird with a crest in the United States. In cardinal birds, the males are assigned the task of defending their territory, and they do it very well. A male cardinal can fight with its reflection for several hours if he comes across his reflection in a mirror. In folklore, it is widely believed that the female bird sings to send a message across to the male that it needs food.

The bright red plumage of these birds ensures that you don't have much trouble in spotting them, even if you are an amateur in the field. With so many genus in the family, there is so much to know about these birds, some of which we already known, while some, we can just hope will surface sometime in the near future.