Cardinals in Winter

The bright red male cardinal is a beautiful bird. You will find it as a symbol for sports teams, a state bird for several states and often used as a Christmas bird.

The cardinals are native to North and South America. They are seed eating birds that have strong bills. The cardinal family was named for the bright color of the male birds of the Northern Cardinal species.

I have often seen cardinals feeding at my backyard bird feeder. They are really interesting to watch. The bright colored plumage of the male bird and the bright colored beak of the female bird always catch my eye. They really stand out among the other birds at the feeder.

When the ground is covered with snow, the brightly colored cardinals are particularly stunning. In this article I will bring you some of the photographs that I have taken of photos in the winter and a bit of insight into the popularity of the birds.

photographs by Mary Beth Granger

It is very easy to tell male and female cardinals apart. The male cardinal has bright red coloring and the female cardinal has a subdued coloring with a bright colored beak. I took this photo of a male and female cardinal on my icy bird feeder.

Are you looking for a great gift for someone who is a bird lover. One of these cardinal gifts may fit the bill.

It seems that although the cardinals sometimes eat on my bird feeder, they most often can be found among the birds on the ground below the feeder. Here is a bright colored cardinal with his bird friends.

Did you know that the cardinal is such a popular bird that it is the state bird for seven different states? Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virgina and West Virginia all have named the cardinal their state bird.