You don't have to be an ornithologist to identify the Northern Cardinal. A favorite of all, they are sometimes called just a redbird. They have become the state bird in seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. They are also mascots to many athletic teams, such as Ball State Cardinals and St. Louis Cardinals.

Some facts about Northern cardinals: they are socially monogamous; males are slightly larger than females; and they use stems, twigs, and grasses to build their nests. Once complete, the nests are two to ten feet off the ground in dense shrubbery. They usually raise two broods a year. It takes 11 to 13 days to hatch the eggs, and the same amount of the time for the babies to fledge. During incubation, the male brings food to the female. Later both parents feed the nestlings insects, and they continue feeding the chicks for a month or more after they fledge.

You may have noticed that most cardinals do not migrate. They usually flock together until mating time, when they become territorial. Home owners have great angst when the male cardinal does battle with his own image in the window or car side mirror.

Northern Cardinals primarily use song and physical displays to communicate. You can hear their calls which sound like "whoit whoit whoit " and "wha-cheer wha-cheer." They also use a continuous call of "chips", raising and lowering the crest, and "tail-flicks" to signal alarms.

Their benefit to us is that they eat large quantities of seeds and fruits; thus, they disperse seeds for some plants. They also eat various destructive insects. We are lucky to have such cheery, colorful birds that are not strangers to backyard birdfeeders. I hope this has helped you make a friend in your backyard! Fill your feeder with black oil sunflower or seed blends with black oil sunflower to attract them. Northern cardinals also like safflower, and will be at your feeder usually first thing in the morning and the last feeding before sunset. Enjoy providing tasty treats for the Cardinal, and see how many pairs you can attract.