Identification - This colorful bird is slightly smaller than a robin. The male is our only red bird with a crest. Its body is a brilliant scarlet and its crest and stout bill are red. The face and throat are black. Females are crested with a yellow-brown body with a red wash and a red bill.
Morsels - The Northern Cardinals begins courtship in late winter. A pair will engage in countersinging. The female will sing, then the male will repeat her song. She changes her song, then he repeats the new song. Another part of courtship is mate-feeding where the male presents a seed to a female who allows him to place it in her bill. This usually means that there is a nest nearby.