One often thinks of a cardinal as a winter bird as its red colors stand out against the white snow since they do not molt into a dull winter plumage but they are rather striking in the summer time too. In summer, their sweet whistles are one of the first sounds of the morning.
Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male.
Northern Cardinal
