I didn’t see a cardinal at my bird feeder today, so that means we shouldn’t get any snow tonight as people often say that cardinals bring in the snow (since they show up at the feeders just before a storm). But I haven’t seen any of my cardinals for the last month and it has been snowing very frequently so they haven’t been a good predictor, but the lack of cardinals might be because there are too many redpolls and finches at the feeders.
Lonely Cardinal
Some people complain that cardinals bring the snow since they are often seen at the feeders before a snow storm and the red birds do stand out more more against the white snow. And with four cardinals in my pine tree this morning, they looked like decoration red balls on a Christmas tree.
Cardinal in the Snow
It is a cold Valentine’s Day, the coldest in 72 years according to the weather folks, so probably no romantic picnic outside and no kissing the ring on the lady’s hand since the gentleman’s lips would freeze on to it. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of love in the air at the bird feeders either as it is every male, female, and youth on their own trying to get a seed as the birds battle each other and the squirrels. Maybe love will come back when spring ever decides to return.
The Great Backyard Bird Count started yesterday and continues through Monday so people around the world are counting birds this weekend. I haven’t seen the cardinals this week at the feeders but the finches, red poles, chickadees, nuthatch and woodpeckers have been fighting at the feeders.
Love is Not in the Air
Due to the vibrant colors, which most male birds have compared to the females, the female often doesn’t get displayed in pictures even though she often does the majority of the work. In the case of the cardinal, the female does the nest building although the male sometimes brings nest material to the female.
The female cardinal has a rare trait of singing as few North American songbirds females do. Her song often a longer and more complex than the male and join their mates in a practice known as antiphonal singing.
Female Cardinal
Although I had filled the bird feeders frequently during the arctic blast, I saw little bird activity during the below zero days. Today, with the temperature finally above zero, even though below freezing yet, the bids were more active and coming to the feeders and some birds add some nice color contrast to the winter landscape like the cardinal.
Male Cardinal
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
There are not too many red wildflowers and red is not too common in the winter either, unless you catch a glimpse of the Northern Cardinal. Although some people might chew out the cardinal out for bringing the snow, I think the cardinal is just smarter than some people and will stock up on food before the snow flies. And the snow has started to fall today so I wonder if the cardinal stocked up enough.
During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak, but I bet he wants to be waited on once the honeymoon is over!
Red & White
