The Cardinal's Nest

Where Do Baby Cardinals Come From?

Every bird-watcher and most children recognize the male Northern Cardinal, but many people know nothing about its nesting and courtship habits. Through the years, we have been able to observe and photograph most of the mating behavior of our beautiful Northern Cardinal. This lens should give you some insight into what happens in a Cardinal's nest and also into how to attract this lovely bird into your own backyard. Lists of good adult and children's books about Cardinals are also provided.

Description and Habits

Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) were called "Redbirds" where I grew up. It is also known as the Virginia nightingale. It ranges (in the north) from southern Canada and south to northern Guatemala and Belize. It inhabits forest edges, thickets, gardens, backyards, shrubby areas and orchards.

The bright red male Cardinal is so beautiful and has such a lovely song that it was once trapped and sold as a caged song bird. This practice stopped when its sale as a cage bird was banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Listen to the Song of the Northern Cardinal from the National Park Service

The male's crest, black mask and bright orange beak set him apart from other birds. The more demure females are not as colorful, but are beautiful in their own right with their feathers of tan, brown and touches of red. Their beaks are also orange. Young birds have dark beaks until their first molt. Cardinals are medium sized birds measuring 8.3 to 9 inches.

Male Cardinal Singing

Northern Cardinal singing

A Northern Cardinal singing in the Montreal Botanical Garden, may 2007.

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A Photo Journal of Nesting Cardinals

Males are territorial during the breeding season and can be seen and heard singing from a prominent spot in their territory.
During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female. She will often flutter her wings and beg like a chick.

After the courtship is over, the female builds a nest of twigs, vines, some leaves, bark strips, grasses, weed stalks, rootlets and lined with fine grasses in a thorny bush, thicket, bramble or in a dense shrub or tree. Three to four eggs (somewhat glossy, grayish, bluish, greenish white and spotted or blotched with browns, grays, or purples) are laid. The female may delay egg laying as long as 6 days after nest completion. There are normally two to three broods each year. The female incubates the eggs for 11-13 days.
When they hatch out, the chicks are blind, helpless and have a little fuzz covering their bodies, but they grow quickly.

The chicks fledge in 7-13 days, but the male continues to feed the fledglings while the female builds a second nest.
The male Cardinal continues to feed the young even after they have grown almost as large as he is. This male was caring for a young female and a young male. The young male was already beginning to moult into his adult plumage.

This year the Northern Cardinals have had many successful nests, so there are several immature ones at each sunflower seed feeder. Several of the pairs are on their third brood. You can tell when Cardinals are on their last brood when you see both the adult male and the female feeding the young. On the first and second broods, the male feeds the fledglings while the female builds the nest, lays and incubates the eggs and feeds the young while they are in the nest.

Guide to Eastern Birds' Nests

This book has helped us identify many birds' nests that we have found in our nest boxes and in shrubs and trees on our property. The pictures and descriptions are excellent.

Peterson Field Guide: Eastern Birds' Nests

by: Hal H. Harrison

Amazon Price: $13.60 (as of 07/13/2009)

Post Breeding Activities

During summer and fall the young birds go through their first molt. The male and female colors (however mottled) begin to show and the dark beaks begin to turn orange.
After the breeding season is over and the last of the young are able to feed themselves, the adults look a little ragged. They begin their fall moult and by winter have a new set of feathers so that they will be well insulated against the cold weather.

Winter Cardinals are bright, crisp and fresh looking. The male's beautiful colors help him establish a good territory in order to attract a prospective mate. In early Spring the whole cycle begins again.

Attracting Cardinals

Habitat - Shelter and Nesting Sites
Cardinals prefer shrubs and brambles. They love evergreen trees and these are especially good in winter to provide shelter from the cold. Besides being good for the birds, evergreens planted on the north side of your house will help save energy and lower your monthly bill.

Food Plants that Cardinals useinclude: Maple, devil's walking stick, paper mulberry, French mulberry, ironwood, bitter-sweet, hackberry, fringe tree, camphor tree, flowering dogwood, hawthorn, gumi, fatsia, common fig, ash, huckleberry, sunflower, firebush, lantana, privet, sweet gum, Southern magnolia, red mulberry, American hop hornbeam, poke-berry, pine, black cherry, pyracantha, sumac, rose, blackberry and dewberry.

Bird Feeders for Cardinals

A Cardinal's diet consists mainly of grain, but they also eat insects and fruit. Cardinals will readily eat from sunflower seed and suet feeders. They prefer platform type feeders, but will use hanging feeders that have large, sturdy perches.

Heritage Farms Absolute I...

Tubular Bird Feeder

Hiatt Manufacturing 38024...

Brome 1024 Squirrel Buste...

More Cardinal Bird Feeders

FEEDER BIRD PLATFORM

Gardman USA 0280019 Wild...

Brome 1015 Squirrel Buste...

Audubon Large Ranch Feede...

"NORTH STATES" REDWOOD BI...

More About Planting for Birds

Planting for Birds and Wildlife

Welcoming birds and animals into our yard has been a most enjoyable experience. The beauty and motion that they add to the landscape makes the garden that we have created seem all the more beautiful. We have provided a planting list with photographs...

Water Features

Water
Every creature needs a water source. Cardinals will use standard bird baths, but they seem to like water on the ground more. They love sprinklers and misters.

API 645 Bird Bath Bowl wi...

Smart Solar Smart Solar S...

Mistymate Inc 17 Nozzle C...

STI Smart Solar Terracott...

Sunterra Montreux 3-Tier...

Mother Cardinal Building Video

Northern Cardinal Building Nest

Northern Cardinal building nest in our front yard in northern VA

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The Importance of Keeping Cats Inside

Over 25 years ago, when we were young and foolish, we used to let our black cat, Zee, come in and out as he pleased. One night we heard a commotion outside our bedroom window and rushed out to find Zee Cat with a Mother Cardinal in his mouth.

The nest was very low in the shrubs right by the window. There was one baby in the nest so we brought it inside and kept it warm and safe.
At that time, rehabilitators were few and hard to find. So since we had experience with hand raising cockatiels and canaries and we had everything on hand, we decided to raise the little guy ourselves.
He grew quickly and soon began to show the mottled feathers of a young male. But we had to teach him how to open sunflower seeds like his bird parents would have.
When he had moulted into most of his adult plumage, we released him into the backyard. He stayed around for a while, then went off to establish his own territory.
Ever since that incident, we have kept our cats inside during the breeding season and we only let them out on supervised excursions at other times of the year.

Cardinals to Wear and Enjoy

Red Cardinal Postcards (Package of 8)

Gifts for the bird watcher, nature lover or Cardinals fan including T-shirts and other apparel, mugs, stickers, magnets, cards, posters and bags.

Price: 7.99

Red Cardinal White T-Shirt

Gifts for the bird watcher, nature lover or Cardinals fan including T-shirts and other apparel, mugs, stickers, magnets, cards, posters and bags.

Price: 17.99

Red Cardinal Teddy Bear

Gifts for the bird watcher, nature lover or Cardinals fan including T-shirts and other apparel, mugs, stickers, magnets, cards, posters and bags.

Price: 14.99

Red Cardinal BBQ Apron

Gifts for the bird watcher, nature lover or Cardinals fan including T-shirts and other apparel, mugs, stickers, magnets, cards, posters and bags.

Price: 16.99

Red Cardinal Denim Shirt

Bright red male Northern Cardinal decorate apparel, mugs, buttons, stickers, magnets and cards. Great gifts for bird lovers.

Price: 33.99

More Cardinals to Wear and Enjoy

To see more designs, please visit our Naturally Native Creations Zazzle Gallery.

Cardinal Keds

Cardinal Designs by Naturally Native Creations

Father Cardinal Feeding YouTube video

Cardinal feeding baby birds - Awesome!

Awesome close-up footage of a brilliant red cardinal feeding a fat catapillar to two baby cardinals who fell out of the nest.

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Birds in Winter

The Wings of Winter

The winter season is hard on wildlife, but most of all the birds. Some bird species migrate to warmer climates, but many do not. There is quite an assortment of beautiful birds that are permanent residents of, or that visit Louisiana during the winte...

Cardinal in Holly Card and Postage

Cardinal in Holly Card and Postage Designs by Naturally Native

Northern Cardinal Books for Adults

Vote for your favorite or add your own to the list.

The Cardinal's Nest

Where Do Baby Cardinals Come From?

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Description and Habits

Male Cardinal Singing

Northern Cardinal singing

A Photo Journal of Nesting Cardinals

Guide to Eastern Birds' Nests

Post Breeding Activities

Attracting Cardinals

Bird Feeders for Cardinals

More Cardinal Bird Feeders

More About Planting for Birds

Water Features

Mother Cardinal Building Video

Northern Cardinal Building Nest

The Importance of Keeping Cats Inside

Cardinals to Wear and Enjoy

More Cardinals to Wear and Enjoy

Cardinal Keds

Father Cardinal Feeding YouTube video

Cardinal feeding baby birds - Awesome!

Birds in Winter

Cardinal in Holly Card and Postage

Northern Cardinal Books for Adults

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Children's Cardinal Books

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Children's Song - Little Redbird

Folk Song From Georgia

Cardinals for the Children's Corner

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Best of Naturally Native Squids Blog

Cardinals for Decoration and Enjoyment

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Northern Cardinal Blog Posts from Google

Other Nesting Lenses

Tell us your Cardinal Stories.

The Cardinal's Nest is on Isle of Squid