Top ten birds cardinal

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Top Ten Birds in U.S. gardens

The ten most common birds reported in U.S. gardens are, in descending order:

Number one is the:

Northern Cardinal - The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a member of the Cardinal family of birds in North America. The bird was so named because of the red-robed Roman Catholic Cardinals and its crested head resembles a bishop's mitre. Cardinals are also known as redbirds and Virginia nightingales. Cardinals were once popular cage birds because of their bright color and variety of songs.

Cardinals feed on seeds, fruits, wastes, small animals, and insects. They almost always come in pairs; if one is seen, its mate will usually be close by. The males are bright, deep red with black faces and red beaks. The females are lighter in color with predominately grayish-brown tones. Both have prominent elevated crests and tough beaks.

Cardinals are plentiful across the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia in Canada. They extend west to the Mexican-border region of the U.S. and south through Mexico to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, northern Guatemala, andnorthern Belize. They have been introduced in Bermuda, Hawaii, and Southern California. Suburbs, woodlands, gardens, swamps and thickets make up their natural habitats.

The male jealously guards his territory and sings in a loud, clear whistle from a tree top to defend it. He will chase off other males. The pair sometimes sing together before nesting and the male may feed his mate. The female builds a nest in a hidden spot in a dense shrub or a low tree. Both male and female feed the young. Young cardinals resemble adult females in coloring. The male will develop bright red feathers as he matures.

These birds are permanent residents throughout their area, however, they might move if food is scarce or to avoid extreme weather.