Diet
Cardinals eat seeds, grains, fruits and insects. They can often be found at birdfeeders!
Life Cycle
Cardinals usually raise two broods of young a year. They mate in March and again from May to July. The female usually lays four eggs. The eggs take about 12 days to hatch. Cardinals usually build cup-shaped nests in small trees, bushes, shrubs and thick vines that are no more than three to eight feet off the ground. Their nests are made of twigs and bark and are lined with grass, moss and other soft materials. Young cardinals leave the nest after 11 days and they can fly within 20 days.
Behavior
Cardinals are non-migratory birds. Most cardinals live within a mile of where they were born. Cardinals are song birds and the male uses its call to attract a mate. Unlike most northern songbirds, the female also sings. Females will often sing from the nest in what may be a call to her mate. Cardinal pairs have song phrases that they share. If you listen carefully, on the first sunny days of late winter, you may hear the cardinal's song. It sounds like 'cheer, cheer, cheer' or a short 'chink' sound.
Image Credits: Clipart.com unless otherwise noted
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