Northern Cardinal

First to sing at dawn and last to sing at dusk, the male Northern Cardinal is the Virginia state bird and one of the most colorful and feisty of Raymondale's year-round song birds.

This scarlet feathery fellow takes his territory seriously. He will find a high tree top and sing in a loud and clear whistled pattern: "cheer a dot dote dote dote, purdy purdy purdy!" He is keeping his territory protected for him and his mate and will chase away any male who intrudes.

This Northern Cardinal male, has obviously been in a fight to have this scar near his wing joint. He lives in our backyard keeping an uneasy alliance with another male. We call this Cardinal "Buster."

Northern Cardinal females are shaped the same as males and as typical in the bird world are less colorful.

Did you know that Northern Cardinals mate for life? During courtship and when she is on the nest, the male may feed the female beak to beak. The male will bring nesting materials to the female who builds the nest on her own.

But woe to any other birds that try to share the feeder with the male when he is courting or his "woman" is expecting. He is not good at sharing.

Northern Cardinals have flourished and benefited from their relationship with humans. They will happily visit your feeder, safflower and sunflower seed being favorite foods for them. The are comfortable eating from the ground too.

So, if you hear an exuberant song from a high tree top, look up for "big red" who is letting everyone know that your yard is his yard!

(all photographs taken in Raymondale)

Why a Raymondale bird blog? Dan and Beth Fedorko have been inventorying birds for Cornell University's Backyard Bird Count (www.feederwatch.org) which runs November through April each year. This inventory keeps track of migratory patterns, possible diseases, and decline and increase in bird populations. In response to the Raymondale Environmental Stewardship Task Force, we have started this blog which is separate from the general Raymondale news blog and more personal, to share our finds and photographs. If you see any birds in the neighborhood and surrounding parkland, please send us a photo! We'll help you identify it and might even post it on the blog!