Color alone would make cardinals favored birds. Their striking
plumage is easily seen and long remembered. Though mild mannered, cardinals will sometimes
chase each other from a feeding station in early winter, but by late winter and spring,
they eat side by side.
Preferring vines, shrubbery, and thickets, the cardinal will live comfortably in city yards and
parks. Since cardinals do not migrate, they will remain in one yard the year round, as
long as food is available. Often nesting in bushes beside busy sidewalks, or near enough
to homes that their every move can be watched, the cardinals often have several broods a year.
The cardinals usual song is a clear and ringing whistle. While no two birds seem identical in
sound, their songs are distinctive, and once learned, will always bring pleasure.
These fine birds are now found in most states, and cardinals range north as far as southern
Canada.
