The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a common songbird found throughout much of North America. With its bright red plumage, distinctive crest, and beautiful songs, the northern cardinal is easily recognizable. But is this bird a predator that hunts and eats other animals? Or is it prey that gets hunted by other predators? The answer is that the northern cardinal can actually be both predator and prey depending on the situation.
Northern Cardinal Diet
The northern cardinal is omnivorous and has a varied diet consisting of insects, spiders, snails, seeds, berries, and fruit. Cardinals are opportunistic predators and will eat whatever food sources are readily available.
Some of the main foods in the northern cardinal’s diet include:
- Insects: Beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, bees, wasps, flies
- Spiders
- Snails and slugs
- Seeds from trees, shrubs, and weeds
- Berries from plants like dogwood, honeysuckle, wild grape, blackberry
- Fruit including wild cherries, mulberries, citrus
Northern cardinals will often forage on the ground or in low bushes and shrubs looking for insects, spiders, seeds, and berries. They also sometimes hawk flying insects from an exposed perch. So in many cases, the northern cardinal is acting as a predator searching for small invertebrates and other food sources to prey upon.
However, northern cardinals do not hunt vertebrate animals. They only eat other invertebrates and plant matter. Cardinals are not equipped to kill larger animals and do not have the correct beak, feet, or hunting skills for that.
So while the northern cardinal does act as a predator against insects, spiders, and snails, it does not prey upon other birds or animals. It is limited to hunting smaller invertebrate prey.
Predators of the Northern Cardinal
Even though the northern cardinal is a predator of smaller prey, it is also subject to being preyed upon by larger predators. The bright red coloration and songs of the northern cardinal unfortunately make it an attractive target for various predators.
Some of the main natural predators of northern cardinals include:
- Hawks – Sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper’s hawks are agile bird hunters that prey on cardinals.
- Falcons – Merlins and American kestrels sometimes grab cardinals.
- Owls – Barred owls and eastern screech owls hunt at night and take cardinals at roost.
- Snakes – Rat snakes and black racers climb into shrubs and predate nestlings.
- Squirrels – Red squirrels and gray squirrels raid nests for eggs and young.
- Cats – Pet and feral cats catch and kill many back yard cardinals.
In addition to natural predators, cardinal mortality is often high due to collisions with windows, cars, and buildings. Disease and severe weather can also take their toll.
Because of the many threats facing northern cardinals, less than half of hatchlings survive their first year and adult cardinals only live around 3 years on average. The bright red plumage that makes cardinals so recognizable also unfortunately contributes to their high mortality.
Hunting and Foraging Behaviors
The northern cardinal exhibits a variety of hunting techniques and foraging behaviors depending on what food source it is targeting. These include:
Ground Foraging
Northern cardinals will often forage for food on the ground, searching through leaf litter and under bushes for seeds, insects, and spiders. They scratch and hop along the ground peering and listening for prey. Their strong beaks allow them to crack open seeds or capture creeping and crawling invertebrates.
Foliage Gleaning
In trees and shrubs, cardinals pick through leaves, branches, and twigs looking for insects, larvae, snails, or spiders. This foliage gleaning technique relies on good eyesight to detect camouflaged or hidden prey against the leaves.
Berry Eating
Cardinals pluck berries from plants throughout the seasons. They swallow smaller berries like blackberries whole. For larger fruits like oranges or apples, cardinals peck and bite off pieces while perched or holding the fruit with their feet.
Hawking and Sallying
Northern cardinals will fly out from an exposed perch to catch insects in mid-air. They then return to the perch to handle and eat the prey. This sallying or hawking technique allows cardinals to grab flying insects like moths, butterflies, dragonflies, and bees.
Bark Probing
Cardinals scan tree trunks and branches and probe their beaks into cracks in the bark to pry out hiding insects and larvae. Their specialized beaks help them probe deeply to find concealed prey.
Predatory Mobbing
Northern cardinals may sometimes work together to harass or mob potential predators like hawks, cats, or snakes. Though mobbing does not provide food, it can help deter predators.
Unique Physical Adaptations
Northern cardinals possess several physical adaptations that aid their predatory abilities and survival:
Specialized Beak
Thick, strong conical beaks allow cardinals to easily crack hard seeds and capture robust prey like beetles. The beak also aids in bark probing and fruit handling.
Acute Vision
Excellent eyesight helps cardinals spot camouflaged insects in foliage or see fruits and berries from a distance. Cardinals have color vision and visual acuity much greater than humans.
Foot Strength
Feet with strong gripping toes allow cardinals to tightly clasp branches and grasp prey. Cardinals can also hold large fruits in place with their feet while pecking pieces off.
Stealthy Plumage
Though the male’s red plumage stands out, the females are colored in more camouflaging shades of brown, tan, and orange. This helps provide concealment while hunting.
Vocal Mimicry
Northern cardinals can mimic the calls of other birds. This may help lure in other birds to prey upon or distract predators during mobbing.
Defense Mechanisms Against Predators
To help defend themselves against the many predators they face, northern cardinals have evolved several advantageous survival mechanisms including:
Alarm Calls
When spotting a predator, cardinals give loud, explosive alarm calls. These alert other cardinals to danger and scare off some predators.
Mobbing
Northern cardinals may form temporary flocks to harass, distract, and intimidate predators. Though risky, mobbing can discourage predators.
Camouflage
The female cardinal’s drab brown plumage provides year-round camouflage while nesting, roosting, and foraging. This helps conceal them from predators.
Hiding
When threatened, cardinals may freeze in place or rapidly take cover in dense shrubs making them difficult to spot. Stillness and their streaked plumage keep them hidden.
Erratic Flying
Northern cardinals engage in erratic zig-zag flights when escaping from predators. Their rapid changes in speed and direction make them tricky targets.
Injury Feigning
If captured by predators, cardinals may play dead by lying completely still. This trick can cause some predators to release them.
Population and Conservation Status
Thanks to its large range and adaptability, the northern cardinal has a secure population. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, northern cardinal numbers today remain similar to numbers before the mid-1900s.
Population Numbers
There are approximately 100 million northern cardinals across their habitat range. Population trends show:
Location | Estimated Population |
---|---|
United States and Mexico | 84 million |
Canada | 16 million |
The largest populations occur throughout the eastern and southern United States where cardinals are common year-round residents.
Conservation Status
The northern cardinal has a conservation status of Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List due to its large and stable population. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 130 million with 79% living in the U.S. and Canada. Northern cardinals are not considered threatened or endangered.
Threats
Habitat loss is the biggest threat facing northern cardinals, especially deforestation in Central America where they winter. Cardinals avoid large open areas without thickets or shrubs. Climate change may also impact their wintering grounds and food sources. Window collisions take a toll in residential areas. Outdoor cats kill many cardinals annually.
Protection
The northern cardinal is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in both the United States and Canada. This makes it illegal to harm, kill, or possess cardinals, their nests, or eggs without a permit. No special conservation plans currently exist specifically for cardinals.
Importance to Ecosystems
As a common songbird, the northern cardinal fills several important roles in its ecosystems:
Seed Dispersal
Cardinals help disperse plant seeds from berries and fruits through their droppings as they forage. This aids regeneration of native plants.
Insect Control
Their consumption of insects like beetles, ants, and caterpillars provides natural pest control helping protect trees and crops.
Pollination
Northern cardinals occasionally visit flowers for nectar. This provides incidental pollination assisting the plants.
Prey Base
As a frequent prey species, cardinals help sustain predator populations including hawks, snakes, and foxes. This maintains balance in the ecosystem.
Soil Fertilization
The droppings of cardinals contain concentrated nitrogen and other nutrients from seeds and insects. This enriches the soil as it decomposes.
Overall, northern cardinals contribute to ecosystem health through their roles as prey, insect controllers, seed dispersers, pollinators, and soil fertilizers. Their ubiquity across North America makes them especially valuable ecologically.
Conclusion
In summary, the northern cardinal is both a predator and prey species fulfilling different roles depending on the situation. Cardinals prey upon small invertebrates like insects, spiders, and snails making them low-level predators that help control pest populations. However, cardinals also get preyed upon by a variety of birds, mammals, and snakes higher up the food chain, making them an important food source for other species.
Northern cardinals have evolved physical adaptations to help them succeed as predators and evade predators themselves. They play valuable roles in seed dispersal, insect control, pollination, and fertilization in their widespread North American habitats. So while the bright red cardinal may seem an easy target for predators, it is also a skillful predator itself and a key species supporting diverse ecosystems. Their ability to both hunt prey and avoid becoming prey contributes to the northern cardinal’s success across the continent.