The Northern Cardinal is a common songbird found throughout eastern North America. Known for its bright red plumage, pointed crest, and melodious songs, the Northern Cardinal is easily identifiable by birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. But what many don’t know is that the Northern Cardinal goes through an interesting life cycle from egg to adult. Here are some key facts about the different stages of the Northern Cardinal life cycle.
Nesting
The Northern Cardinal breeding season lasts from March to September. During this time, the male and female cardinals work together to build a cup-shaped nest in the branches of shrubs, small trees, or vines. The female cardinal then lays between 2-5 eggs which are light brown, gray, or greenish in color with reddish-brown spots.
The female incubates the eggs for 11-13 days before they hatch. Both parents feed regurgitated food to the hatchlings multiple times per hour. This stage lasts about 7-13 days until the nestlings are ready to leave the nest, or fledge.
Some key facts about the Northern Cardinal nesting stage:
- Nests are built 3-10 feet off the ground.
- Females lay about 3 clutch per season with 2-5 eggs per clutch.
- Only the female incubates eggs.
- Hatchlings are altricial, meaning they are helpless and require parental care.
- Nestlings fledge about 9-11 days after hatching.
Juvenile Stage
After leaving the nest, Northern Cardinal fledglings follow their parents closely and continue begging for food. At this stage the young cardinals have juvenile plumage with brown feathers and some red on their wings, crest, and tail.
For the next 2-3 weeks, the parents show the fledglings where to find food and how to avoid predators. The juveniles learn to fly better during this time and stay with their parents for about 1 month after leaving the nest.
Some facts about the juvenile stage:
- Fledglings have a stubby black bill unlike adult’s red bill.
- Juveniles have large yellow spots on their open mouths when begging.
- It takes 4-5 weeks for juveniles to start growing red feathers.
- Juveniles become independent of parents about 30 days after fledging.
Adult Plumage
At around 90 days old, young Northern Cardinals develop their bright red adult plumage along with coral-red bills and black faces. The males start singing melodious paired whistles at this stage to establish their territories.
Northern Cardinals molt and replace all of their feathers each year after breeding season ends. This yearly molt helps keep their feathers in good condition.
The brilliant red color of adult cardinals comes from carotenoids obtained from their diet of insects and fruit. However, the red hue may look dull during molting before new feathers grow in.
Key facts about adult Northern Cardinal plumage:
- Males have brighter red feathers than females.
- Red plumage is from carotenoids, not cardinal blood.
- Molting occurs between August and November.
- New brighter feathers grow in after molting.
Mating and Pairing
Northern Cardinals are socially monogamous, meaning a mated pair stays together for the breeding season and often for years. However, extra-pair mating does occur.
Males start declaring their territories in late winter by singing daily from high perches. In early spring, males begin courting females with courtship feeds of seeds or insects.
Once paired, the bond is formed and the couple works together to build a nest, incubate eggs, and raise the young. Pair bonds are strong and often last until one mate dies.
Facts about Northern Cardinal pairing:
- Males attract females by offering food.
- Couples sing together to reinforce bonds.
- Divorce is rare, pairs stay loyal if both survive.
- Females exercise mate choice, not males.
- Pairs raise about 3 broods per season.
Communication
Northern Cardinals communicate in a variety of ways beyond their songs. Some forms of communication include:
- Calls – short chips, tacks, and whines.
- Songs – loud, melodious whistles in different tones.
- Displays – males raise crests, flick tail, and puff up.
- Postures – actions like wing-flicking and bowing.
- Beak wiping – rubbing beak against perch to show dominance.
Calls are used year-round for communicating location and alarm. Songs are used mostly in early spring by unpaired males seeking mates.
Different displays, postures, and beak wiping communicate aggression or dominance between cardinals. Females also posture to signal readiness for mating.
Key communication facts:
- Songs transmit half a mile or more.
- Calls keep the pair in contact while foraging.
- Displays communicate hierarchy status.
- Posturing signals aggression or mating intent.
Diet
Northern Cardinals are omnivorous birds with a varied diet. Their diet changes with the seasons depending on food availability.
In summer, cardinals eat more insects like beetles, cicadas, crickets, spiders, and snails. They also consume fruits like wild grapes, blackberries, and mulberries.
In fall and winter, their diet shifts to seeds from grasses, weeds, and wildflowers. They also eat grains from bird feeders. Cardinals continue eating some insects like beetles and flies when available in winter.
Some key facts about the Northern Cardinal diet:
- Diet is 30% insects and 70% seeds and fruits.
- Males sometimes feed females beak-to-beak.
- Young are fed soft-bodied insects for more protein.
- Males actively feed incubating females.
- Cardinals forage mainly on the ground but also in shrubs and trees.
Range and Habitat
The Northern Cardinal inhabits a wide range stretching across the eastern and southern United States as well as parts of Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Their breeding habitat spans south-central Canada down to the Gulf Coast and across to Arizona.
Cardinals live in varied environments including gardens, forest edges, swamps, and parks. They prefer habitats with dense shrubs, hedgerows, and small trees interspersed with open space for foraging.
Some key facts about Northern Cardinal habitat:
- Found across eastern North America to Central America.
- Prefer mixed habitats with shrubs and small trees.
- Avoid dense forests but may live in wooded wetlands.
- Also inhabit parks, gardens, and farmlands.
- Range may expand northward with climate change.
Migration
Unlike many bird species, Northern Cardinals do not undertake long annual migrations. Those living in extreme northern parts of the range may migrate short distances south for winter. But most populations remain in the same general area year-round.
Young fledglings disperse a short distance from where they were hatched to establish their home ranges. But this dispersal generally spans less than 30 miles.
Some key facts about Northern Cardinal migration patterns:
- Most populations are non-migratory.
- Some northern groups migrate short distances.
- Young disperse a few miles to find their own territories.
- Mated adults remain on the same territories.
- Range expands northward in summer during breeding.
Predators and Threats
The bright red coloration of Northern Cardinals makes them easy targets for predators. Their main natural predators include falcons, accipiters, shrikes, and snakes. Cardinals are very vigilant and flee to dense shrubs at any sign of danger.
The biggest threats facing Northern Cardinal populations are habitat loss and fragmentation. As forests are cleared for development, cardinals lose nesting sites and connectivity between populations is broken up.
Some predators and threats:
- Falcons – especially peregrine falcons.
- Accipiters – like Cooper’s hawks.
- Shrikes – Northern and loggerhead.
- Snakes – like rat snakes and racers.
- Habitat loss and fragmentation.
- Window collisions.
- Outdoor cats.
Lifespan and Mortality
Northern Cardinals have an average lifespan of 1-2 years in the wild. However, the maximum recorded lifespan is over 15 years according to banding records.
The main causes of mortality for Northern Cardinals include:
- Predation – accounts for up to 80% of deaths.
- Weather events – prolonged cold or storms.
- Disease – avian pox is a common ailment.
- Collisions – windows, cars, towers.
- Parasites – especially nest fly larvae.
Mate mortality is also impactful since cardinals have strong pair bonds. The surviving mate often struggles to raise young alone.
Key lifespan and mortality facts:
- Average lifespan is 12-24 months.
- Oldest known was over 15 years old.
- 80% mortality due to predation.
- Weather is risk mainly for juveniles.
- 15-25% annual mortality rate.
Population Status
The Northern Cardinal has a large range and population size. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, cardinal numbers are stable to slightly increasing across most of their habitat.
The total global breeding population is estimated at over 100 million individuals. They are classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to their high abundance.
Some key population facts:
- Global population over 100 million.
- Population stable or increasing.
- Rate of increase averages 1.1% annually.
- Not a species of conservation concern.
- Some local declines due to habitat loss.
Fun Facts
Here are a few fun and interesting facts about the charismatic Northern Cardinal:
- Northern Cardinal is the state bird of 7 U.S. states.
- Bright red coloration is from carotenoids in their diet.
- Cardinal song has over 20 different melodies.
- Males feed incubating females beak-to-beak.
- Named for the red vestments of Catholic cardinals.
- Females sing softer songs than males.
- Male and female sometimes sing duets together.
- Cardinals do not migrate long distances.
- They store seeds in tree bark crevices to find later.
Conclusion
In summary, Northern Cardinals are fascinating songbirds that exhibit unique behaviors throughout their life stages. Their bright plumage and melodious songs add vibrant color to backyards across eastern North America. Cardinals play important roles in seed dispersal and controlling insect populations while also serving as symbols of beauty in human culture. Learning about their diet, migration patterns, courtship displays, and parenting behaviors provides a window into the natural history of this beloved backyard bird.