Cardinals, January 27-28, 2015

Wild Bird Wednesday and ABC Wednesday
C is for Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis

Male Cardinal, December 25, 2014
Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA

Cardinals are frequently seen at bird feeders in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.  They were named for the red robes worn by the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.  They raise their crest feathers when alarmed or defending their territory and lower them when they feel safe and relaxed. 

Female Cardinal, December 25, 2014

Both males and females sing all year, not just in the breeding season as some birds do.  The female lays three or four pale green eggs, spotted with red-brown, in a deep nest concealed in a bushy thicket.  Incubation takes 12 to 13 days. Two or three broods may be raised each year.

Update from last week:

Male, Belted Kingfisher, January 21, 2015

If you remember last Wednesday's post about the female Belted Kingfisher (Here she is),  you will be interested to know that I spotted a male near where I saw her.  In this photo you can clearly see his "belt."  I do hope that they are a mated pair and will be able raise a family in the Spring.

Have a beautiful day!

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