Northern Cardinal Autumn Day

Beautiful male Northern Cardinal perched on a small branch near the bird feeder with Autumn shrubs in the background. I have added texture to the... more

by Debbie Portwood

Title

Northern Cardinal Autumn Day

Artist

Debbie Portwood

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Beautiful male Northern Cardinal perched on a small branch near the bird feeder with Autumn shrubs in the background. I have added texture to the background for added artistic appeal. Wonderful for any wall in your home or office or perhaps a greeting card. Many more wonderful works can be found in my various galleries, from photographs and photoart to digital creations and abstracts. Thanks for browsing, commenting and most of all for any purchases. Debbie Portwood :D...................................(The male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird. They're a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style: a shade of red you can't take your eyes off. Even the brown females sport a sharp crest and warm red accents. Cardinals don't migrate and they don't molt into a dull plumage, so they're still breathtaking in winter's snowy backyards. In summer, their sweet whistles are one of the first sounds of the morning................Size & Shape - The Northern Cardinal is a fairly large, long-tailed songbird with a short, very thick bill and a prominent crest. Cardinals often sit with a hunched-over posture and with the tail pointed straight down..............Color Pattern - Male cardinals are brilliant red all over, with a reddish bill and black face immediately around the bill. Females are pale brown overall with warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail, and crest. They have the same black face and red-orange bill..............Behavior - Northern Cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on or near the ground, often in pairs. They are common at bird feeders but may be inconspicuous away from them, at least until you learn their loud, metallic chip note.............. Habitat - Look for Northern Cardinals in inhabited areas such as backyards, parks, woodlots, and shrubby forest edges. Northern Cardinals nest in dense tangles of shrubs and vines. (More great information on this or any other bird can be found at www.allaboutbirds.org

Uploaded

November 24th, 2014