The Facts and Myths About Cardinal Birds
Cardinal birds are a fascinating and beautiful bird species. They have this attractive color, especially the male birds that are pleasing to the eyes. Plus, Cardinal birds are known to be active songbirds that can sing various melodies. Think of how your backyard looks and sounds like if you can successfully attract cardinals into your property.
Aside from its physical and behavioral characteristics, the Cardinals also have many interesting backgrounds associated with them. Read on to know all the facts and even the myths revolving around these fantastic creatures.
The Facts
The facts about cardinal birds that you might or might not have known until today are:
- Cardinals are named after the Roman Catholic Bishops because their red color reminds us of the robe catholic bishops.
- Male Cardinal Bird’s red color comes from the food they eat. Carotenoids in their feather structure are the ones responsible for giving out this color. And the carotenoids they ingested from their diet will enhance the red pigment in their feathers.
- Cardinal birds are omnivores which means that they include both animals and plants in their diet. To attract Cardinal birds into your backyard, installing bird feeders for Cardinals will be the best way. It is not only their color that provides a beautiful sight on your property, but they will also help you control pest infestation in your backyard.
- This bird species suffers from baldness. This phenomenon in the cardinal’s life is pretty standard, especially during late summer. They tend to get rid of old feathers and give room for new and fresh ones.
- Have you seen a cardinal bird covered with ants? If yes, then you should know that there is no reason to panic. Cardinal birds covered themselves with ants. This behavior is called anting, where they voluntarily cover their whole body with ants. Although it is a bit unusual and alarming, cardinals are not the only bird species that do that. Ants release formic acid that helps birds ward off lice, so they do anting once in a while.
- The Cardinal bird species is a monogamous creature that means that they will mate for life when they find their partner. They will start building a nest and build a family, and the male cardinal helps his mate from creating a nest to incubating their eggs. They will only look for a new partner once the other one dies.
- Cardinals are known to be a very territorial species. Male cardinals will fight for their territory from intruders, predators even their own reflections. You might have seen cardinals attacking a window or a mirror. This is because they are being territorial and thought their reflection is an intruder.
- They are known to be dimorphic birds, meaning that male and female cardinals have different physical appearances such as size and plumage. This characteristic helps differentiate gender in birds.
- They can live up to 15 years. On average, cardinals in the wild will only live for up to 3 years, but they can be able to live for 15 years, especially if they come in contact with little to no harm during their lifetime. Cardinals are timid birds, and they can also dwell in higher altitudes which contributed to their long lifespan.
- During winter, you can witness a big flock of cardinals consisting of more than five pairs. This flock can be as big as 70 birds flying together to hunt. As the weather grows colder, food becomes more insufficient, and cardinals combine forces to hunt for food. Having multiple cardinal bird feeders in your backyard will surely attract many of them in the winter, and your backyard will be busy with these red singing birds giving color to a white and snowy yard.
- There are a total of 19 subspecies of cardinal birds and can be distinguished by their plumage. These various subspecies can be found in different parts of the world.
- Female cardinal birds sing to attract males, ward off intruders, or if they need food. This is also one way of telling if the cardinal is a male or a female. Male cardinals tend to produce more aggressive singing to protect their territory and females create more elaborate melodies.
The Myth
Are you a superstitious human being? Then cardinals might become more interesting for you when you know the myth about this species. Based on old folklore, you have a visitor from heaven when you see a cardinal bird in your yard.
Cardinal birds are a symbolic bird as it symbolizes positivity amidst the troubles we experienced in our life. There is a quote about this belief that goes, “Cardinals appear when Angels are near.” Because of this, many have been associated with Cardinal sightings in their property to their departed loved ones.
At this time and age, many of us might disregard this belief. However, seeing a Cardinal bird come to your yard with this thought at the back of your mind gives you peace, comfort, and security. It can also provide positive energy, especially if you are going through hard times.
This is one reason why some people tend to specifically attract cardinal birds into their property to enjoy their beautiful colors, listen to their songs and heal them spiritually and emotionally. The feeling it gives to most people is priceless, and birds, not just the cardinals, are a great stress reliever which could also be why the positive vibes cardinals give.
Cardinals have played a significant role in mythology and literature for centuries, especially in spirituality. This bird species symbolizes hope, life, and restoration. This is why we see cardinal birds in most memorial arts, urns, and the likes.
The message and meaning behind the cardinal bird have more significance on spiritually inclined individuals and those who believe in superstitions. However, even if you are just an ordinary human not really into spiritual and superstitious things, you can still find peace within with the help of the cardinal birds.
Takeaway
Knowing these facts and myths about the cardinals will inspire you to attract and protect them. Birds, as a general, need the help of humans to survive. We have to protect these species for them to continue their existence.
Author’s bio:
Donald’s passion for bird-watching has continued to grow, and he shares his new hobby with his wife. They have created a haven for birds in their yard and often spend weekends hiking in nature looking for their favorite and more elusive birds. He shares his excitement through blogs and photos, and often creates content for various websites to spread the word about conservation, as well as tips and tricks to get the most out of this fun hobby!