Pennsylvania Animals: Northern Cardinal

(Cardinalis cardinalis)

The cardinal is a bird and it builds its nest in trees. The cardinal eats mostly sunflower seeds. It will pick them out of a bunch of seeds and crack them with its hard beak made for cracking hard shells like that. The cardinal is very interesting. It is the all time state bird champion. The cardinal is the official bird of seven states - Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia. Also the cardinal is very territorial and it will chase away any bird it thinks is in its territory. If it sees its reflection in a window, it will charge at the window. The cardinal might have been named for the red robes and the jet-black masks worn by the Cardinals in the Roman Catholic church. The cardinal is 8-9 inches long (20-27 cm.) The male is bright red with a crest, black face, stout red bill. The female is buff-brown tinged with a red crest, wings and tail.

by Derek

PA Animals 96-97

PA Animals 95-96