Habitat: Cardinals are found in gardens, parks, woods and thickets. The nest is made of twigs, bark, leaves and vines, lined with paper, grass and hair. It is built in a thicket or dense shrubbery.

Foods:  They eat insects, fruit and seeds.

Facts:  The cardinal is the only eastern red bird with a crest. They heavy red bill, with black at the base, is a good field mark. The light brown female has the crest and red bill, but little red on the body. Young have dusty bills. Cardinals are common in shrubbery, hedgerows, and wood margins. In recent years the cardinal has gradually spread northward. The crested Pyrrhuloxia (7 1/2) of the Southwest is mostly gray with red face, crest, breast, and tail, and the general cardinal shape.

Did you know?: Cardinals mate for life. During courtship the male brings bits of food and feeds the female. They work together to feed their young.

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