My Favorite Resting Place

We have a Northern Cardinal pair that have been with us for over a year now. We know it is the same pair and their family when they are hatched as... more

by Sandi OReilly

Title

My Favorite Resting Place

Artist

Sandi OReilly

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

We have a Northern Cardinal pair that have been with us for over a year now. We know it is the same pair and their family when they are hatched as they occupy a large shrub to the side of our deck. A friend, who makes pottery, gave this pottery birdhouse to me for Christmas last year. Thank you Mary Ann. It sits on the corner rail of our deck and this female Northern Cardinal is attached to it. This spot near it is one of her favorite resting places to sun, preen and roost. That she feels comfortable there amazes me, for we have many birds in our back yard having tried to make a bird sanctuary for them. She knows us, they are not real shy about seeing us, so I was able to capture this photograph without her taking off right away. She seems to know what I am doing, as the camera is with me all the time in the yard.

The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird in the genus Cardinalis; it is also known colloquially as the redbird or common cardinal. It can be found in southern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico. It is found in woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.

The Northern Cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21 centimeters (8.3 inches). It has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on the face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is a vibrant red, while the female is a dull red-brown shade. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on insects and fruit. The male behaves territorially, marking out his territory with song. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid, and two to four clutches are produced each year. It was once prized as a pet, but its sale as a cage bird is now banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Nature Photography by Sandi O'Reilly, All Rights Reserved and Copyrighted. For any questions, feel free to contact me through FAA's email service.

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August 24th, 2013