Northern Cardinal Male on my Front Porch

"Northern Cardinal Male on my Front Porch in North Miami, Florida"

 

MY FRONT PORCH – NORTH MIAMI, FL                                                                                                                                                                                               

This photograph of a Northern Cardinal (Male) was taken off my front porch railing in North Miami, Florida. The gear used in this photo of a Northern Cardinal male was a Nikon D90 camera body attached to a 60mm 2.8 AF Micro Nikkor lens.

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, shrub lands, 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.

  • Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male.
  • Many people are perplexed each spring by the sight of a cardinal attacking its reflection in a window, car mirror, or shiny bumper. Both males and females do this, and most often in spring and early summer when they are obsessed with defending their territory against any intruders. Birds may spend hours fighting these intruders without giving up. A few weeks later, as levels of aggressive hormones subside, these attacks should end (though one female kept up this behavior every day or so for six months without stopping).
  • The male cardinal fiercely defends its breeding territory from other males. When a male birds see their reflection in glass surfaces, they frequently will spend hours fighting the imaginary intruder.
  • A perennial favorite among people, Northern Cardinal’s are the state birds of seven states.
  • The oldest recorded Northern Cardinal was 15 years 9 months old.

Nearly any bird feeder you put out ought to attract Northern Cardinals (as long as you live within their range), but they particularly seem to use sunflower seeds. Leave undergrowth in your backyard or around the edges, and you may have cardinals nesting on your property.

 

Subject Photo exif Data

Camera Make and Model NIKON D90

Photo taken on October 13, 2013, 10:40 am

Focal Length 60mm

Shutter Speed 1/125

Aperture @ƒ/6.3

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6 Thoughts to “Northern Cardinal Male on my Front Porch”

  1. Robert.H

    Fabulous photo

  2. Janelle

    beautiful pic Alan

  3. Alan S. Hochman

    Thank you Janelle

  4. Alan S. Hochman

    thank you Ken

  5. Charlotte

    Love the pics.was looking for a hummingbird.when I saw a male cardinal feed his partner I thought she was sick. I had 3 pair that ate with me last place I lived. Thanks.

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Alan S Hochman Photography