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Cardinals
are generally attracted to a wide range of plants, both
for cover and for food. If you wish to attract Cardinals
to your yard it is important to have a lot of plants, vines
and shrubs, such as American Bittersweet, Raspberry, Sumac,
Conifers, American arborvitae, and Hawthorn to name just
a few. They are also very attracted to winter and fall fruits.
You should also provide water for bathing and drinking.
The addition of water will also encourage them to start
nesting in your yard.
The Northern Cardinal is a medium-sized bird, measuring
approximately 22 centimeters, eight and a half inches, in
length from beak-tip to tail-tip. Males are usually a bright
red with a black mask on the face. Females tend to be a
glossy brown or olive color that is tinged red on the tail,
wings, and crest. The female lacks the black mask donned
by the male, but parts of the face may be dark. Both sexes
have distinctive crest atop their head and a thick, pointed
bill, which begins black as a fledgling and then turns a
reddish color with age.
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