Day 1: Northern Cardinal

Happy 2012! To ring in the New Year, I thought I'd start with a bird that we all love and recognize - the Northern Cardinal. I saw my first of the year today, while on a birding trip to southern Maryland. If you live in the eastern U.S., from Texas to Florida and Canada, you should see the Northern Cardinal as a regular yard inhabitant.

 Photo from our porch (male)

On a cold winter's day, there's nothing like the brilliantly colored male Northern Cardinal to brighten up a seemingly lifeless world. Named after the scarlet robes worn by the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, the male bird has vibrant red plumage that we all recognize, while the female is a muted brown/gray.

 Photo from our porch (female)

There's something about the Northern Cardinal that makes people happy. From the time I was a child, its beautiful plumage and cheerful chirps always brought a smile to my face. Each spring, we would cross our fingers that a pair would nest in our backyard.

Fun fact: Unlike many songbirds, both male and female Northern Cardinals sing, and the female often vocalizes with song from her nest.