As we enjoy the colder winter months with cozy blankets and warm drinks, we cannot help but notice the beauty of the changing seasons. One bird, equipped for survival during cold months, remains active and visible here on Long Island. The Northern Cardinal has species-specific adaptations to help them survive the harsh winter conditions year after year.
A male cardinal’s plumage is noticeably brighter than females. Males have a vibrant red plumage covering their entire body as well as a bright reddish beak. Females are pale brown, with a warm red crest atop their head, and tail and flight feathers with red shades. All cardinals, regardless of age or sex, don a crest of feathers atop their head which they can raise or drop if feeling threatened by a predator or asserting dominance over another cardinal. All juvenile cardinals will have the coloration of an adult female cardinal, light tan with some reddish shades. Rather than the bright orange red beak which all adult cardinals have, a juvenile cardinals’ beak will be a darker, duller shade.
Both male and female cardinals will sing, and at times a pair may share a song as a duet to communicate with one another during nesting season. Some cardinals may even begin laying eggs as early as February, searching for the protection of evergreens to build their nests about 4 to 8 feet off the ground. Approximately 80% of mated pairs will stay together for life. During the winter months they will not be as attentive to the other, and will often feed separately.
Northern cardinals will find dense evergreens to roost in. They will fluff up their feathers to create warm air and on especially cold days may shiver for a short period of time. Both of these adaptations allow them to stay warm, but will use up a lot of energy. During extremely cold days and nights, a cardinal may decrease their body temperature by 3-6 degrees Fahrenheit and though this may not put them in a complete state of torpor, this adaptation has allowed them to conserve energy in short durations of time as an aid in their survival through the winter. Cardinals spend most of their days searching for high calorie foods to give them enough energy to survive even the coldest winter nights. Cardinals will not store food for the winter, so well stocked backyard bird feeders quickly become their favorite restaurant to visit multiple times a day.
Since they rely on high calorie foods to keep enough energy to remain warm, placing peanuts and sunflower seeds in bird feeders and around your yard may aid in the winter survival for cardinals.
by Nadia Trejo