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Cardinal; Red-bird
Adult Male--Rich red or cardinal; wings and back tinged with reddish gray; throat and region round bill black; crest conspicuous.
Adult Female--Upper parts brownish, with a tinge of dull purplish; under parts lighter and more gray, with a tinge of red; crest dull red. Length--8.25.
Breeding Range--From Florida northward; common locally in northern New Jersey, less common in southern New York, and rare as far north as southern New England.
The nest is in a bush, usually in a thick tangle, either in a damp or dry place, at a height of from three to twelve feet from the ground.
It is composed of twigs, tendrils, grape-vine bark, leaves, coarse grass, and fine roots, lined with fine grass, roots, and rarely horse hair. In general appearance it is larger and more compact than the nest of the rose-breasted grosbeak. The eggs, numbering from 3 to 4, rarely 5, vary greatly; the ground colour is whitish or tinged with blue, green, or ashy, with numerous irregular spots and sometimes blotches of light and dark brown, and light purplish gray chiefly at the larger end. Size--1.00 x .72. Plate D.
This beautiful songster is one of the best known birds of the Southern States; his fine colouring together with his splendid singing qualities combine against him, and as a result he is a constant article of commerce both in this country and abroad.
The female cardinal, though more subdued in colouring, is by no means inferior to her mate in her powers of singing; her song is rather softer, but not less beautiful. The breeding season begins about the third week in April.