The Northern cardinal is a year round visitor at my feeders and fountains. Its song is loud and cheerful and its presence is always welcome. This image was taken in my back yard in southern Louisiana.

The Northern cardinal male is a bright red while the female is a pale reddish brown; both male and female have crests on the tops of their head. I have read that they mate for life. Typically, they nest in small bushes and shrubs. The male is the primary caregiver of the nestlings, feeding them while the female goes off to build the next nest and prepare for the subsequent broods. Unlike bluebirds which usually have four or five per clutch, cardinals have fewer, sometimes only one nestling that survives the incubation and reaches maturity. They are truly lovely visitors in any garden.