Garden Notes
The Cardinal Singing Outside Might Not Be Who You Think
Picture a Northern Cardinal singing in a garden. Did a bright red male come to mind? The brown female has a voice of her own, and one of the things she may be communicating is surprisingly practical.
Adult female (left) and male (right) Northern Cardinals.
She sings, too
Both female and male Northern Cardinals sing. The adult female’s quieter colors can make her easier to overlook: she is brown overall, with warm reddish touches on her wings, tail and crest. Look for the prominent crest and thick bill, rather than expecting every cardinal to be bright red. Cornell identification guide
A song with a possible purpose
Female cardinals often sing while sitting on the nest. According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, those songs may give the male information about when to bring food.
Mated pairs also share song phrases, and a female may sing a longer, slightly more complex song than her partner. Cornell species overview
Try a listening pause
On your next quiet moment outside, separate what you hear from what you can actually see:
Listen first, then look from where you are. A hidden singer’s color is not something you can infer from its song alone.
If the bird is visible, note its crest, bill, body color and red accents before comparing it with a field guide.
If you cannot see the singer clearly, leave the identification open rather than filling in the gaps.
Keep your distance from nesting birds. This observation exercise does not require finding a nest or drawing a bird closer.
The useful discovery is simple: when you notice the less conspicuous bird, the garden gains another voice.
Original Porch & Garden vector illustration.
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