The Northern Cardinal is a medium-sized songbird that eats seeds, insects, and fruit, defends breeding territories, and has absolutely no opinion whatsoever on capitalism, individualism, constitutional law, or national identity.
But the Northern Cardinal has long since stopped being just a bird. Now, it is a symbol dressed up as a bird while still retaining enough avian characteristics to feature in field guides. It is probably this high level of symbolism that led to the Northern Cardinal being chosen as the state bird by seven U.S. states.
If birds held motivational seminars, the male cardinal would be the keynote speaker. By contrast, the elegantly understated female keeps a much lower profile while quietly doing the actual work of raising the next generation.
So, the Northern Cardinal is now the symbol of pretty much everything: Confidence. Optimism. Patriotism. Christmas. Baseball. Backyard bird feeding. Religious symbolism. Nostalgia. Motherhood. Apple pie. The American Dream.
All conveniently packaged in 45 grams of feathers.
Photos taken in Bath, Maine in June 2026
The Bald Eagle rolled its eyeball while reading it…. 🙂
Americans don’t know how lucky they are to have such brightly coloured birds in their gardens. Nothing like it here in the UK.
They are moving steadily westward… I grew up with them in Virginia, and while I haven’t seen one yet in Denver, I know they’ve made it to the eastern side of the state. That flash of red is such a joy.
Beautiful bird with the personality and wits to match. Sometimes we USAns forget how lucky we are to have this beauty on the east coast. Nice to be reminded and see it again through different pair of eyes.
Neat bird that after being familat with for a half a century, still has surprised me.
Probably the biggest of these is its love for lizards. In the last few years I’ve seen this behavior a few times in the yard.
A few years ago a male at the fountain had a medium-sized green anole in its beak. It didn’t tear of pieces to eat, like I expected. Instead, it somehow moved the lizard back and forth across its mandibles, gradually flattening it as it contunued the action. I assume it was feeding on the contents inside.
Just a couple of weeks ago, a female was carrying a large crested anole around in its beak. The male was often seen feeding one offspring during that period. Never seem any evidence that her lizard was for the young bird.
Not a surprising observation, but I really enjoy the species song. The sharp, deep penetrating tone seems to fit well with Miami’s prevailing high humidity and tropical plants.
A few years I was doing some (quiet) roof work, going up for few hours before dawn to avoid the heat. At that calm, late (or early) time, cardinals were singing from many directions. It was a delightful experience that made a tough job better.