Northern Cardinal parents and baby

[pauraque]

We have a pair of Northern Cardinals nesting in our yard, and today I saw dad with a fledgling!



The fledgling was begging for food by fluttering its wings, a common signal in many baby birds. Dad was attentively finding seeds and stuffing them in Junior's mouth. The baby already has a little bit of a crest and some red on the wings, but it's too early to tell the sex. Mom wasn't with them but I saw her on the feeder later in the day.



The female Northern Cardinal doesn't have the solid red plumage the species is named for. She's mostly yellowish-brown with some red on the crest, wings, and tail. She also has a bright orange bill, distinguishing her from immature birds nearing adulthood that have similar plumage to adult females but gray bills like the fledgling above.

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

For some reason I see comparatively little summertime cardinal photography; possibly because the adult males, a dramatic color pop against snow and bare or evergreen branches, tie so obligingly into temperate winter holiday color schemes.

Now here you are, kindly sharing a snapshot of the whole family; thank you!

[pauraque]

Good point! They are more associated with winter but we get to enjoy them all year.