The size of the cardinal’s breeding territory varies with habitat quality and population density but generally ranges from two to ten acres. During the breeding season, male cardinals may sing 200 or more songs per hour in the early morning hours. Both male and female cardinals can sing. Mated pairs will often sing duets together.

      By herself, the female Northern Cardinal constructs the nest, incubates the eggs and brood’s the young. The male’s role is to provide her food and protect the nest. Although socially monogamous with its mate, the Northern Cardinal is not always faithful. DNA studies have shown that between 9–35% of nestlings has a biological parent different from the original mated pair that raises them. Both male and female Northern Cardinals help raise their nestlings.

     Northern Cardinals have a very low nesting success rate with only 15–37% of their nests succeeding in fledging young. The impacts of predators and egg destruction by Brown-headed Cowbirds are the major causes of nest failure.

     Young Northern Cardinals have charcoal bills rather than the orange-red of the adults. Bill color gradually changes three to four months after hatching.

     The red color of the Cardinal’s feathers is the result of pigments called carotenoids. This pigment is obtained mostly from eating fruits and insects and is deposited in their feathers as they molt resulting in the bright red color of their new plumage. In a study conducted during the fall molting period of the Northern Cardinal, over 75% of their diet consisted of fruits and insects. This is why you may witness a reduction of North Cardinals at your feeders in the fall. Seeds are a very poor source of carontenoids and are only occasionally eaten while they are molting.

     Research has shown that male Northern Cardinals with brighter levels of red plumage provide better parental care for their young and successfully fledge a higher percent of them. This probably correlates to the fact that they also select and maintain breeding territories that have the greatest amount and diversity of food sources.

     Because Cardinals are mainly ground feeders, deep snow may severely affect their ability to feed. Winter birdfeeding probably helps Cardinals in their northern range to survive deep snow conditions. The ability for cardinals to digest food varies with the temperature; studies have shown that digestion efficiency rates are 16% higher at 77º F than at 32º F. This suggests that cardinals must consume substantially more food during cold weather, especially when temperatures are below freezing. Northern Cardinals will visit feeders at any time of day but are typically the most numerous at dusk or dawn and are often the first and last birds at the feeders.

     The oldest recaptured banded Northern Cardinal was still alive at 15 years and 9 months old.

    Unless raccoons frequent your yard, it is a good idea to fill your feeders in the evening to make sure food is available first thing in the morning for those early birds like cardinals and mourning doves. Most songbirds fill a special pouch in their esophagus with food to digest during the night. That is why you frequently see birds at your feeders as the sun sets.
     It is not a good idea to feed bread to the birds in winter. Bread does not provide the proper nutrition or fat content necessary for birds to survive below-freezing temperatures.

     Water is important to birds in winter not only for drinking, but also for bathing. Most birds fluff out their feathers, creating air pockets between the feathers for insulation. Clean feathers are warmer feathers because they can trap air more efficiently. They are also more efficient for flying, so less energy is expended in flight. A heated birdbath that provides a source of open water will attract birds on even the coldest of days.
     Some birds perch on one leg and draw the other up to their breast for warmth, alternating legs. Others seek the most sheltered areas they can find. Roosting boxes and nesting boxes give birds a dry place protected from the wind, to rest. Leaving these shelters out provides a haven from harsh winter conditions. Stands of tall grasses, brush piles, and evergreen trees offer birds a place to escape the wind and snow.
     Making your yard bird-friendly in cold weather helps birds survive our harsh winters. And you will be rewarded with colorful visitors all season long.

     If Benjamin Franklin had his way, the Wild Turkey would be the national symbol of our country. Instead, the Wild Turkey has become the symbol of our Thanksgiving holiday.
     In recent years, Wild Turkeys have become a common sight in rural settings and even some urban locales. Their preferred habitat is a combination of wooded areas, especially those with oak trees, and open clearings. Turkeys do not migrate, although they do tend to wander in the fall. They are strong flyers and commonly roost overnight in tall trees. However, they typically get around by walking or running.
     Turkeys generally forage on the ground for food, scratching in the leaf and plant litter. The majority of the turkey’s diet consists of plant material.
Acorns are a preferred food, but they also ingest leaves, seeds grains, berries and buds. Sometimes they scratch up roots and bulbs for food. They also frequently eat insects, spiders and snails, as well as the occasional
frog, lizard, salamander or snake. Early morning and evening tend to be their most active feeding times.
     At Thanksgiving, turkeys are often depicted with the appearance of the male in courtship even though breeding season occurs in the spring. The male gobbles to attract females, then puffs out his feathers, spreads his raised tail feathers, swells up his face wattles and struts around. He may rattle his wings and make humming sounds which heightens the effect. One male may mate with several females.
     Nests are often located under a shrub, at the base of a tree or in tall grass. The female usually lays 10-15 eggs (but can be more or less) in a shallow depression on the ground, sparsely lined with leaves or grass. Eggs are white to buff with reddish-brown dots. Sometimes more than one female will lay eggs in the same nest. Only the females incubate the eggs and tend to the young. The incubation period ranges from 25-31 days.
     The downy young leave the nest soon after hatching and feed themselves,
although the mother broods them at night for several weeks. They are not full grown for several months. Females and young of several family groups may range their territory in large flocks in search of food.
     This Thanksgiving take a moment to be thankful that Wild Turkeys, whose numbers were seriously depleted at the beginning of the 20th century,
are making a strong comeback at the beginning of the 21st century.

Blue jays are some of the most intelligent and brightly colored birds in your backyard.  Not to mention some of the noisiest. Their raucous “jay! jay!” is probably their most familiar call and one that is easily identifiable. However, they also make a variety of more musical sounds, and, when distressed by predators or other perceived danger, they can do a pretty good imitation of a red-tailed hawk. Other bird species are often alerted to danger by the blue jay’s alarm call.

     A very adaptable species, the blue jay is found in habitats ranging from oak and pine woods to wooded areas of cities, suburban gardens and rural groves. In our area, they are year round residents.

     They are omnivorous, with most of their diet being made up of plant matter.  Consequently, they are easily attracted to birdfeeders with peanuts, almonds, sunflower and/or safflower seeds.  Peanuts in the shell are a favorite. Often a jay will pick up a peanut and shake it to see if it is full or empty. If full., the bird will pound hard on the shell with its bill to open it. Jays also store nuts in the ground. They select only undamaged nuts for burial, avoiding the 90% that would not germinate due to insect or other damage.

    Frequently, jays will eat fruits, berries, acorns, and many kinds of grain seeds. They also eat lots of insects, especially grasshoppers, caterpillars, and beetles. Occasionally they will eat spiders, small rodents, birds’ eggs or baby birds. They also frequent suet feeders.

   Blue jays are a species in which the male and female plumage is identical. The variations of blue in their feathers are among the most beautiful colors in the avian world. The occasional black stripes, white belly and crest on the head add to the distinctive look. Monogamous in their mating behavior, blue jays often mate for life.

     The nest is built by both male and female, usually in the fork of a tree, about eight to thirty feet  above the ground.  The female lays 3-7 eggs. Both parents bring food to the nestlings.

    Blue jays are surprisingly quiet and inconspicuous in the vicinity  of the nest.  However, after the babies fledge, the racket begins in earnest, as the young birds demand food from their parents, even when they are nearly indistinguishable in size from the adult birds.

    The Red-Tailed Hawk is about 19” from head to tail. While perched, the tips of its wings just about reach the tips of its tail. Plumage varies in a continuum from whitish to very dark, but you can tell adults by their rufous-red tails. Juveniles have a brownish tail with narrow white bands.

     The Cooper’s Hawk is about 16½” from head to tail. Its tail reaches well below its wing tips when perched. The outer tail has alternating bands of light and dark gray, with a broad white band at the tip. The under tail bands are dark gray and white. Wing feathers of adults are blue-gray, and the chest is white with rufous horizontal barring. Juveniles have more brownish plumage. Their chests are creamy white with vertical brown streaks.

     The Sharp-shinned Hawk appears to be almost a miniature version of the Cooper’s Hawk, with very similar adult and juvenile plumage.  However, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is significantly smaller, only 11 inches from head to tail. Its legs appear skinnier than those of the Cooper’s Hawk. The white terminal band on the Sharp-shinned Hawk’s tail is narrower, if visible at all.

     All three of these hawks prey on songbirds, with the larger two also consuming small mammals. If you have bird feeders and baths in your yard, it is a good idea to locate them near evergreen shrubs, bushes or trees which will provide the smaller birds an easy escape when they are threatened by a hawk or other predator.

     While hawks are present in your backyard, you will rarely see a songbird. Federal and state laws prohibit the harassment or harming of hawks, so any action that may endanger them is not an option. They are fascinating birds to watch, so enjoy them while they are with you. Usually, they will leave after a few days, and your usual songbirds will return.

    What birds are you seeing?

       In summer, Red-winged Blackbirds are commonly seen along rural roadsides. They particularly  seem to prefer wet ditches and marshy areas. Males are easily recognized by the red markings, called “epaulets,” on their wings. The male birds flash these epaulets when defending their territory and singing to attract a mate. They can also cover and hide their epaulets, which they do much of the time. This especially happens when a male is intruding on another male’s territory. Female Red-winged Blackbirds look nothing like their male counterparts. Consequently, they are often misidentified.  The female is brown-and-white streaked, with a brown bill and a white streak above each eye.
     Seeds  and insects make up the preponderance of Red-winged Blackbirds’ diets. They will also feed on some berries and small fruits. But during the breeding season, they eat mostly insects. These birds forage mostly while on the ground.
     Flocks of Canadian and northern U.S. Red-winged Blackbirds migrate south for the winter. Populations in the southern and western U.S. and Central America are not migratory. In winter, Red-winged Blackbirds can form huge concentrations, with up to a million birds roosting in one area at night. During the daytime, they will disperse from the roosting area in search of food.
     Male Red-winged Blackbirds are one of the most polygamous of all bird species. As many as fifteen females have been observed to be nesting in the territory of one male, but on average a male will have approximately five females in its territory. Males fiercely defend their territories during breeding season.  They perch on a tall weed or other stalk and sing,  showing their epaulets. They do not hesitate to attack much larger animals, including  hawks, crows or people. Much of the male’s time is spent defending its territory from other males and predators.
     Female Red-winged Blackbirds build their nests in three to six days. The nest is an open cup made of vegetation, lined with fine grass and attached to tall weeds or grasses.  They usually lay three to four eggs and incubate them for 10-13 days. Both parents feed the hatchlings.The fledglings will leave the nest 11-14 days after hatching. Second broods are rare.