You couldn't mistake a male Cardinal for any other bird in North America. It is often called the Redbird, with a distinct crest and, around the base of its short and heavy red bill, it has a patch of black that extends back through the eye and down the throat. The female Cardinal and the young are much duller in colour but they have the crest, the red bill and more than a hint of red in their cinnamon-yellow plumage. The male Cardinal is a good husband and a fond parent. He feeds the female while she is on the nest and he takes entire care of the feeding of the young when they have left the nest.
