Bird Feeding Series: Northern Cardinals: A bird to brighten your day!

This next entry is about one of my favorite birds - the Northern Cardinal.  Every year I look forward to seeing Cardinals reappear at my feeding station because of the majestic beauty of the pairs, and the uniqueness of the bird.  Day after day, I expect to see many of the smaller species such as the Chickadees and Juncos flying around the feeding station - but when the Cardinals show up, my eyes brighten as if a special guest star has shown up. 

Male Cardinal: Probably the
most well-known bird to the
Public

In the past, I've had frequent Cardinal visits - but only over the whole of the winter season - but this year, I've been fortunate to see several pairs of Cardinals appear daily. I'm not quite sure what causing the regular attraction to my feeding station this year, since I'm not offering anything different in the way of seed or layout.  Cardinals tend to be most interested in my sunflower seed feeder, although I've read that they also feed on safflower seeds - yet I've never witnessed them feeding from my safflower feeder.  Cardinal more often than not are seen feeding on the ground.

I find it sort of fascinating that the male Cardinal with its bright red appearance would prefer to feed at ground level given the greater likelihood that it would be a target for predators.  On that note, besides being prey for cats and snakes, it is also prey for hawks, owls, crows, and falcons.  Squirrels have also been known to attack and eat nesting fledglings.  Raccoons and foxes also appear on the list of Cardinal predators.

It's interesting to note that its rare for me to see a male or female feeding alone at the feeding station without their opposite sex in close proximity.  This is one of the few birds that prefers to travel and feeds as pairs.  As understood, the male Cardinal is bright red with a pointed crown, strong beak, and a black mask, and the female is nearly identical in over all look with the exception that its a tan color over all

Diet
When its not enjoying the bountiful seeds at neighborhood feeders, the diet of the Cardinal consists mostly of insects, wheat seed, fruits, and flower buds.  Cardinals feed on Holly, Grape, Red cedar, Field Cricket, Cabbage White, Lamb's Quarters, Crabgrass, Blackberry, Dogwood, Smooth Sumac, and Virginia Rose (source: fcps.edu).

According to Cornell.edu, the range of the Cardinal has expanded from South to North in just over the past 100 years. Cardinals were found along the Mississippi Valley in the late 1880s, and only occasionally north of the Ohio River during that time period. Steadily the Northern Cardinal expanded its migration and apparently adapted to its new climate and surroundings.  I was shocked to learn that Connecticut's first documented Northern Cardinal Nest was found in 1943, and in Massachusetts in 1958.  Since that time, its has expanded its range to Southern Canada.  This is a pretty amazing fact when you consider that my grandparents had likely grown up in Connecticut having never seen a Cardinal until they reached their 30s or 40s.  I guess this is evidence that unexpected changes in our environment can occur in our lifetime - even those with a positive twist!

Cardinals are said to be territorial birds but yet as mentioned I've seen more than one pair peacefully feeding within a few inches from one another.  The territorial aspect of their behavior may be limited to nesting rather than overall chasing members of their species away from feeders as I often see occur between woodpeckers.

Studies show that Cardinals tend to reside within a small area for their lifetime, thus they do not migrate.  It's likely that it a fledgling moves into your area, it will find a mate and remain your neighbor for the rest of its lifetime which can be between 10 to 14 years. 

Nesting Cycle and Reproduction
Cardinals usually mate between March and early summer at a rate of two to three times a season.  They tent to nest in shrubs, thickets, and vines about five feet above the ground.  Nesting materials include leaves, twigs, grass, roots, tree bark, pine needles, trash, and paper. 

The eggs are usually pale or grey with speckles, or blots of purple, grey and brown, and are about an inch in diameter.  Nests usually contain three to four eggs.  The usual cycle consists of the eggs hatching over a 13 days period with the female caring for the brood while the male retrieves food.  After about 10 days, the female abandons the the nest to start a new nest, and the male takes on the full responsibility for overseeing the fledglings including food retrieval.

It's also been reported that Catbirds have been known to lay their eggs in Cardinal nests.  Cardinals will not kill the Catbird fledgling but rather raise it as one of its own.  Since the laws of natural selection tend to show that half of the babies born from a Cardinal nest do not survive beyond a year or two, the Catbird's inclusion in a Cardinal nest contributes to mediocre odds for Cardinal procreation. 

The overall state of the Cardinal population is fairly stable although as mentioned they've become more abundant in Northern North America.  Cardinals are able to adapt to human populations and in fact, do rather well given that humans beings provide a wealth of foods through feeders or man-made landscaping beautification.  Cardinals and humans did not necessarily start off on a good foot since back in the 1700s and early 1800s they were trapped and sold as pets within the United States and Europe.  It wasn't until Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, that this terrible practice was deemed illegal.

A Strange Curiosity
I may be a sucker for odd stories, but several people have conveyed that Cardinals seem to be more aware of humans and recognize the pattern of people refiling feeders. Cardinals have been known to make eye contact with humans inside a home, pick up empty sunflower shells, and drop them as if it indicate its time for someone- a hem - to refill the sunflower seed feeder.  I haven't witnessed this behavior, but if anyone has please let me know.


The only other pretty well accepted bit of trivia is that the Cardinal is said to get its name from the illusion to the bright red garments and pointed hat worn by a traditional Catholic Cardinals.


During my research of Cardinals for this entry I found a great Cardinal video at this link.  Very entertaining to watch the male cardinal's reaction to having to share seed with other species.  (Guess being a mid-size bird has its advantages!)

This original blog entry can be found at www.randel.blogspot.com

Bird Feeding Series: House Wrens

Wren: loud and friendly

Of the estimated fifteen or so different species that I will likely cover in this series, I've opted to start with the Wren (pictured left).  From my own perspective, the wren has been the most interactive of the many bird species that I've encountered in my short duration as an amateur bird observer.  By interaction, I mean to say that this species - for whatever reason - has approached me throughout different seasons of the year (including when my feeders are not up and running) coming in unusually close proximity, and almost as if to communicate - looked directly at me and sung up a storm.  Of course, its understood that this is merely an entertaining illusion since birds of the native variety do not engage humans socially. 

Most the bird species that I encounter are extremely fearful of humans, and tend to make a bee line for the woods when I show up to fill my feeders.  However, the wren seems to stay within four or five feet to monitor my activity.  And chirps aways at me as I pour the seed. 

In summer, if I hear a bird singing right outside of my window at 5 am, its usually a wren.  Opening the window shade doesn't seem to scare him off or deter him, he just keeps on whirling and chirping to its heart's content.  Sadly, their curiosity can also be their undoing.  Last year, a wren must have followed me into the garage one evening, as I found one expired the following morning inside the garage near the house entry door.  Obviously, this was a sad moment, but its given me pause to watch out for birds seeking refuge in my garage during cold weather.  Two days ago, and in the evening hours, I opened the garage doors to take out the trash, and another wren must have snuck in during that three minute period.  Luckily I was able to see him sitting up atop of the garage door chassis, and I reopened the door and out he flew.  This has not happened with any other species except the wren.

Wrens Nesting Habits

Wrens build nests just about anywhere convenient; they seem to adapt to a variety of locations which include marshland, wooded areas, backyards, and even fields.  Strangely, their nest are usually built five to ten feet from ground.  However, in my yard, I've had wrens build their next in a woodpile just inside the woodland area that is only 3 feet high.  And they'll let you know if you come to close!

Most websites claim that wrens are extremely territorial and will defend an area up to an acre.  But this must be only for the purpose of nesting, because I often see a number of wrens feeding simultaneously at the feeders, and around the yard.   I do know that they spend plenty of time filling my birdhouses with twigs and sticks in order to create what is known as a dummy nest, so that other bird species do not nest in their territory.  I was particularly dismayed by this when attempting to attract bluebirds to my yard.  Within days of putting up the boxes, I found them filled with twigs.  Emptying them usually results in them being refilled with twigs in a few days.

I also know Wrens are responsible for having destroyed a thriving chickadee nest in my yard last year.  They destroyed the eggs, and once again filled the birdhouse with twigs and sticks.  For this reason alone, there are dozens of sites devoted to ridding your yard of  Wrens, I'd rather not take to destroying any existing nests and simply hope for the best.

Wren eating habits

Wrens spend their summer feeding on spiders, and insects.  During the winter they follow suit with most bird species and consume seeds as their primary diet.  I find that they particularly frequent one of my feeders which contains nuts and dried fruit.  But they also feed on sunflower, and eat at the seeded-suet station. They also appear to be ground feeders, as they spend a lot of time scooping up whatever falls from the multi-seed feeders .

Wrens don't appear to be overly aggressive at the feeders, but they also don't move off when antagonized by other birds trying to squeeze out competitors. 

It's not difficult to attract wrens to your feeding station.  They've been regular visitors to my station over the past four years, and its likely that because they don't migrate south, that its likely that the same birds are likely around my yard year round. 

One last note, I've had some difficulty determining the precise species of wren that I've been encountering.  The books and websites I've consulted seem to have inaccurate titles for a variety of wren species pictured - the Carolina Wren, House Wren, Marsh Wren, in addition to other subspecies - are quite different from description to description shown which has made my ability to correctly identify them more complicated.  The picture above was borrowed, but closely resembles the bird appearing at my stations.  I will be uploading my pictures over the next day or.   Any thoughts about what specific species this may be would be helpful.   Once again, I'm located in Connecticut. 

Bird Feeding Series

On a snowy winter's day here in New England, I thought I'd start my first entry on my series about Bird Feeding and some of the wonderful species that frequent my feeder stations.   There is something about these flying creatures that makes you pause and think about the complexity of nature.  Birds are interwoven into our daily background, and often go unnoticed by most people as they go about their day.  But for those of us more in tune with nature and our environment, our feathered friends serve as a reminder of the magic of creation.

Finches enjoying seed at this
globe-style feeder

From my own experience feeding and watching birds, I've come to the conclusion that bird species are often quite different from each other in more ways then their size and natural beauty.  The are distinct in their food and feeding preferences, and in their nesting requirements and habitats, and I dare say - even their personalities, if you will.  Obviously, birds operate on instinct, and not complex thought patterns which makes their behavior by species repetitive and predictable.

I feed the birds for the purpose of enhancing the beauty of my yard's natural landscape and the personal enjoyment that it brings me.  It's also a small way to assist nature in its continuous natural seasonal cycle.  And I would say that the large number of humans engaged in feeding birds, particularly in the winter months, does in fact assist nature by contributing to the survival of some species which must deal with the brutal realities of New England winters.  That being said, I probably get more out of it than I give.  There are hundreds of man-made food sources found in the form of neighborhood feeding stations that abound.  But there are thousands more natural food sources for birds found in the woods, and fields of my region which provide birds ample nutrition.  I'd like to think that my contribution, however small, makes a difference to at least my regular visitors.

I have a few different feeding stations which are filled with different types of seeds and foods for the purpose of attracting the most diverse number species of birds possible.  And I've found through trial and error that feeder types, seed types, and even seed brands impact the population at your feeders.  So as I indicated earlier, birds may operate on instinct, but they aren't stupid - and they can be rather picky creatures.  And since I'm not the only game in town, they can afford to be choosy.

I will get into greater detail in future entries about my feeders, but at least for now, I will say that I cover the basics.  In winter, I offer mixed seed, suet, sunflower, and nyjer (thistle).  And my most regular visitors are chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, sparrows, finches, woodpeckers, mourning doves, wrens, sapsuckers, and lot of little juncos.  I also get the occasional blue jay, cardinal, and varieties of blackbirds - but these visits are much rarer than they have been in the past.  All in all, its a good assortment of species, and they tend to often come in waves, likely moving from feeding station to feeding station across the neighborhood.  

Some of these species get along quite well with each other, while others are a downright nuisance to other species and to each other.  I hope to shed some light on these characteristics, and also hope a few people in the birding, birdwatching, birdfeeding community might chime in with their experiences and thoughts.  I'm by no means an expert on birds and birdfeeding, so I hope to learn as much as I impart.  And perhaps some of my limited knowledge might encourage those not feeding the birds to hang a small feeder and enjoy the beauty of some of nature's most beautiful creatures.

Looking forward to the next entry!

The original blog entry can be found at www.randsel.blogspot.com