Photos

The Northern Cardinal (the Winter Redbird or Richmondena Cardinalis Cardinalis)is the state bird of my home, Indiana. It is also the state bird of Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. During the winter months, they abound. Since we have a feeder in the back yard, we see a lot of them. Still, it is always a treat to see their bright red feathers against the pure white snow. Of course, it is the male who has the brighter plumage: the female has just a hint of orange and red on its crest, wings, and tail. Both the female and male have a strong, loud, whistling song. It is supposed to be strongly territorial, although things look rather tranquil here.

In this photo, you can also see some vines (honeysuckle?) and a rhododendron bush that have retained their green leaves.

Not a perfect picture by any stretch of the imagination: if I recall, it was taken through the window. Still, I was very fortunate to catch them all together, and wanted to share it with you.