Northern Cardinal

Probably the country's most famous songbirds, the Northern Cardinal is definitely one of the most conspicuous . Along with their good looks, Northern Cardinals are actually quite fierce. Males will fiercely defend their territories from other males. These battles are fascinating sights, as two males tussle in flight tearing beaks into one another, often leaving a cloud of red feathers in their wake. Males with brighter red coloring tend to feed at higher rates and have greater reproductive success than duller birds.

Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
Marblehead, Massachusetts

May 6, 2011