Hobbies And Interests
Courtship Displays
Male and female northern cardinals engage in a mating display that begins with both birds stretching their necks out, with head crests erect. The birds then move gently side to side, softly singing to each other.
Nest Materials
Northern cardinal nests are compact and cup-shaped, lined with assorted vegetation, including strips of tree bark, small twigs, grass, leaves and hair. Nests are usually built in the branches of deciduous saplings. Into the structure the female deposits two to five multicolored eggs that can be grayish, bluish, greenish and/or marked with browns, grays and purples. Cardinals typically use a nest just one time, building a new structure for each successive brood.
Incubation
Both male and female northern cardinals will incubate eggs, although females spend more time on nests. Incubation lasts about 12 days, when the young cardinals are born naked and immobile with eyes closed, and they are totally dependent on the parents for food. Another 10 days are required before the hatchlings leave the nest.
Care of the Young
Male and female cardinals take care of their young while they remain in the nest. Once the young birds are out of the nest and can fly, the male will guard them for approximately three weeks. During this time the female turns her attention to raising another brood.
Broods
The number of broods a mating pair of northern cardinals will have in one season depends on habitat, availability of food, previous brood success and other geographic variables. Northern cardinals typically have two to three broods per season, and occasionally they have four broods.