Vibrant Red Male Cardinal - Cardinalis Cardinalis - II Stock Photography

The northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis is a bird in the genus Cardinalis. The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23 cm 8.3–9.1 in. It has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on the face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is a vibrant red, while the female is a reddish olive color. The northern cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on insects and fruit. The male behaves territorially, marking out his territory with song. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak.