Male cardinals are brilliant red all over, with a reddish bill and black face immediately around the bill. Females are pale brown overall with warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail, and crest. They have the same black face and red-orange bill. Northern Cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on or near the ground, often in pairs.

When a male and female cardinal become a breeding pair, they mate for life. Within their relationship, both partners have specific roles and duties. Female cardinals do much of the nest building, while male cardinals help supply some of the materials for it.

Male sings to defend nesting territory, actively attacking intruding males (and attacking his own reflection in windows and mirrors). In courtship, male and female raise heads high, sway back and forth while singing softly; male often feeds female early in breeding season.

Cardinals are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females look different, even though they are the same species. Females have a silhouette similar to males; but their crest is smaller, their feathers are more subdued, and they may be slightly smaller in size.

The species expresses sexual dimorphism: Females are a reddish olive color, and have a gray mask around the beak, while males are a vibrant red color, and have a black mask on the face, as well as a larger crest. Juvenile cardinals do not have the distinctive red-orange beak seen in adult birds until they are almost fully mature.

Comparison: Male Vs. Female Cardinals. The table below provides a glance at the differences between male and female cardinals. Read the table below for more in-depth detail and some fascinating facts! Note: This article is about the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) species.

The brilliant red of a male Northern Cardinal calls attention to itself when males are around. You can also find cardinals by getting a sense of the warm, red-tinged brown of females – a pattern you can learn to identify in flight.

Jul 20, 2022 · The male northern cardinal measures about 8.7-9.25 inches in length while also weighing between 1.5-1.7 ounces. The female northern cardinal, on the other hand, has a length of 8.2-8 5 inches and weighs 1.4-1.5 ounces.

Jan 26, 2023 · A male cardinal is typically bright red all over, with the exception of its brilliant black throat and face. They also often have some black or dark gray streaks on their wings. On the other hand, the females have very little red, and the red they do have is …

Jul 13, 2021 · In terms of size, male northern cardinals are 8.7 to 9.25 inches long (22.2 to 23.5 cm). In contrast, female northern cardinals are 8.2 to 8.5 inches long (20.9 to 21.6 cm). In a word, male northern cardinals are a bit larger than their counterparts.