Cardinal - North Carolina State Bird

The Cardinal is sometimes called the Winter Redbird because it is most noticeable during the winter when it is the only "redbird" present. A year-round resident of North Carolina, the Cardinal is one of the most common birds in our gardens, meadows and woodlands. The male Cardinal is red all over, except for the area of its throat and the region around its bill which is black. The female is less colorful with the red confined to the crest, wings and tail.

The Cardinal is a fine singer, and what is unusual is that the female sings as beautifully as the male. The male generally monopolizes the art of song in the bird world.

The Cardinal was selected by popular choice as our State Bird on March 4, 1943. (Session Laws, 1943. c. 595; G.S. 145-2)