Cutie Who?

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird. It is found in woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps of southern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico. The name of this cute North American songbird refers to the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, who wear distinctive red robes and caps, although the description only fits the male. The female is fawn, with mostly grayish-brown tones, but she also sports a sharp crest and warm red accents on the wings and tail feathers. During winter, both male and female will fluff up their down feathers in order to trap warm air next to their body and keeping cold air from reaching their body, and also take turns tucking one leg at a time into their body to keep them warm while still using the other to stand. As a curiosity, the female Northern Cardinal is one of the few female North American songbirds that sing, and she does often while sitting on the nest. Another curious detail is that the female is fed by the male as part of the courtship behavior. Based on a reference photograph by Cindy Clouser.

Medium

Oil on paper

Dimensions

H 32 × W 24 cm (H 12.6 × W 9.4 in) · unframed

Type

Original: one of a kind

Framing

Unframed

Signature

Signed front and back

Every original ships with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.

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