![]() Seeing a cardinal’s believed to bring you a spout of good luck that will happen within 12 days of seeing them. Which is especially handy if you live in an area where they’re greatly populated. These perching songbirds certainly cheer the area up with their chirpy tunes and colorful red plumage. This is unsurprising really, seeing as the males are so vibrantly red. This means that they’ve often made warmer climates their home, but over the last few decades there’s been a rise in winter birdfeeders, meaning you can now spot cardinals further north.ĭid you also know that the cardinal’s also known as the ‘redbird.’ These frequent visitors to many gardens, backyards, and parks are non-migratory birds. These states are as follows: Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio.Ĭardinals may not come in a blue variation but that doesn’t mean they aren’t well-loved. The Northern cardinal bird’s so popular that 7 American states have named it their official bird – now that’s impressive. If you like the sound of spotting one, then you’ll need to visit southwest America or northern Mexico. On rare occasions you might spot a yellow northern cardinal – no, you’re not going crazy, due to a genetic plumage variation called xanthochroism, these do actually exist.Īnother unusual find is the white cardinal – this bird has a condition called leucism, which is caused by a lack of a melanin-producing enzyme. The female is a lot less colorful than the male (which is a common occurrence in the bird world) she has pale brown plumage with a red wash across the chest. Well, you can easily spot a male cardinal as they’re bright red, with a colorful head crest, and black throat and face markings. If you live in North America then it’s likely that the northern cardinal’s a frequent flier to your yard. Therefore, people often mistake a blue jay for a blue cardinal. They look very similar to the red cardinal, as they both have head crests. One bird often confused for a blue cardinal is the blue grosbeak.Īlthough they are a member of the Cardinalidae family and they share some similarities, such as their small size, and strong seed opening beaks, they are in fact different birds entirely.Īnother bird that adds to the confusion is the blue jay – a member of the Corvidae, family, this small bird is native to eastern North America. ![]() It’s easy to confuse one bird species for another – this is especially common with small birds, as they’re unlikely to stay still for long, and their colors and markings can be tricky to distinguish. It’s hard to get close enough to see the alleged blue cardinals’ feathers more closely before they fly off, so it’s easy to confuse this ‘new found’ species of bird with something else.Ĭhances are if you saw them an hour later, they would seem a different color entirely. So, when you combine feathers, angles, and lighting then that whiteish-colored cardinal may appear vividly blue. Light is influential in how we see the world around us.Īnd when it comes to feather colors it can become extra distorted. Until then we still have colorful red cardinals, not only are they pretty to look at, but they certainly brighten up the garden with their chirps and seed-pecking, so even though there aren’t any blue ones about, it’s not all bad. Who knows, perhaps one day one will be found. I know this answer sucks – but alas, the blue-colored cardinal remains a myth. ![]() Maybe you’re convinced that the birds perching on that nearby branch is the perfect blue cardinal specimen? – and if you want to believe that then sure, go ahead.Īs amazing as the discovery of this new species of bird would be, chances are that the blue cardinal you’re pretty sure you’ve found is either a different species of bird or it’s just the light playing tricks on you. Some people are adamant both of these exist, but there’s no solid evidence to back this up. There’ve also been sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, and of the Abdonmable Snowman. Yes, there have been plenty of rumored sightings but the fact remains that the cardinal bird is just that – a rumor.
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