By: Alanna Farrar Age 10

A cardinal is a beautiful and amazing animal and that’s why I chose it for my report. The cardinal is a vertebra and is a type of bird. It has a hot red, rosy feathers covering its body. A cardinal has a streak of black around its beak. Males and female birds look different from one another. Males are a dark red and females are a grayish color with red patches. They have a short sharp beak shaped like the end of a carrot.

Cardinals can get up to 8 or 9 inches long. That is fairly big for a bird. A mark that will help you identify this bird is its large crest on the top of its head. With their bright colors and their size cardinals are easy to spot. They are common birds here in Canton. Cardinals also live in the eastern United States and Mexico.

What makes up a cardinal’s habitat? Good question, the living things that cardinals need in order to survive are, trees, for their homes, insects, plants and seeds. The non-living things cardinals need are sticks and hair to make their nests. The cardinals blend in with red plants and dark trees. Cardinals are very common birds that live in suburbs, fields, and forests. Cardinals do not migrate in the wintertime and you can hear them singing all year long.

A Cardinal’s favorite food are seeds, but they also eat fruits and insects. Cardinals can live up to ten years. When a cardinal senses danger its crest goes up in its head and they fly away.

Cardinals are born by hatching out of eggs. The female lays 3-4 eggs that are a bluish color. It takes 12 to 13 days for the egg to hatch. After the babies hatch, both the male and female take care of feeding their young. After about 12 days they are on their own.

Cardinals are interesting birds. I hope next time you see this bird you will take some time and enjoy its beautiful color and personality.