The North Carolina state bird was adopted by legislation in 1943. North Carolina designated the Red Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), which is also the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
This bird is native to much of the eastern United States and doesn’t tend to migrate. A mid-sized bird, the male is bright-colored red while the female is more a muted brown-gray although its beak remains reddish in color.
Large seeds such as safflower seeds and sunflower seeds are among the cardinal’s favorite. They also love fruit. The female builds her nest usually in very well hidden shrubs and trees using twigs and grass. You may not know that cardinals are very territorial particularly during the breeding season. The male-only mates with one female and are known to fight off competing males.
