Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Female Cardinal

Yesterday, after the storm, this beautiful female Cardinal was sitting in the shelter of the leaves in a tree.  Interestingly, in the past, Cardinals were sold as pets and kept in cages, but since the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, it is illegal to kill or possess a Cardinal and the punishment carries a $15,000 fine.

During mating season, the male feeds seeds, beak to beak, to the female.  The female lays eggs 2-4 times each year - 3-4 eggs each time.  There is an estimated population of 100,000,000 worldwide.  Wow!  Since the beak of a mature Cardinal is bright orange, we know this one is young.

Til Tomorrow,
Tweetles




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