The cardinal is the only red bird in eastern North America with a crest on top of his or her head, which rises when the bird senses danger. Cardinals are not migratory and stay in the same area year-round. They are admired as attractive songbirds and biologists have observed that some cardinal songs are sung with accents.

The brilliant red of a male Northern Cardinal calls attention to itself when males are around. You can also find cardinals by getting a sense of the warm, red-tinged brown of females, Listen for their piercing chip notes to find where they are hiding.