I need to get down there fast.
This northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is leaving his perch to dive for the ground.
"The male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird. They’re a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style: a shade of red you can’t take your eyes off. Even the brown females sport a sharp crest and warm red accents. Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they’re still breathtaking in winter’s snowy backyards. In summer, their sweet whistles are one of the first sounds of the morning." - allaboutbirds.org
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #birds #birdsofmastodon #birdwatching #NorthernCardinal
@Swede1952 First cardinal I ever saw was in Guatemala. Now I live in West Virginia where they're common. Yes they do migrate (to Guatemala) but it's deceptive. About 80 percent of them head south for winter. The rest stay behind. They do both, probably a smart survival strategy.
@Swede1952 Interesting. Then my info is 25 years out of date and wrong. Hah. Thank you.
@shuttersparks
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Northern Cardinals don’t migrate. But their year around range reaches as far south as Central America.