Bird Study 



133 



The cardinal grosbeak. 

 After Audubon Leaflet No. i: 



THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK 



Teacher'i Story 



There never lived a Lord Cardinal who 



possessed robes ot state more brilliant m 



color than the plumage of this bird. By 



the way, I wonder how many of us ever 



think when we see the peculiar red, called 



cardmal, that it gained its name from the 



dress of this high f unctionaryof the church ? 



The cardinal grosbeak is the best name for 



the redbird because that describes it 



exactly, both as to its color and its chief 



characteristic, since its beak is thick and 



large; the beak is also red, which is a rare 



color in beaks, and in order to make its 



''MU "% redness more emphatic it is set m a frame 



^K \ of black feathers. The use of such a large 



^K V beak is unmistakable, for it is strong 



^K ^ enough to crush the hardest of seed shells 



^^K or to crack the hardest and driest of 



MK grains. 



^W "What cheer! U'liat cheer! 



That is the grosbeak's way, 



Wtth his sooty face and hts coat of red" 



sings Maurice Thompson. But besides 

 the name given above, this bird has been called in different localities 

 the redbird, Virginia redbird, crested redbird, winter redbird, Virginia 

 nightingale, the red corn-cracker, but it remained for James Lane 

 Allen to give it another name in his masterpiece, "The Kentucky 

 Cardinal." 



The cardinal is a trifle smaller than the robin and is by no means slim 

 and graceful, like the catbird or the scarlet tanager, but is quite stout and 

 is a veritable chunk of brilliant color and bird dignity. The only other 

 bird that rivals him in redness is the scarlet tanager which has black 

 wings; the summer tanager is also a red bird, but is not so vermilion and 

 is more slender and lacks the crest. The cardinal surely finds his crest 

 useful in expressing his emotions; when all is serene, it lies back flat on 

 the head, but with any excitement, whether of joy or surprise or anger, it 

 lifts until it is as peaked as an old-fashioned nightcap. The cardinal's 

 mate is of quiet color, her back is greenish gray and breast bufty, while 

 her crest, wings and tail reflect in faint ways the brilliancy of his costume. 



The redbird's song is a stirring succession of syllables uttered in a rich, 

 ringing tone, and may be translated in a variety of ways. I have heard 

 him smg a thousand times "tor-re'-do, tor-re'-do, tor-re'-do," but Dr. 

 Dawson has heard him sing "che'-pew, che'-pew, we'-woo, we'-woo;" 

 "bird-ie, bird-ie, bird-ie; tschew, tschew, tschew;" and "chit-e-kew, 

 chit-e-kew; he-weet- he-weet." His mate breaks the custom of other 

 birds of her sex and sings a sweet song, somewhat softer than his. Both 

 birds utter a sharp note "tsip, tsip." 



The nest is built in bushes, vines or low trees, often in holly, laurel or 

 other low evergreens, and is rarely more than six or eight feet above the 



