250 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



coast region is most often found in the small wooded swamps 

 ■w^hich occur at frequent intervals. The nest, placed on the 

 ground, usually at the foot of a small bush, is rather bulky, 

 composed of dead leaves, strips of bark, and fine grasses. 



CARDINAL; REDBIRD: Riehmondena ccMrdinalis cardinalis 



(Linnaeus) .* 



State records. — The cardinal is one of the most abundant 

 and widely distributed birds of the State, and being non-" 

 migratory, is found in about equal abundance at all seasons. 



According to N. C. Brown, mating begins about the middle 

 of February, and the songs of the males are first heard at 

 that time. Nest building does not begin, however, until April. 

 Eggs have been found at Barachias, April 10 ; Leighton, April 

 13, May 17, and June 24; York, April 27; Woodbine, April 12; 

 Autaugaville, April 18 and May 28 ; Castleberry, June 3 ; Sand 

 Mountain (Jackson County) , June 26 ; Greensboro, August 5, 

 and Hayneville, August 6. 



General habits, — The favorite haunts of the cardinal are 

 brushy swamps and river-bottom thickets, and in such situa- 

 tions it is often abundant. Many birds, however, take up 

 their abode in village or town dooryards, where they are much 

 prized for their bright colors and sprightly songs. The species 

 is not gregarious, but frequently several pairs occupy the same 

 piece of woods. On several occasions the cardinal has been 

 noted by the writer as the first bird to sing at daybreak. The 

 song is quite varied, consisting of a series of clear, resonant 

 whistles, the notes sometimes slurred, sometimes double, and 

 often repeated rapidly 20 or more times. The nest is placed 

 in a bush, usually 3 to 6 feet from the ground. 



Food habits. — The food of the cardinal, as studied by 

 McAtee, consists of about seven-tenths vegetable and three- 

 tenths animal matter. Of the vegetable food, weeds and other 

 seeds compose the largest part — about 36 per cent; wild fruit 

 amounts to 24 per cent, and grain nearly 9 per cent Most 

 of the grain eaten is corn, with some oats, wheat, sorghum, 

 and rice. Of the seeds and berries of wild fruit, those most 



'CardinslU eardliuHs ewdlnalia of the A. O. U. Check-liat; for daxtze of name, tta 

 The AuJt. ToL 35, p. BOO, 1918. 



