State symbols represent a state’s natural heritage and instill regional pride. For Indiana, the official avian representative is a bird known for its brilliant color and persistent, cheerful song that brightens the winter landscape. This choice reflects the natural beauty visible throughout the entire year within the state’s borders.
The Northern Cardinal’s Official Designation
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is the official state bird of Indiana. The Indiana General Assembly formally adopted this designation in 1933, selecting a bird already familiar to Hoosiers across the state. The legislature passed an act adopting the bird commonly known as the “Red Bird” or Cardinal.
The choice was primarily based on the cardinal’s widespread presence and its non-migratory nature, making it a reliable year-round resident. Unlike many other songbirds that depart for warmer climates, the Northern Cardinal remains in Indiana through the coldest months, providing a splash of color against the snow. This persistence, coupled with its vibrant plumage and melodious song, made it a popular selection for the state’s official avian symbol.
Defining Characteristics and Appearance
The Northern Cardinal is instantly recognizable due to a pronounced sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females look distinctly different. The adult male is famous for its striking scarlet-red plumage, which covers its entire body, contrasted sharply by a jet-black mask that encircles its eyes and extends to the upper chest.
The female cardinal presents a more subdued appearance, sporting a reddish olive or light brown coloration with a slight reddish tint visible on her wings, tail, and crest. Both sexes possess a prominent, pointed crest of feathers and a thick, cone-shaped bill that is a bright coral-red color in adults. An average adult cardinal is a mid-sized songbird, measuring between 21 and 23.5 centimeters in length.
The cardinal is known for its loud, whistling vocalizations, which are unique because both the male and the female sing. Their song is a series of clear, repeated phrases often described as sounding like “what-cheer cheer cheer” or “whoit whoit whoit.” These vocal displays are used by the male to defend its breeding territory and by both sexes for contact communication.
Behavior and Ecological Importance
The Northern Cardinal is a sedentary species, meaning it does not undertake long-distance seasonal migrations. This behavior allows residents to enjoy its presence throughout all four seasons, often within a mile of where the bird was originally hatched. They are commonly found in areas with dense shrubbery, such as woodland edges, suburban gardens, and thickets, as these locations provide ideal cover for nesting and foraging.
Their diet is highly varied, primarily consisting of seeds, grains, and fruits, but they also consume a significant amount of insects. During the breeding season, high-protein insects like beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers are important for feeding their young. This consumption of pests provides a natural form of insect control, benefiting the local ecosystem.
The female typically builds the cup-shaped nest in dense thickets, vines, or low trees, usually three to ten feet above the ground. Cardinals commonly raise two to three broods each year, with the male often caring for the fledglings from the first brood while the female begins laying a second clutch. By eating various fruits and berries, the cardinal also plays a role in the dispersal of plant seeds, contributing to native plant regeneration.