“In richness of plumage, elegance of motion, and strength of song, this species surpasses all its kindred in the United States.” These words, written by John James Audubon in his work titled “The ...

Though typically considered benign, recreational trails have the potential to both alter vegetation and disturb birds in ways that might in uence parental nest attendance rates and other behaviors ...

NAME: Cardinal, or Cardinalis cardinalis. Named after red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals. Virginia’s state bird. COLORS: 8-9 inches. Male bright red with crest, black face, stout red bill.

Thanks to the developmental fusion of male-female bird twins into one individual, this northern cardinal is half red and half tan -- split lengthwise down its middle -- and is half male and half ...

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No, this bird didn’t dye its feathers. The half-red, half-white plumage of this northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is the result of gynandromorphy. In other words its sex chromosomes did not ...

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...