Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Winter Cardinal

(As always, clicking a photograph here will enlarge it.)

mthew

One response to “Winter Cardinal”

  1. Chuck McAlexander

    One thing the Northern Cardinal and the European Starling share is a single yearly molt. In both cases the birds appear different now than they do in the breeding season. The cardinal has dark patches and the starling has bright spots. As the tips of the feathers wear off the birds become more monochromatic. The male cardinal a bright red, mostly, and the starling a glossy black. But, it’s the same feathers we are seeing now. Not replacements.

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