August 19, 2025

I am a Northern Cardinal from Arizona

My plumage seems to be brighter than in the east
It could be my diet

Or maybe I dye it

Either berries or Garnier Nutrisse.

Location: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, AZ

Sources: https://abcbirds.org/bird/northern-cardinal/

https://www.garnierusa.com/shop-products/nutrisse-color-creme/red

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

November 4, 2024

I am an immature Cardinal 

I've bad hair and haven't grown into my beak

I look like I fought a lawn mower

And lost my composure

But mom says I'm beautifully unique.

Note:  Click the link below to check out my favorite cartoonist's take on Cardinals, and come hear her talk at the opening key note of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in January.  Registration is open now!

Location: Private residence, Blountstown, FL

Sources: https://rosemarymosco.com/comics/bird-and-moon/know-your-northern-cardinals

https://scbwa.net/keynotes/

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

August 25, 2021

I am a juvenile Northern Cardinal

Pyrrhuloxia is a bird you might think I resemble

But I am just molting into my adult colors -

The resemblance is entirely coincidental.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/species-compare/67448261

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

May 19, 2020

Location: Fellsmere, my house

I am a female Northern Cardinal,
I'm giving myself a bath
In the springtime I'll defend my territory
Stay away or you'll feel birdie wrath!

Note: A few minutes after I took this photo, I watched this bird whomp a Worm-eating Warbler for venturing too close to her nest. If you aren't familiar with Worm-eating Warblers, tune in Saturday when that bird will be featured. (Just so you don't worry, the warbler was unscathed and both birds came out of the skirmish fine.)

Sources: Cornell Lab All About Birds - Northern Cardinal

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

February 2, 2020

Location: Maritime Hammock Preserve, Cocoa Beach

I am a female Northern Cardinal,
I am not red like my husband and brothers
But if I have brighter underwing coverts
It could indicate that I'm a great mother.

Sources: Birds of North America - Northern Cardinal
Plumage brightness as an indicator of parental care in northern cardinals

Unrelated to Cardinals, but crazy cool info: A friend turned me on to this article about the Biodiversity Heritage Library online.. I've started checking out their Flickr site which is amazing. My favorite find so far is the The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands v.1 London :Printed for B. White,1771. It's interesting seeing birds I kind of recognize but with different (sometimes, in my humble opinion, better) names.

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

February 1, 2020

Location: Maritime Hammock Preserve, Cocoa Beach

I am a male Northern Cardinal,
I'm known as a passerine
That's a fancy way of saying I'm a songbird
With specially adapted perching feet.

Sources: Birds of North America - Northern Cardinal

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

May 27, 2019

Location: Sebastian Inlet State Park, Campground

I am a male Northern Cardinal
Me and my mate both sing.
This is fairly unusual in songbirds.
And we both beat up cars in the spring.

Sources: Cornell Lab All About Birds - Northern Cardinal

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

May 25, 2018

Location: Cocoa Beach, Lori Wilson Park

I'm a Northern Cardinal
Take a good look at my seed-cracking bill.
From this angle I look like I don’t have a crest,
And my eyes make me appear slightly evil.

(Thanks to David for the help writing this one.)

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

April 20, 2018

Location: Cocoa Beach, Lori Wilson Park

I am a Northern Cardinal
I am monogamous, but serially,
That means I stay with my mate for a season,
Then we split - let's blame pruriency.

Special guest photographer: David Simpson

Sources: Animal Diversity Web - Northern Cardinal

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

December 24, 2017

Location: Cocoa, roadside on Christmas Bird Count

I am a Northern Cardinal
I dress in red, don't confuse me with St. Nick
His beard is white, my beard is black,
I sing my "cheer, cheer, cheer" song to you as my gift.

Sources: Cornell Lab - Northern Cardinal

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

October 6, 2017

Location: Sebastian, private residence

I'm a female Northern Cardinal.
Take a close look at my crest -
You can see I have white tips up there,
Those are new feathers, my hairs not messed!

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

March 27, 2017

Location: Sebastian Storm Water Park

I'm a Northern Cardinal
I'm mostly red and have brown eyes.
I've got a black mustache and beard,
And look a little like that Simpson bird guide.

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson