Members of the finch family, northern cardinals are about 9 inches long with a wingspan of 12 inches. Both males and females sport a crest on top of their heads and long tails. The male is a flashy red color with a black face around its thick red bill; the female cardinal is a pale brown with attractive warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail, and crest.
Why Are the Birds Named Cardinals?
The name “cardinal” reflects the bird’s bright red plumage, the same color as the clothing worn by cardinals of the Catholic clergy.
Interestingly, these non-migrating birds operate as a flock in the winter to better forage, and this is called a “Vatican of cardinals.” https://www.almanac.com/bird-sounds-northern-cardinal
IN MY VIEWFINDER 
You must be logged in to post a comment.