Seeing cardinals hopping around in pairs can give the impression of them feeding together. However, if you are watching them, they are most likely getting ready for the breeding season.
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Northern Cardinals are unique among songbirds in that they have a year-round mating ritual. While most birds encountered in backyards only form pairs in the breeding season, Northern Cardinals form pairs for all four seasons, and may even do so for life. What changes with the arrival of late winter is not the mating partnership, but the fact that the mating pairs become more conspicuous.
As it's now the end of February, you may notice these pairs starting courtship rituals. The males and females are holding closer formation as they make their way through the yard together and do the nesting prep work. They are seen often touching perches, and singing to each other, and they follow each other from feeders, to shrubs, and then to the trees.
Strengthening a bond isn’t new love. Cardinals pair up and establish their territory long before a first nest is built. The changes in behaviors you see in weeks prior to nesting are part of pre-breeding rituals, which they must complete to prepare for the most energy demanding time of their year.
Under this circumstance, thinking from a biological standpoint, reinforcing the connection(s) will allow the individuals to act quickly when opportunities to nest arrive. The individuals will have solved their territorial conflicts, streamlined their feeding hierarchies, and practiced the necessary cooperation for chick rearing.
Signs of Behavior of Pair Bonding
When you know what to look for, bonding in cardinals becomes easy to see. One of the most recognized behaviors is mate feeding, where the male cardinal grabs a seed and feeds it to the female beak-to-beak. This kind act serves many purposes: the female can conserve energy for the future, she will be doing some egg laying and that is an energy sapping activity, the male is advertising his provisioning abilities, and bond between the two is strengthened with this interaction.
Watch for these markings at your feeders early in the morning and in the late afternoon. Adult male Common Grackles will come with a sunflower seed and the adult female Common Grackle will adopt a begging posture like a juvenile bird and the male will seed the sunflower seed directly into her beak. This feeding behavior is one of the most delightful things you can see in your backyard.
Cardinals often engage in a behavior known as allopreening. Allopreening is when one bird grooms the feathers of another bird. Cardianals usually engage in this behavior by preening one another's head and neck area since they are unable to do this themselves. This behavior helps the pair to stay bonded together.
Territorial displays are becoming increasingly apparent. While the female usually sings along with him, the male can be heard singing from high up in his territory. While in many species of songbirds only males sing, in Northern Cardinals, females also sing. Their songs form a duet. They sing this song to assert ownership of the territory.
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This season, bonded cardinals will stay close together. If you see the male cardinal, consider what you see as the red male, look around the nearby branches for the for the tan-and-coral female cardinals. They will most likely stay close together and move around your space.
What is unique about February and these pairs?
February to early March is a transition period in the cardinal bird calendar. As the days start to become longer, cardinals react to the increase in light and begin to engage in breeding behaviors because of hormone changes. During this time, an increase in visibility, as well as an increase in intensity, will be evident in courtship behaviors of cardinals. Although cardinals stay mated for life, their summer and fall interactions will be less pronounced than during this period.
There is a peak time for singing that marks the border of their territories. While singing, males challenge other males for ownership of borders. This is no fun casual singing, but serious claims of the borders. In breeding season, a male cardinal will vigorously defend a territory that can extend to several acres.
The more vegetation there is, the easier it is to see birds. In late winter, birds are easier to see because many trees and shrubs have not leafed out yet. In July, birds are more concealed and difficult to see because of the thick foliage. You have a clear view of their behavior right now.
You may want to consider the impact of natural food sources on the frequency with which cardinals visit your backyard feeders in late winter. They are more likely to rely on your feeders than natural sources, making your feeders more reliable, and you can see where their activity is concentrated. You also get to see a lot of courtship activity because your yard will be a front row seat to their courtship as pairs will come to your backyard feeders together and visit multiple times a day.
During the winter storms mild temperatures snowing and approaching, they show increased movement and stocking up. Winter months and feeding frenzies entice pairs. They come out in the snow multiple times, especially during the unpredictable weather in February.
With this knowledge of the seasonal timing, people can plan certain times to observe behaviors of interest in the cardinals. The first quarter of the year, January to March, is particularly suitable for seeing bonding behavior among the cardinals.
How To Attract More Cardinal Pairs To Your Yard
When considering how to support cardinal pairs, bird feeders are just one part of the equation. These birds need food, water, shelter, and places to nest. The great thing about establishing space friendly to cardinals is that it benefits many other species that may visit your backyard.
The best food option for cardinals is black oil sunflower seeds. These seeds are accessible at any time of the year. They are easy for birds to open as well. They are also high in fats and proteins. These seeds can be placed in hopper or platform feeders and can be put on the ground. Cardnials will pick food off of these different heights. Safflower seeds can also be used and cardinals will eat them. An added benefit is they are less popular with squirrels.
Dogwood, serviceberry, and elderberry shrubs offer food and nesting cover throughout the year. They contain red berries that cardinals love. Additionally, cardinals will eat all kinds of fruit. The benefits of shrub planting surpass any feeder.
Changing the water every day will attract more birds. Moving water features like small fountains and water drippers are an even greater attraction. Heated bird baths in the winter provide birds with a valuable resource.
Cardinals like dense cover so they can feel protected enough to nest. They like nesting sites with thick and tangled brush about 3 to 10 feet off the ground. Deciduous shrubbery is great for nesting, while evergreens shelter them all year round. When landscaping, don’t worry about leaving growth that looks messy. That ‘messed up’ growth is actually the right type of shelter cardinals want.
Imagine how a cardinal looks at your yard. They like places where they can quickly escape to cover. If your feeders are spaced near shrubs but not in them, you create this edge effect.
Finally, keep a routine! Cardnials are habitual creatures and they will build routines around things that are consistently done. Make sure feeders are kept filled, waters are changed, and avoid making big changes in your yard during breeding season. The bonding behavior you are seeing now may lead to them nesting in your yard! That is an honor and a privilege to have so it is worth some habitat management to sustain it.
Happy birding!
