Northern cardinal

Description:

A family of cardinals. The female laid three eggs and incubated them for nine days. The male beak-fed the female, mostly sunflower seeds, until the chicks hatched. The male and female took turns feeding the chicks (mostly small insects and berries were observed) for about ten days, when they fledged. All three fledglings left the nest within 20 minutes. They were adventurous, with the parents corralling them back toward the nest site. Neither the fledglings nor the parents were observed nesting there after th e babies left, although the fledglings did return to investigate during the day.

Habitat:

Nest was built about three feet off of the ground, well hidden inside of a gardenia bush. An artificial canopy was put in place over the nest site by the male, who also aided in construction on the nest. The entire site was situated in deep shade, and was about fifteen degrees cooler than in full sun.

Notes:

The babies (almost full grown now) and the male still call a large wisteria Bush on my property home. The parents tried to use the same nest for their next clutch of eggs, another brood of three. Sadly, three days after the eggs were laid, I found the nest destroyed and the female half eaten on the ground. The eggs had been cracked open and consumed. My only working theory for the attack is that a horned owl managed to take the female, and the rats in the nearby oak tree took advantage of the situation and ate the eggs.