Northern Cardinal (male)

Description:

The Northern Cardinal is a fairly large, long-tailed songbird with a short, very thick bill and a prominent crest. Cardinals often sit with a hunched-over posture and with the tail pointed straight down. Male cardinals are brilliant red all over, with a reddish bill and black face immediately around the bill.

Habitat:

Several of them were flying in and out of the shrubs beside a canal at Bayou Segnette State Park. This park is not far from the urban center of New Orleans, yet it features access to two types of wetlands,swamp and marsh. Saltwater intrusion coming into the canals from the Gulf of Mexico created the marsh. This is a remarkable habitat for plant and wildlife..