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Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Northern Cardinal full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Northern Cardinal illustration appeared in Stackpole Books for Laura Erickson's 101 Ways to Help Birds. It was created in 2004 and the digital tinting added in 2007. These striking birds were a large part of my early fascination with animals. I remember seeing them come into the birdfeeder in the brutal cold of a Minnesota winter, the deep red standing out boldly against the snow.

Information about the Northern Cardinal:

The Northern Cardinal is found from southern Canada through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico to northern Central America. It's habitat is forests, gardens, and swamps. It is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of about 8-9 inches. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous (meaning it feeds on grain) but also eats insects and fruit. It was at one time commonly kept as a pet, but its sale as cage birds is was banned in the United States in 1918.