Introducing Peepsie, the little cardinal! Check out some cool facts below about Northern Cardinals... 

Population density and range of the Northern Cardinal has increased over the last 200 years, largely as a response to habitat changes made by people. However, it is listed as a species of special concern in California and may disappear there because of habitat loss.

 
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Northern Cardinal Eggs

The male cardinal fiercely defends its breeding territory from other males. When a male sees its reflection in glass surfaces, it frequently will spend hours fighting the imaginary intruder. Brighter red males hold territories with denser vegetation, feed at higher rates, and have greater reproductive success than duller males.

The brilliantly colored Northern Cardinal has the record for popularity as a state bird; in the United States, it holds that title in seven states. This common bird is a winter fixture at snow-covered feeders throughout the Northeast, but it only spread to New York and New England in the mid-20th century.
The brilliantly colored Northern Cardinal has the record for popularity as a state bird; in the United States, it holds that title in seven states. This common bird is a winter fixture at snow-covered feeders throughout the Northeast, but it only spread to New York and New England in the mid-20th century.
The brilliantly colored Northern Cardinal has the record for popularity as a state bird; in the United States, it holds that title in seven states. This common bird is a winter fixture at snow-covered feeders throughout the Northeast, but it only spread to New York and New England in the mid-20th century.

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The female Northern Cardinal sings, often from the nest. The song may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male.

Northern Cardinal Nest

                                                                                                                         

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Peepsie was rescued by OWRC volunteer Linde. She received a phone call the night of a big thunderstorm. It was her neighbor who had found a baby bird that had fallen, nest and all, from a very tall tree. Linde had been an OWRC volunteer for several months. With her training, she was able to feed and sustain little Peepsie for two weeks at OWRC until he was old enough to fly. (The first resort would have been to place the bird and nest back into the tree but that was not possible because of the height of the tree and the neighbor’s 2 dogs.) When Peepsie was ready, he was released into Linde’s yard to find his friends and family. As Linde soon learned, when you develop a relationship with wildlife, it changes you forever.