Elegance, folklore, and folly

Kentucky’s state bird, the northern cardinal, is a year-round resident in Berea. With striking red feathers and crest and black faces, male cardinals are the subject of much “redbird” folklore, typically signifying messages from loved ones and/or good luck. Females have their own elegant warm brown coloring and crest with red-tinged wing feathers and bright orange bills. Female cardinals are one of the few female North American songbirds that sing. Both males and females are highly territorial, leading to their rather “bird-brained” attacks on their own reflections in windows.