Red color and cardinal diet
..."The plumage color of the males is produced from carotenoid pigments in the diet.[10] Coloration is produced from both red pigments and yellow carotenoid pigments.[11] Northern Cardinal males possess the ability to metabolize carotenoid pigments to create plumage pigmentation of a color different from the ingested pigment. When fed only yellow pigments, males become a pale red color, rather than a yellow.[11]..." (From Wikipedia)
Females choose males who are good at finding food and a bright red male is a sign of a healthy industrious bird. However, they can get red coloration without being healthy from a nutritionally poor honeysuckle plant thus misleading a female and possibly not producing the best and strongest offspring.
www.science20.com/anthrophysis/has_anthropogenic_disturba...
Note: A variety of fruits and berries is good for developing red coloration --such as dogwood berries (there are many dogwoods in my yard)
Red color and cardinal diet
..."The plumage color of the males is produced from carotenoid pigments in the diet.[10] Coloration is produced from both red pigments and yellow carotenoid pigments.[11] Northern Cardinal males possess the ability to metabolize carotenoid pigments to create plumage pigmentation of a color different from the ingested pigment. When fed only yellow pigments, males become a pale red color, rather than a yellow.[11]..." (From Wikipedia)
Females choose males who are good at finding food and a bright red male is a sign of a healthy industrious bird. However, they can get red coloration without being healthy from a nutritionally poor honeysuckle plant thus misleading a female and possibly not producing the best and strongest offspring.
www.science20.com/anthrophysis/has_anthropogenic_disturba...
Note: A variety of fruits and berries is good for developing red coloration --such as dogwood berries (there are many dogwoods in my yard)