Tales & Trails of a Traveling Wiseguy

I grew up in Virginia, where the Northern Cardinal is the state bird. Cardinals weren't exactly everywhere... it was a small moment of joy when you saw one. But as a kid I saw them several times a week thanks to our Audubon Society neighbors who set up birdfeeders in their backyard.

One of them explained to me how it takes deliberate setup to attract cardinals. They're seed-eaters, like many backyard birds, but their wide beaks mean they can't reach seeds in common feeders designed for birds with narrow beaks. That's why when I see that shape of beak I know it's a cardinal-family bird.