Unlike the bright red male, the female cardinal is a dull brown in color with hints of red on the wings and tail. My wife finds this very unfair. In my experience the female is less shy than the male and will come to feeders when someone is in the area while the males tend to keep a little more distance. The cardinal is one of the few song birds that the female sings. She will sometimes sing a more complex song than her mate.

The cardinal is a common sight at bird feeders. They tend to nest in tangled shrubs and vines. Two to five eggs is a normal size clutch for the cardinal.