Illinois Audubon Society Quiz—Cardinals

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1. The northern cardinal is a popular mascot for many sports teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals. But look close, can you find the error?

The yellow beak should be red.

64.5%

The eye should be yellow.

31.4%

The “mask“ should be blue.

4.2%

2. Northern cardinals are very territorial except for during the winter months. What is one reason they congregate together?

For warmth

23.2%

To look for food

47.8%

For mating

27.9%

Due to lack space

1.0%

3. Northern cardinals are known as the Winter Redbird and occasionally are called which of the following:

Virginia Nightingale

29.6%

Summer Redbird

53.7%

New York Nightingale

16.7%

4. The northern cardinal is the state bird for Illinois and how many other states?

Four

35.0%

Seven

32.2%

Six

25.3%

Ten

7.5%

5. In the 1880s, the northern cardinal was mostly a bird of the southern states. How did it become mostly a northern bird?

Due to lack of food in the south.

10.9%

Climate change.

32.6%

They like the trees and shrubs people have planted in the northern landscape.

45.1%

People transplanted them to the north.

11.4%

6. When the best time to spot northern cardinals at your feeder?

Twilight and sunrise

41.4%

Any time of the day

32.3%

Twilight

10.1%

Sunrise

8.5%

Mid-afternoon

7.7%

7. Baldness isn’t just found in humans. Cardinals also have been known to have baldness and it has been thought to be from parasites. What else could be causing this?

Injury

1.7%

Diet

10.3%

Molting

65.7%

Sickness

22.4%

8. More than 200 birds, including the northern cardinal, will cover themselves with which of the following, possibly to ward off lice.

Beetles

Ants

27.8%

Mud

68.4%

Flower petals

3.8%

9. The northern cardinal is in a small group of birds that both the male and female sing. The female typically sings to let the male know that she:

Needs a break from sitting on the nest.

18.3%

Is being attacked.

3.8%

Is lonely.

10.2%

Needs food for the nestlings.

67.6%

10. How many cardinal subspecies exist?

10.3%

9.3%

28.5%

51.9%

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