“He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.... By them shall the fowls ... have their habitation, which sing among the branches.” Psalm 104:10-12
There are so many beautiful birds throughout the world—all part of God’s creation—that it is impossible to select one as being the prettiest. But somewhere near the top of the list is the lively, cheerful cardinal.
The male is particularly showy in his bright red feathers with a black, mask-like face and throat and black tips on his wings and tail. He has a perky, red, feathery crest on top of his head. The female is also pretty, but her coloring is not quite so showy.
Both male and female are cheerful, swift and busy birds. They have a variety of lovely songs that can be heard long distances through the forests of the eastern United States and as far west as South Dakota and Texas. They are also welcome residents of Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia and an attractive addition to any neighborhood fortunate enough to have a pair. Farmers are happy when they settle nearby, for they eat great quantities of insects and harmful weed seeds.
Although the female’s song is softer than the male’s, it too is clear and cheerful, and both sing throughout the year. And that’s another nice feature—they don’t migrate. How striking is the flash of their bright red feathers as they fly over the snow or perch on a snow-covered limb to sing a happy song!
In springtime males and females nest in low shrubbery to raise a family—the male winning his mate by bringing her seeds and cracking the hard shell for her. She seems content to do most of the nest building as long as he feeds her. The finished nest is lined with soft material, then bluish-white eggs are laid in it, hatching out in about two weeks.
The baby cardinals are fed by both parents. After about ten days, they are ready to take their first flight. Soon after they fly, the mother leaves them, and the responsibility of teaching them the ways of bird life is left to the father. But he seems to enjoy doing this.
Do you think God cares about cardinals? Yes, He surely does, for they are His creation and included in this Bible verse: “These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their meat [food] in due season” (Psalm 104:27).
And how wonderful is God’s care over you! He includes you in another verse that says, “God our Saviour; who will have all men [all people] to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Are you one who has been saved by confessing to Him that you are a sinner and accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour?
ML-01/11/2009