During the fall and early winter the male generally acts indifferent towards the female, and may act aggressively towards her when he comes into contact with her while foraging. However, at the beginning of the courtship season they can be seen peacefully foraging together. During this time the male can also be seen feeding the female bits of food. This behavior is known as mate-feeding. Mate-feeding is a large part of the cardinal's courtship.
Courtship also triggers another behavior known as countersinging.
This is when the male and the female sing to each other from different perches within their territory. When countersinging the male and the female match and repeat phrases and songs. Among courtship behavior mate-feeding and countersinging are the two of the most frequently observed. Breeding cardinals are particularly attracted to dense thickets of brambles, dense shrubbery, dense vines, or closely spaced saplings for their nest building and placement. The female gathers the nest material and constructs it.