The cardinal is a bird of the finch family.
Cardinals live in the Eastern United States from South Dakota, southern Minnesota, and Mexico.
Since the early 1900's, they have been spreading farther north and west through the United States. The cardinal grows to about 8 inches long. It has a crest of feathers on its head. The males are mostly red with tints of gray on its back. The females are a brownish color with a little red in their wings, tails, and crests.