Order: Passeriformes, Family: Cardinalidae
Appearance/Behavior: This medium-sized (21 – 24 cm) bird has a distinctive crest (red arrow) and prominent beak (blue arrow). The male is red, while the female is olive brown. Both sexes have a black mask.
Relative Frequency of Visitation in Study: Only a single image, a male (above), of this bird has been recorded at the compost piles (by chance during a routine noontime test image capture). Although relatively common in the vicinity of the study site, this species likely prefers more open areas than the pile locations.
Seasonal Activity: Year-round. The single image of this species was recorded in early spring.
Daily Activity: Diurnal.
Similar Species: The only other bird with a pronounced crest that visits the piles is the blue jay. These two species are easily distinguished based on coloration.
Well-defined Image:
