Re: Calling All Cardinal Lovers!

esmerelda · ‎03-10-2010

@KingstonsMom wrote:
Either the loneliest cardinal or the most popular bird in the yard, since it has an ovary and a testis, LOL!

Depending on which sex mate they're trying to attract, it could just present that side!

@KingstonsMom Thanks for the laugh. I needed a tissue after the idea of the loneliest cardinal was introduced.

*********************
Keepin' it real.

goldensrbest · ‎03-10-2010

I have never seen that type before, love watching the cardinals here.

When you lose some one you L~O~V~E, that Memory of them, becomes a TREASURE.

Venezia · ‎03-09-2010

Birds can become unafraid of the humans that they recognize. We have hummingbirds that will literally hover next to us while we're refilling their feeders. They're also so used to us putting out the feeders that they've been known to come right up to the sliding screen door to let us know, if they think we're a bit late!

And I have photos that I've taken myself, holding goldfinches and chickadees in my hand. If you sit near the feeders, stay still and hold seed in your hand, they eventually lose their fear of you. It takes time, but it does happen.

The photos look real enough to me. You can even see that the cardinal has opened his beak in the third one (so not a stuffed bird!). I would assume the photos were all taken at the same time; just from different angles. JMO, what do I know?

"" A little learning is a dangerous thing."-Alexander Pope

KingstonsMom · ‎03-09-2010

@esmerelda wrote:
@KingstonsMom wrote:
Either the loneliest cardinal or the most popular bird in the yard, since it has an ovary and a testis, LOL!

Depending on which sex mate they're trying to attract, it could just present that side!
@KingstonsMom Thanks for the laugh. I needed a tissue after the idea of the loneliest cardinal was introduced.

@esmerelda

That thought made me sad too, so I tried to turn it into something to smile about instead, LOL!

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

riley1 · ‎03-10-2010

@KingstonsMom - That was an interesting post. Thank you. Since I am just north of you by a few hours, we too have lots of cardinals as I did in NJ. Our females are not shy at all and will chase smaller birds off the feeders.

I was reading the Birds & Blooms magazine one time and they had a yellow cardinal that was photographed but I can't remember what they called it.

Mindy D · ‎05-23-2010

I can’t believe this coincidence. I was just going to post about a related subject. This bird is a chimera. It has double DNA. I’ll be writing about chimerism soon.

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

LOL! @KingstonsMom Almost had me ready to change the title of my cardinal story. Until --- I did some research.

I found another cardinal I'm (assuming it's a different bird) with the same situation on BBC.com, Earth Series, as well as several different species. The rooster/chicken was interesting, too. Sorry guys, but it's rarely a good thing.

The BBC cardinal was studied on 40 different occasions. It was noted that gynandromorphism appears to present courting difficulties and it impedes any ability to belong. They are largely ignored, shunned, or actively attacked. This bird was also silent. Never heard to sing, or chirp. The observer wasn't even sure it could.

Capturing this thread's bird may have been made easier, having been befriended by those studying it. Perhaps it was welcomed attention -- by anyone. Risks thrown to the wind.

It reminds me of even humans, who often shun, or reject those who they perceive as different, or lacking their version of perfection. This story is heading toward one of acceptance of the beauty of differences.

Boomernichols · ‎11-22-2013

@KingstonsMom When redbirds are here, angels are near! How fitting that you shared this interesting creature.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

@BlueFinch wrote:
LOL! @KingstonsMom Almost had me ready to change the title of my cardinal story. Until --- I did some research.

I found another cardinal I'm (assuming it's a different bird) with the same situation on BBC.com, Earth Series, as well as several different species. The rooster/chicken was interesting, too. Sorry guys, but it's rarely a good thing.

The BBC cardinal was studied on 40 different occasions. It was noted that gynandromorphism appears to present courting difficulties and it impedes any ability to belong. They are largely ignored, shunned, or actively attacked. This bird was also silent. Never heard to sing, or chirp. The observer wasn't even sure it could.

Capturing this thread's bird may have been made easier, having been befriended by those studying it. Perhaps it was welcomed attention -- by anyone. Risks thrown to the wind.

It reminds me of even humans, who often shun, or reject those who they perceive as different, or lacking their version of perfection. This story is heading toward one of acceptance of the beauty of differences.

@BlueFinch That's so sad. My first thought when I saw the picture was how interesting that was. Then I thought about how sad it was for the cardinal. They are always in pairs at my feeder, and this one wouldn't have a mate.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

@happycat The article I read states that, although rare across all species, birds are more likely to show these abnormalities. A rooster on one side, and a hen on the other was mindboggling, too.