Northern Cardinal

Cardinals are non-migratory birds that are attracted to bird houses and feeders especially those with a great supply of food.

They gather in big flocks of about 70 birds during winter time and often nest in bushy thickets.

When the female cardinal sings from the nest, it may be a sign to the male that she is in need of food.

Both male and female cardinals sing but the female normally sings longer and in a more complex melody.

The male cardinal is the defender of their breeding territory. In fact, it can spend long hours fighting his reflection he sees in glass surfaces. The brighter red cardinal males prefer territories in thick vegetation, they feed at faster rates and are more successful in reproducing.

The young cardinals often go hungry as they defecate after every feeding. After defecating, the parent bird usually takes away the fecal sac and brings it far away from the nest to hide their location from predators.

The cardinal is considered as the only red bird with a crest in the entire United States.

 

Its family was given the name cardinal as the bright red color of the male species is very similar to the vestments used by Catholic cardinals.

Cardinals are one of the favorite backyard birds in North America because they frequently visit backyards with feeders and bird houses.

These songbirds are a picture of sweetness especially when mate feeding. During this time, the male looks for food and feeds the female by putting the food into its mate’s bill as if kissing each other.

Cardinals were popular in the 1800s as cage birds mainly because of their bright red color and capacity to sing different songs.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act which was passed in 1918 protects the cardinals and has prohibited their sale.

Cardinals are also known as red birds and Virginia nightingales.

A study has shown that northern cardinals eat 51 kinds of beetles, four types of grasshoppers, termites, ants, flies, dragonflies and 12 kinds of homoptera which includes leaf hoppers, cicadas and aphids.

Bird banding efforts have helped increased the population of cardinals over the years. According to the bird banding web site, more than 350,000 northern cardinals were banded between 1955 and 1997. Of the total number, 3.2 percent or more than 10,700 have been recovered.

Cardinals found in the wild can live up to 15 years as confirmed by banding studies.

American Elderberry   Sambucus Canadensis

• Flowers provide nectar for many native pollinators.
• The fruit is favored by birds and other wildlife.
• Excellent for naturalizing in moist soil.
• Easy to grow.
• Fruit is perfect for jams and jellies.

Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.
Elderberries have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 19951
Elderberries contain organic pigments, tannin, amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, sugar, rutin, viburnic acid, vitaman A and B and a large amount of vitamin C. They are also mildly laxative, a diuretic, and diaphoretic. Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries. According to test tube studies2 these flavonoids include anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants and protect cells against damage.

Elderberries were listed in the CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs as early as 1985, and are listed in the 2000 Mosby's Nursing Drug reference for colds, flu, yeast infections, nasal and chest congestion, and hay fever. In Israel, Hasassah's Oncology Lab has determined that elderberry stimulates the body's immune system and they are treating cancer and AIDS patients with it. The wide range of medical benefits (from flu and colds to debilitating asthma, diabetes, and weight loss) is probably due to the enhancement of each individual's immune system.
At the Bundesforschungsanstalt research center for food in Karlsruhe, Germany, scientists conducting studies on Elderberry showed that elderberry anthocyanins enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines. These unique proteins act as messengers in the immune system to help regulate immune response, thus helping to defend the body against disease. Further research indicated that anthocyanins found in elderberries possess appreciably more antioxidant capacity than either vitamin E or vitamin C.
Studies at Austria's University of Graz found that elderberry extract reduces oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is implicated in atherogenesis, thus contributing to cardiovascular disease.
1. J Alt Compl Mod 1995: 1:361-69 2. Youdim KA, Martin A, Joseph JA. Incorporation of the elderberry anthocyanins by endothelial cells increases protection against oxidative stress. Free Radical Biol Med 2000: 29:51 60