Winter Wonder

(Northern Cardinal)

A test for any Midwesterner who has moved to the West Coast: “What do you miss most?” Once you get beyond fond memories of favorite foods like St. Louis’s Toasted Ravioli or Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, you may hear, “Well, those red birds, Cardinals."

For me, my favorite memories of Cardinals are of winter sightings when they seem especially bright. I wondered if they just looked more red against snow or whether there was something more at work in their fiery appearance.

It turns out that during most of the year their feathers are fringed with tiny gray barbs, minute tips along the edges of feathers that wear away as the fall progresses. The glorious red that remains gives males a winter’s head start at attracting females.