ABSTRACT
It took a while for the scientifi c community to settle on a Latin name for cardinals. At various points in time a cardinal was referred to as Cardinalis Virginianus, Fringilla cardinalis, Loxia cardinalis, Cardinalis phoenaceus, and Cardinalis grosbeak, prior to its current name Cardinalis cardinalis.73 A book published in 1737 simply refers to cardinals as the “American red bird”.73 Cardinals are also referred to as Northern Cardinals and Virginia Cardinals.3, 33, 95 The cardinalidae family was defi ned in 1901.85,203
Cardinals are the offi cial state bird of seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.41, 95
The red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata), native to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, resembles a cardinal.85,203 It has a red crest, red head, red throat and small black eye patch. The red-crested cardinal has a similar shape and size. However, it has a white body, light gray wings and back, and a light beige bill. Both are related to grosbeaks, tanagers, and buntings.
