One of our most colorful birds, the northern cardinal is a showstopper. These birds are relatively timid and flee as soon as someone appears nearby. The females are more of a light brown. Mated pairs seem to never be too far apart, and you can hear them chipping to each other as they forage. Sometimes I see males take a seed from the feeder and feed it to the female in a nearby tree or bush. Cardinals are often among the first birds to show up in the morning and the last to visit in the evening.