cardinals

[Nymph]

[friendlyfisher]

One thing I have noticed with the pair of cardinals that come to my feeder is that they will only eat one at a time. One will sit up in a different tree and stand guard, while the other one eats. Then they will switch, the other will watch as the partner eats. Is this usuall with most cardinals or is it only because I have a hawk in the area that likes to eat my birds.

Also have you guys noticed any other birds that have simular behavior?

friendly

[Steve Foss]

ff:

Haven't noticed that with cardinals, because I've generally lived too far north to see them much, but at most feeding stations, not all the birds, regardless of species, ever seem to feed at the same time. No matter the situation, I always see a handful of them up in treetops looking around while the other nine species and 150 total birds gobble things up. One assumes they rotate guard duties, or those guards would get mighty skinny.

[buzzsaw]

Here are a few of the dozen or so that hang around the backyard..........