If you were to look at this bird, you might not deem it powerful or aggressive by nature but you would be mistaken. To many, the cardinal tattoo represents power. Soon, seeing a cardinal around the Christmas holiday represented compassion, happiness and hope along with other positive feelings associated with this time of year. They are also a wonder to see so keeping them around and out of the harsh elements were in the interests of the birds and builder alike. These birds represent Christmas and that symbolism started back in Germany when craftsmen would build birdhouses for these birds as they didn’t migrate and were always around in winter. One could guess by gazing upon this magnificent bird that it would hold a special place in the hearts of those that see this bird flying through the air.

Cardinal SymbolismĪs stated above, the cardinal represents a few different ideas. They forage near or even on the ground so you can find these beautiful birds close to the forest floor. In these areas, you can usually find the Northern Cardinals in parks, backyards and amongst the shrubs of dense forests. They reside in mostly the Eastern half of the United States and much of Mexico. The don’t migrate during the winter and they don’t molt which makes the male cardinal even more stunning when you see it with a snowy background. The female cardinal is a shade of yellow and most people wouldn’t even know it was a cardinal. The shade of red given off by the male cardinal is stunning and it’s most likely the reason that someone might open up the bird guide to read up on this bird.

As far as what one might think of when talking about a cardinal, most would be talking about the male cardinal.

Cardinal meaning