The Northern Cardinal is probably one of the more well known bird species in my area.

They are known for their song and most significantly for their bright bold red color.

The bright red color is great. But for me it is all about the more subtle colors of the female Northern Cardinal.

I love the subtle brown color of the feathers that cover mosst of the body.

The brown is set off by red tips.

The beak is reddish. The tuft of feather atop the head is a dark red. Wings are highlighted with red. And the tail has red highlights.

This is one of my favorite color patterns in our local birds.

Photo details: Nikon D300S. Nikon 300mm f/4. Focal length 420mm. ISO 400. 1/1600/sec. f/5.6.