I have two juvenile cardinals in my backyard that the parents had been feeding for a month and stopped a few days ago. They are out in the open feeding now. One of them is distinctly redder than the other with a red crest and red splotches on the breast. It’s also the aggressive one attacking the other. The other has no red highlights in crest or breast.
Is it possible it’s a male with weirdly early red? I thought the juveniles didn’t get red until first molt?
Is it possible it’s a male with weirdly early red? I thought the juveniles didn’t get red until first molt?
