Bright red cardinals are commonly part of Christmas cards, holiday decor and the general spirit of wintertime. This bird, called the Northern Cardinal, is North Carolina’s state bird (six other ...

Mr. Yellow, a cardinal with a rare genetic mutation spotted in central Alabama in 2018 and 2019, sits watch over two baby birds that are possibly his offspring. Jeremy Black Photography ...

They've been the state bird of North Carolina since 1942. That's enough time for residents of the state to feel a strong connection to them. Cardinals were an important symbol for a long before then.