I just read something on the last few weeks (I think it was an article 
reviewing a book/CD combination about bird songs), and the author of the 
article pointed out that female Northern Cardinals do sing like males, but 
that the author had never seen one do this.  So you appear to have been very 
fortunate to witness this.  I can't find the article because I can't 
remember which of the many publications it was in.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Shenot" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 1:40 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] bird song surprise - female singing on territory?


This morning I decided as I was leaving for work to stop in the driveway

and listen/scan the adjacent field at Mt Calvert, which was recently
plowed and seeded.  While I was scanning the field with my binoculars for

horned larks or other less common field species (for here - P.G. County),

I listened to see if I could hear anything unusual.  It was covered with

birds, mostly with ~125 robins, 7-8 savannah sparrows, and a couple of

kildeer and flickers.  No luck with uncommon species, but I must say that

generally, the amount of birdsong (all over) was impressive.

Surprise: There was a cardinal blasting away with song from the mid heigh
t
of a tall tree next to me, and when I finished scanning the field, I
looked up at it and was surprised to see it was a FEMALE.  I know that

some if not many bird species have female vocalizations, but I thought

they are generally used for warning, scolding, assembly, or other such

communication.  However, this female was singing the typical cardinal
repertoire used for territorial singing.  She repeated it over and over

for ~4-5 minutes while I was standing there, but did stop when I moved to

get a different view of her.  I wonder how many times have I heard the

cardinal's territorial song and assumed it is from a male; I generally

never think to confirm whether it is a male.  As I watched, I thought
maybe I had mis-sexed it and maybe it was a singing male that was somehow

still in hatch year plumage.  No, it was clearly an adult female, an easy

identification, and I wondered if I was just plain wrong in thinking that

only males will sing on territory.  Or, if I am right - was this a very

odd occurrence?

Any thoughts?

Jeff Shenot
Croom MD