Photography : Birds : Giving Me "the Crest"
A female cardinal pauses in her meal to give me "the crest" during an East Coast Winter. Just like cockatiels, cockatoos, and other crested birds, cardinals can move their crest. For my own pet bird, a raised crest can mean interest or alertness (like fear or surprise), but it can also mean relaxation; so, I have no idea what it means in a cardinal. Most female birds can be "drab" since their colors aren't as vivid as the males (who have to work to catch the females' attention!), but I like the delicate shading of umber, gray, and brown with the accents of red and black.
