About Cardinalis phoeniceus Bonaparte, 1838
The vermilion cardinal (Cardinalis phoeniceus Bonaparte, 1838) measures 19 cm (7.5 in) in length. Both males and females have long, typically erect feathers on the crown. The male is almost entirely red, with color ranging from very bright to somewhat dusky, and has a narrow black band around the lower part of its heavy gray bill. The female has a gray crown with red elongated feathers; the rest of her head is brownish gray with white patches near the bill. Her upperparts are grayish brown that warm to brown on the rump, and her underparts are buffy cinnamon. Juvenile vermilion cardinals are similar to females but have more brown, and the brown is richer in tone. The species is found in two separate disjunct populations. One population ranges from the Guajira Peninsula of northeastern Colombia into northern Venezuela as far as Lara state. The second population is located further east in Venezuela, stretching from Anzoátegui state east to Sucre state, and includes Margarita Island. This bird inhabits semi-arid scrublands dominated by cactus and spiny legumes. It most often occurs between sea level and 300 m (980 ft), but has been recorded at elevations as high as 700 m (2,300 ft) in Lara state.
