Here they come a-caroling, among the firs so green. The northern cardinal is present year-round, but its bright red plumage is most noticeable against bare branches and, if we’re lucky, snow-covered bird feeders. As our official state bird, the cardinal has become a symbol of North Carolina, though its position was nearly usurped by a winged opponent.

A decade before the cardinal was named our state bird in 1943, the Carolina chickadee was chosen based on a suggestion from the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs. This action was repealed just a week later, after lawmakers got word of the chickadee’s nickname — tomtit — deeming it too undignified to represent the Old North State. Ten years later, after some effective campaigning from the North Carolina Bird Club, a public poll was held. The people chose the cardinal, with the dove coming in a distant second.

Particularly around Christmastime, it’s easy to see that the cardinal is the best bird for the job. While we hang sparkling red lights and big crimson bows, cardinals and holly berries are nature’s own festive touch. Many other birds migrate away from North Carolina for the winter, but cardinals adapt to the cooler temperatures, searching for seeds left over from the fall. And while we cozy up at our homes, cardinals tuck themselves into our dense evergreen forests. Here the redbirds come a-wand’ring, so fair to be seen.

Each of artist Christopher Poplin’s cardinals stands between 12 and 13 inches tall. photograph by Revival Creatives

Fir & Feather

Hailing from a family of creatives and avid birders, Mocksville artist Christopher Poplin crafted his first cardinal figurine in 2023 and has since watched it soar in national popularity.

Click here to read more about Poplin and his cardinal creations.

Towering above visitors to Downtown Cary Park, the pair of wooden cardinals inspire imagination and a sense of wonder. photograph by Tara Klein

A Redbird’s-Eye View

When pedestrians traverse the skywalk just across from Cary’s fountain, they pass a pair of giant cardinals in the middle of the new seven-acre park downtown. The Nest, part of the children’s play area, is anchored by two enormous wooden structures shaped like male and female cardinals — one red and one golden-brown, streaked with red. Children scale the birds’ feathers, navigating the rock-climbing holds scattered along their tails. They enter the towers inside the sculptures and crawl up to the lookout platforms. From here, they can peer out through the cardinals’ eyes at the park that was completed in 2023, after 20 years of planning. Then, they cruise down the adjoining slide, where, for just a moment, they can fly like a bird.

Downtown Cary Park
327 South Academy Street
Cary, NC 27511
downtowncarypark.com