A later, pious explanation led to today's understanding that the cardinals wear scarlet red as an outward sign of their willingness to shed their blood in defense of the Catholic Redcrested cardinal on a sidewalk Stock Photo by kalenkov 1 / 8 Redcrested Cardinal Picture by Birchside 0 / 135 Red Crested Cardinal Stock Photography by MShake 0 / 2 Red Crested Cardinal Picture by natureguy 0 / 40 Red crested cardinal Stock Image by venemama 0 / 7 Redcrested Cardinal Stock Photo by zixian 0 / 11 Female Cardinal In TheBiological Profile – Redcrested Cardinal Paroaria coronata, (Miller, 1776) by Josef Lindholm, Cameron Park Zoo Order Passeriformes Family Emberizidae or Fringillidae (CG Sibley & Ahlquist, 1990, CG Sibley& Monroe, 1990) Other names used Brazilian Cardinal Loxia coronata, Miller, 1776 Fringilla cucullata, Viellot, 1790 Distribution Southeastern Brazil (Mato Grosso and Red Crested Cardinal Paroaria Coronata Thbe Red-crested cardinal male and female