6AM City In-house

NC’s state bird is red, hot, and fly

All about the Northern cardinal, NC’s official state bird
AVL cardinals
Male cardinals boast brilliant red plumage. | Photo by @bestlife_birding
NC is home to countless native + migrating birds, but only one of them is the state’s official avian ambassador: the Northern cardinal. The brilliant red songbird was formally recognized by the NC General Assembly in 1943, due to the beneficial services it provides for the environment, including keeping farms and gardens free of harmful plants and insects.

Here are some fly facts about NC’s Northern cardinals, by the numbers:
  • Out of 26 different avian candidates, the cardinal became North Carolina’s state bird in 1943 after receiving 5,000 votes. The dove came in second with approximately 3,400.
  • They do not migrate, and as a result, they live in NC year round. In the mountains, they’re very common in the lower elevations and up to about 3,000 ft above sea level.
  • There are an estimated 120 million cardinals worldwide, and ~99% of Northern cardinals are found in North America.
  • In addition to NC, the Northern cardinal is the official state bird of six other states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • Northern cardinals can live up to 15 years, but the average lifespan is approximately three years due to various hazards.
  • One out of every million cardinals is born without the typical red plumage pigment and is instead yellow due to genetic variations called xanthochroism.
  • Unlike many species of songbirds, both male and female Northern cardinals can sing. Also cool? Cardinals’ vocal patterns vary slightly based upon the region, just like our language dialects depend on where we are.
  • Cardinals sing more than 24 different songs.
Want to make your space more welcoming to cardinals? Here are some tips and tricks.
  • Make sure your bird seed includes their favorite: black oil sunflower seeds
  • Hang feeders near shrubs or trees, rather than out in the open, to make cardinals feel secure.
  • Birds like to switch up their supper, too, so plant shrubs and trees that bear fruit, like dogwood, serviceberry, hawthorn, and winterberry.
  • Plant evergreens, which offer nesting spots in spring and summer and protection from the weather in fall and winter.
Create a pollinator-friendly yard to attract caterpillars and other bugs, which birds will use as a food source for their babies.
MB Haynes

Click here to have your event featured.

Today
  • Sunny Sweeney | Wed., Oct. 12 | Isis Music Hall, 743 Haywood Rd. | 8:30 p.m. | $15 | Enjoy rock and honky tonk-infused original country tunes. 🎤
  • Ashevillians, A Local Comedy Showcase | Wed., Oct. 12 | 7-9 p.m. | Asheville Beauty Academy, 28 Broadway St. | $10 | This local comedy showcase features up-and-coming stars plus a few local legends.
Thursday
  • Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands | Thurs., Oct. 13-Sun., Oct. 16 | Various times | Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville | $10 | Explore the wide world of artisan crafts with this impressive showcase of contemporary + traditional works. 🧺
  • Blueprint Breakfast for Dinner | Thurs., Oct. 13 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave. | $120 | Join Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity for a night of live music + creative cuisine at this affordable housing benefit. 🍳
  • OaxaCarolina Dinner with Chef Luis Martinez | Thurs., Oct. 13 | 6:30-9 p.m. | Botanist & Barrel Tasting Bar + Bottle Shop, 32 Broadway St. | $80+ | Chef Luis Martinez offers a food + wine pairing experience that offers the best of Oaxacan and Appalachian cuisine at this four-course dinner.
Friday
Plan Ahead
  • National Gingerbread House Competition | Mon., Nov. 21 | All day | The Omni Grove Park Inn | Free | All are welcome to compete in the 30th annual National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, NC for a chance to win $40,000+ in cash and prizes.*
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
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Celebrating what makes AVL healthcare great 🩺

Celebrating what makes AVL healthcare great 🩺
Presented by an AVLtoday Partner
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Discover the good work our local healthcare professionals do for you and your loved ones. | Photo via Pexels
This week is National Healthcare Quality Week — a time to celebrate the sacrifice + hard work that healthcare professionals do everyday to keep us healthy. From mending broken bones and healing our loved ones to being there through life’s challenges and transitions, AVL healthcare professionals have our backs. 🩺

Check out what some local providers are doing to deliver excellent healthcare quality for all Ashevillians:
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MOVE IN

Weather
  • 67º | Cloudy | 24% chance of rain
Announced
  • The lineup for the Americana music festival Christmas Jam has been announced. Performers include the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh & Friends, Tyler Childers, Gov’t Mule, Beth Hart, Brothers Osborne, and Dinosaur Jr. The fest takes place at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville on Sat., Dec. 10. Get tickets.
  • If you love this newsletter (and supporting local) as much as we love strolls in Carrier Park, morning lattes from Trade & Lore coffee shop + Saturdays spent exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway (which is a lot) — we’ve got something for you: AVLtoday just launched a membership program. Learn more + sign up. 🎉
Try This
  • The fourth annual Smokies Cup will take place at the Biltmore Estate on Thurs., Oct. 13-Fri., Oct.14. The event features a sporting clays tournament, sporting dog expo, and live music. Proceeds will fund projects + programs to preserve and protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Get afternoon passes.
Arts
  • There’s a new interactive sculpture downtown: local artist Jackson Martin’s piece, “Room in the Sky.” Designed to unite and strengthen the community, the piece consists of a steel frame with twelve colored flags hanging and flying in the wind. It’s on display in Pack Square Park through Sun., Oct. 30.
  • The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center has a new permanent exhibit that recognizes five-time Grammy Award winner Roberta Flack, who was born in Black Mountain in 1937. The museum is installing a 7-ft-banner to commemorate her life and work. (The Valley Echo)
Cause
  • The holidays are coming, and Eliada Home is seeking folks to sponsor a child’s wish list. For most of these children, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only ones they’ll get. To sign up to sponsor, email Rebecca Boline. Can’t sponsor? You can also donate.
  • Save lives and see your donation grow this month. For every blood donation made now through the end of October, a tree will be planted in Uganda (read: more jobs + cleaner air). Bonus: You can even track your tree and watch it grow online. 🌳 *
Trending
Drink
  • Ready to meet your new favorite libation? The Biltmore Estate has shared its recipe for Pumpkin Spice Sangria. Featuring Biltmore Chardonnay garnished with apples and cinnamon sticks, it’s a fun + festive fall sip. 🍷
Number
  • $218,472. The dollars UNC Asheville Professor Of Biology Rebecca Hale earned through a Mid-Career Award from the National Science Foundation to help fund the research and study of amphibians (and answer questions like, ‘How do salamanders parent their young?'). 🦎 *
Health
  • Experts predict a more severe flu season this year. Find out where to get your flu shots — and get helpful tips to prevent the spread. 🦠 *
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Allen Tate

We want to see your snaps

Fall photography contest in Asheville, NC

AVL Fall-tography Contest
We want to see your best local snapshots of autumn. | Photo via @ashevillepictures
Calling all local photographers — we’re launching a Fall-tography contest that will run from now until Fri., Nov. 11. 🍁

What does that mean? We’re looking for photos that show what it’s like to experience autumn in Asheville. Think: leaves, themed festivals and foods, etc. Submissions can be emailed to hello@avltoday.com + will be reviewed by City Editors Brook and Laura.

The contest winner will be announced Mon., Nov. 14 and our favorite photos will be featured on Instagram via @avltoday. 📸
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Brook.

Editor’s pick: Have you ever heard that cardinals represent our departed loved ones? My mama has always said that, and according to Google, it’s true. I always say hi when I see one and wonder which of my loved ones it might be.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Shellebrate NC Oyster Week locally. 🦪
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Editorial: Laura Hackett, Brook Bolen, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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