The Cardinals are a family of passerine birds living in North and South America.
These are robust, seed-eating birds, with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages; the family is named for the red colour of males of the type species, the Northern Cardinal.
The "buntings" in this family are sometimes generically known as "tropical buntings" or "North American buntings" to distinguish them from the true buntings. Likewise the grosbeaks in this family are sometimes called "cardinal-grosbeaks" to distinguish them from other grosbeaks.
Information source: Wikipedia