While camping in Colorado Bend State Park, I woke up to the sound of a bird singing and looked outside my tent to find a cardinal. He was a nicer wake-up call than my alarm clock would have been. Its striking red color made it easy for me to spot. I read that the male cardinals and red and the female cardinals are brown so the cardinal I saw was definitely a male. The color was its main identifier, but I also recognized it for his long tail and short, thick beak.