Cardinals (the avian kind) have a considerable repertoire of trills, cheeps and whistles. In nesting season, they announce their seizure of certain territory — i.e., a suitable branch in a suitably shrubby tree — with a call that starts with a noise like a slide-whistle and moves into a chuckling trill. Those who interpret such things say it sounds like “Sweeeet birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie!”

I have never heard the song of the clerical kind of cardinal, no surprise as I am an Anglican.