For several days, one of the red-crested birds known as Brazilian cardinals, Southern cardinals, or simply red crested cardinals, has been up a half-hour or so before sunrise chirping loudly from a perch high in a tree out in front of our yard.

These birds apparently are not “true” cardinals and do not belong to the “genus Cardinalis,” but they are well established here in Hawaii, where they are typically recognized as cardinals.

Occasionally they’ll be an answering call from somewhere “off stage.”

I thought you might enjoy this little recording made on a recent morning with my iPhone. I apologize for not taking the time to edit out several passing cars and other sounds.