Cardinal in the Holly Jigsaw Puzzle

Cardinal in the Holly at every size

Par is the time your score is measured against at that size. The rest is measured from the picture itself: how many pieces have a near-twin by colour once it is cut.

What the picture shows

A male northern cardinal perches left of centre in a holly bush after snowfall, side-on and facing right, its red crest raised and a black mask round its orange beak. Its long tail hangs down to the left. The holly fills most of the frame: dark, glossy, spiked leaves, clusters of red berries, and snow lying in heaps on top. On the right a wooden bird feeder with a snowy roof stands on a post, with seed in its tray. A snowy wooden fence runs behind the bush, and snow-covered shrubs and trees fill the soft background at the top right.

Solving Cardinal in the Holly

Leaves, berries and snow repeat in every corner of the holly, so at 50 pieces about 6 pieces in 10 already have a near-twin. The bush reaches about 8 in 10 at 100. Plain pieces stay rare, about 1 in 30 at 1000. The bird and the feeder stay easy at every size.

Start with the cardinal: the crest, the black mask and the orange beak, then the red body and the tail. Build the feeder next, its snowy roof, the seed tray and the post. Lay the fence across the back and the soft snowy shrubs above it. Fill the holly last. Sort it by snow: heavy caps belong along the top of the bush, bare glossy leaves and big berry clusters lower down.

Cardinal in the Holly sits in the middle of the Christmas set at 50 pieces, then turns hard: at 100 pieces only Winter Cabin has more look-alikes, about 8 pieces in 10 here against 6 on Toy Shop Window. Christmas Tree Farm ties with it at 200 pieces, and by 1000 five Christmas boards have more look-alikes.

More christmas jigsaw puzzles

• Christmas EveA snowy high street at night with Christmas lights, wreaths and shoppers.
• Christmas MarketWooden Christmas market stalls and a carousel in a square of half-timbered houses at dusk.
• Gingerbread HouseA gingerbread house iced and covered in gumdrops on a floury kitchen table at Christmas.
• Tree OrnamentsGlass baubles, wooden toys and felt ornaments hung close on a real Christmas tree.
• Christmas CookiesIced Christmas cookies in stars, trees, bells and snowmen on a baking tray and a cooling rack.
• Snowy CottageA stone cottage with a red door and a holly wreath in an English village after snow.
• Toy Shop WindowAn old toy shop window at Christmas, with a train, teddy bears, a dolls' house and toy soldiers.
• Town Ice RinkSkaters lacing boots and circling a lit Christmas tree on an outdoor rink in an old town square.
• Reindeer FarmFour reindeer eating hay from a wooden trough by a red barn on a snowy farm.
• Winter CabinA red Swedish cabin with white window frames among snowy pines, with a snowmobile and a sled outside.
• Christmas DinnerA Christmas dinner table with a carved turkey, crackers, candles and paper crowns.
• Snowman in the GardenA lopsided snowman in a striped scarf and bobble hat in a back garden after snow.
• Christmas Tree FarmA family pulling a cut Christmas tree on a cart past rows of firs on a snowy farm.
• Presents Under the TreeWrapped presents, a sleeping cat and a toy train under the Christmas tree by the fire.
• Nutcracker MantelPainted wooden nutcrackers, candles and a clock on a Christmas mantelpiece above knitted stockings.