Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a common cardinal found in 11 countries, weighing about 43 g. The northern cardinal, also commonly known as the common cardinal, red cardinal, or simply cardinal, is a bird in the genus Cardinalis.
About the Northern Cardinal
The northern cardinal, also commonly known as the common cardinal, red cardinal, or simply cardinal, is a bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and all major islands of Hawaii since its introduction in 1929. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands. It is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23.5 cm (8.3–9.3 in) and a wingspan of 25–31 cm (9.8–12.2 in). The adult weighs from 33.6–65 g (1.19–2.29 oz), with an average 44.8 g (1.58 oz). The male averages slightly larger than the female. The oldest wild cardinal banded by researchers lived at least 15 years and 9 months, although 28.5 years was achieved by a captive bird. Annual survival rates for adult northern cardinals have been estimated at 60–65%. Voice: Both sexes sing clear, whistled song patterns, which are repeated several times, then varied. Some common phrases are described as "cheeeer-a-dote, cheeer-a-dote-dote-dote", "purdy, purdy, purdy...whoit, whoit, whoit, whoit", "what-cheer, what-cheer... wheet, wheet, wheet, wheet" and "cheer, cheer, cheer, what, what, what, what".
What the Northern Cardinal sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Germany, Belgium, Honduras, Norway.
When to see it
The Northern Cardinal can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Northern Cardinal on live cams
- Cornell Lab FeederWatch CamIthaca, New York, USA · Streaming now
- Pennsylvania Bird Feeder CamMurrysville, Pennsylvania, USA · Streaming now
- Farmer Derek Feeder CamKansas, USA · Streaming now
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Northern Cardinal?
- The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23.5 cm (8.3–9.3 in) and a wingspan of 25–31 cm (9.8–12.2 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Northern Cardinal?
- The Northern Cardinal is a small sized bird weighing about 43 g.
- Where can you see a Northern Cardinal?
- The Northern Cardinal occurs in 11 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and Belize.
- What does a Northern Cardinal sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Northern Cardinal on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Northern Cardinal?
- The Northern Cardinal is most easily confused with the Pyrrhuloxia and the Vermilion Cardinal.
- Is the Northern Cardinal endangered?
- The Northern Cardinal is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Northern Cardinal for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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