Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
At a Glance
One of our most popular birds, the Northern Cardinal, is the official state bird of no fewer than seven eastern states. Abundant in the Southeast, it has been extending its range northward for decades, and it now brightens winter days with its color and its whistled song as far north as southeastern Canada. Feeders stocked with sunflower seeds may have aided its northward spread. West of the Great Plains, the Northern Cardinal is mostly absent, but it is locally common in the desert Southwest.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Cardinals, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Desert and Arid Habitats, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Forests and Woodlands, Freshwater Wetlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Plains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas
Behavior
Flitter, Undulating
Population
130.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Permanent resident throughout its range.
Description
Sexes similar — Length: 8-9 in (21-23 cm); wingspan: 9-12 in (25-31 cm); weight: 1.5-1.7 oz (42-48 g). The male Northern Cardinal is unmistakable, our only red bird with a crest (compare to tanagers). The female is duller, but shares a crest, a massive pink bill, and a rather long tail. In the Southwest, compare to Pyrrhuloxia. Juvenile has black bill at first.
Size
About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Red, Reddish Brown, Tan
Wing Shape
Rounded
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Rich what-cheer, cheer, cheer; purty-purty-purty-purty or sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet. Also a metallic chip.
Call Pattern
Falling
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Whistle
Habitat
Woodland edges, thickets, suburban gardens, towns, desert washes. Found in a wide variety of brushy or semi-open habitats in the East, from forest clearings and swamps to city parks, almost wherever there are some dense bushes for nesting. In the Southwest, more local; occurs in tall brush, streamside thickets, groves of mesquites in desert.
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Behavior
Eggs
3-4, sometimes 2-5. Whitish to pale bluish or greenish white, marked with brown, purple, and gray. Incubation is almost always by female alone, 12-13 days.
Young
Both parents feed nestlings. Young leave nest about 9-11 days after hatching. Male may feed fledglings while female begins next nesting attempt. 2-3 broods per year, rarely 4.
Feeding Behavior
The Northern Cardinal forages mostly while hopping on the ground or in low bushes, sometimes higher in trees. Readily comes to bird feeders, where it favors sunflower seeds.
Diet
Mostly seeds, insects, berries. Diet is quite varied. The Northern Cardinal feeds on a wide range of insects, including beetles, true bugs, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, flies, and many other types, as well as spiders, centipedes, and snails. Most of diet is vegetable matter, including seeds of weeds and grasses, waste grain, leaf buds, flowers, and many berries and wild fruits. Young are fed mostly insects.
Nesting
The male Northern Cardinals sing to defend nesting territory, actively attacking intruding males (and attacking their own reflection in windows and mirrors). In courtship, male and female raise heads high, sway back and forth while singing softly; male often feeds female early in breeding season. Female sings mainly in spring before start of nesting. Nest: Usually well hidden in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees, placed 3-10' above ground, sometimes higher. Nest (built by female) is open cup made of twigs, weeds, grass, bark strips, leaves, rootlets, lined with fine grass or hair.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Widespread and abundant, having expanded its range over the last century or more. Current numbers probably stable.
Climate Threats Facing the Northern Cardinal
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
