Northern Cardinal

Quick Take

• During molting season, Northern Cardinals can look almost unrecognizable, and the reason why involves something most bird-watchers never expect. See molting behavior →
• The Northern Cardinal's iconic name has a surprising tie to the Catholic Church that goes deeper than the color red. Explore the name's origins →
• A wild Northern Cardinal's lifespan tells a starkly different story from one raised in captivity, and the gap is larger than you'd think. Compare wild vs. captive lifespan →
• The male's brilliant red plumage is his greatest asset and his biggest liability, particularly so during one specific season. See how red plumage risks survival →

The Northern Cardinal is a mid-sized songbird, easily recognized by its vibrant cardinal-red plumage, especially in males. Native to North America and parts of Central America, the Northern Cardinal is also known by other common names such as red cardinal, common cardinal, or redbird.

Where To Find Northern Cardinals

Northern Cardinals inhabit various environments, including wetlands, shrublands, gardens, and woodlands. They are found throughout North and South America, ranging from the southern half of Maine and Minnesota to southern Canada, Mexico, northern Guatemala, and Belize. They have also been introduced to Bermuda, Hawaii, and Southern California.

Classification and Scientific Name

The Northern Cardinal belongs to the Cardinalidae family, which contains 14 genera, including the Cardinalis genus. There are three species in the Cardinalis genus, with Cardinalis cardinalis being the type species. The species is divided into 18 to 19 subspecies, depending on the taxonomic authority consulted. The term ‘cardinal’ refers to the red plumage, reminiscent of the robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals.

Size & Appearance

The Northern Cardinal is a mid-sized songbird, with males sporting bright, classic plumage while the females are olive-brown with red accents. Both sexes have a raised crest and a coral-colored beak. Adults typically measure 8.3 to 9.3 inches in body length, with a wingspan of 9.8 to 12.2 inches. Males are generally larger than females, with adults weighing between 1.19 and 2.29 ounces. Baby cardinals are born featherless with pink skin, and their plumage develops into a tan color before gradually shifting to mottled browns and soft reds as they mature. Their beaks are black and fade to a coral-red color as they grow into adulthood.

They do not migrate, but they do molt. They lose a few feathers at a time from their bodies and often lose all the feathers on their heads. Molting occurs during late summer through mid-autumn. 

Behavior

Northern Cardinals are known for their varied songs, with males using a high-pitched whistle to defend their territory. Both males and females have different-sounding calls due to hormonal differences, although these differences are indistinguishable to the human ear. The songs of Northern Cardinals vary based on geographic location, and both sexes learn their songs.

Males are territorial, and one of their calls is a clear, high whistle delivered from high up in a tree to defend their territory. Their songs consist of clear whistles in repeating patterns at first, which become varied. They also make short chirp sounds as warning calls against predators or for a pair to locate each other.

Diet

Northern Cardinals are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, grains, fruits, and insects. They forage for insects such as cutworms, grasshoppers, caterpillars, termites, and beetles, using their strong beaks to dig through leaf litter, soil, and bushes.

Predators and Threats

Because the Northern Cardinal forages on the ground and has bright plumage, other animals can easily spot it. The search for food leaves it vulnerable to predators, especially birds of prey like eagles and owls, and even more so during the winter because of its stark contrast with snow. Other birds of prey that hunt Northern Cardinals are hawks, falcons, and shrikes. Snakes and domestic cats also hunt them. Even squirrels and chipmunks can kill them, as can collisions with windows. Predators of eggs and chicks include domestic cats, chipmunks, squirrels, crows, blue jays, and snakes.

Nesting

Cardinals build their nests in dense shrubs and low trees about 3.3 to 9.8 feet off the ground. The female mainly builds the nest, with the male providing nesting material. The nest has a cup shape and comprises four layers of coarse twigs, sometimes with pieces of trash, grapevine bark lining, pine needles, rootlets, stems, and grasses. It takes three to nine days to build, with the completed nest measuring 2 to 3 inches in height, 4 inches across, and an inner diameter of about 3 inches. The pair usually uses the nest only once.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Mating season for Northern Cardinals begins as early as March and ends as late as September. They are monogamous, typically pairing for a year or longer, and when their mate dies, they find another one. Males feed females to bond with them and also provide nesting materials. They sing together before nesting.

Females lay eggs one to six days after completing the nest, with a clutch size of three or four eggs each time and usually two broods each year, with the first brood around March and the second between May and July. The eggs are white, tinted brown, blue, or green, with brown, grey, or lavender blotches that become denser toward the larger end. Their shells are smooth and somewhat glossy, measuring 1.02 x 0.75 inches. Females do most of the incubation, which lasts 12 to 13 days, with males incubating briefly on rare occasions. While the females incubate the next clutch, males feed and care for the existing brood.

The bird reaches sexual maturity at 1 year, with an average lifespan of 3 years in the wild. Each year, about 40 percent die, and many juvenile birds do not survive to adulthood, often living only about a year. The oldest wild cardinal was 15 years old, but in captivity, the oldest cardinal was 28.5 years old.

Population

The Northern Cardinal is not endangered or threatened, but it faces many outdoor hazards. The IUCN Red List states that its population is stable and lists it as Least Concern.