Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Also known as: Common Cardinal, Cardinal, Cardinal-Bird, Cardinal Grosbeak, Cardinal Redbird
About This Species
Look and listen around dense shrubs, woodland edges, and backyard feeders, where the male's bright plumage stands out year-round rather than in just one season. Its clear, whistled song carries from a high, exposed perch, and unusually for songbirds the female also sings, often duetting with her mate near the nest. Black-oil sunflower seed at a feeder is one of the most reliable ways to draw it into close view.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- In the United States this species and its nest are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so an active nest should be left undisturbed and viewed from several metres away rather than approached for a closer look.
- It visits feeders readily, which is a good way to watch it without causing disturbance, but avoid handling young birds that have left the nest before they can fly well, since a parent is nearly always foraging close by.
LCAvesPasseriformesCardinalidae
Seasonal Activity
26,169,981 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cardinalidae
Photo
(c) Paul Danese, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.