Why does a cardinal attack a window?

It sees its reflection as a rival

It is catching insects on the glass

What is a yellow cardinal?

A rare mutant without the red pigments

A cardinal that ate only bananas

What was special about the Illinois cardinal watched in 2008–2010?

It was half male and half female

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a crested songbird of eastern and central North America and Mexico. Males are bright red with a black face mask; females are warm brown with red highlights, and both have a thick, cone-shaped bill for cracking seeds. It lives all year in thickets, woodland edges and gardens, and is the state bird of seven US states.

Also known as Cardinal, Redbird, Virginia nightingale

Northern cardinal abilities

Both males and females sing
Male and female cardinals both sing loud, whistled songs. Field guides write them as “what-cheer, cheer, cheer” or “purty-purty-purty”.
- Males sing to defend a territory and attract a mate.
- In a Kentucky study, females sang less often, mostly from early March to mid-May, and their mates usually joined in. Scientists think this helps a pair bond.
- A female may sing from the nest. One study suggests this tells her mate when to bring food, so he makes fewer trips that could lead predators to the nest.
- Cardinals learn their songs, so a cardinal in Texas may not sound quite like one in Ohio.
Sources [1, 2, 6, 7, 8]
4 red pigments in a male’s feathers
A male’s red is made from his food. He eats yellow carotenoid pigments in seeds and fruit, and his body turns them into four red pigments for his feathers.
- Genes such as CYP2J19 add the chemical step that turns yellow carotenoids red.
- Females make less red pigment and break more of it down in their growing feathers, so they look browner.
- In a 3-year study, redder males raised more young and held territories with thicker cover.
- City life may change the colour, but studies disagree: one found duller males in more urban areas, another found redder bills in the city.
Sources [3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12]
Mar–Sep breeding season, when territories are defended
In the breeding season, a cardinal may take its own reflection in a window or car mirror for a rival and attack it again and again.
- Cardinals are territorial while they breed, from March to September.
- The bird is not trying to get inside. It is trying to chase off the “intruder” it sees.
- Glass is dangerous for birds in general: building collisions kill an estimated 365–988 million birds a year in the US, and 44% of these deaths happen at homes.
Sources [1, 2, 13]
≈90% of an adult’s diet is seeds, grains and fruit
The thick, cone-shaped bill crushes seed husks. Cardinals pick seeds that are easy to husk when they can, and are less fussy in winter.
- At feeders they go for sunflower and safflower seeds.
- They also eat fruit, insects and spiders, foraging on the ground or in shrubs.
- Their chicks are fed almost only on insects.
Sources [1, 2, 4]
3 eggs in a usual clutch (1–5)
The female builds a cup nest deep in a tangle of vines or a dense shrub, often in garden bushes, and lays about 3 white to greenish eggs.
- The nest is made of stems, twigs, bark, grass and even paper, lined with fine grass and hair.
- Only the female sits on the eggs, for 11–13 days. The male brings her food.
- Pairs usually raise two broods a year, the first from about March and the second from late May to July.
Sources [1, 4]
9–10 days old when chicks usually leave the nest
Cardinal chicks hatch helpless but grow fast. They leave the nest at about 9–10 days old and hop and flutter from branch to branch.
- The female keeps the newly hatched chicks warm for about the first 2 days.
- Both parents feed them insects and carry away their droppings.
- After leaving the nest, the young are still fed by their parents for 25–56 days.
- Later, young birds often join flocks of other juveniles and may breed the next spring.
From egg to independence
In the nest after hatchingusually 9–10 days
Egg (incubation)11–13 days
Fed after leaving the nest25–56 days
Ranges from the Animal Diversity Web species account.
Sources [1]
Winter costs more energy than nesting
Cardinals stay put through snowy winters. To keep warm, their bodies burn more energy in winter than in the busy nesting season.
- Scientists tracked heart rates and found that daily energy use and maximum heat production were higher in December–January than in May–June.
- The birds kept their energy use high through the whole winter day.
- In winter, cardinals form flocks and roost together. In one Kentucky study, a winter home range was about 0.21 km².
Sources [1, 14]
19 subspecies, told apart mostly by face masks
A black mask and a pointed crest make a male cardinal easy to spot. Females have a grey mask, and young birds have a dark bill.
- Most of the 19 subspecies are told apart by the colour of the females’ face masks.
- The crest goes up and down as a signal, along with quick tail flicks.
- The pyrrhuloxia, a desert relative, also has a tall crest but is mostly grey with a yellowish bill.
Sources [1, 2, 15]

Tap a pin on the model or a part below.

Both sexes wear a crest
- Males and females both have a pointed crest of feathers on top of the head.
- The male’s crest is a little larger than the female’s.
- Cardinals raise and lower the crest as a signal to other cardinals.
Sources [1, 2]
19 subspecies
- Males have a black mask around the bill and eyes.
- Females have no black mask, but parts of the face are dusky grey.
- Scientists recognise 19 subspecies, and most of them are told apart by the colour of the females’ masks.
Sources [1, 2]
Cone shaped, for seeds
- Both sexes have a thick, orange-red, cone-shaped bill that crushes seed husks.
- Young cardinals have a grey-black bill that turns orange-red as they get their adult feathers in autumn.
- In courtship, the male passes seeds to the female beak to beak.
- In one study, city males had redder bills than country males in every year of the study.
Sources [1, 2, 3]
Feb–Aug main singing season
- Both sexes sing clear, up- or down-slurred whistles, from early February to August.
- Cardinals learn their songs, so songs vary from place to place, and neighbours share more song parts.
- Male and female songs sound alike to us but differ in their details.
- The alarm call is a short, sharp chip.
Sources [1, 2, 4]
42–48 g adult weight
- Males are bright red except for the black mask. Females are light brown or greenish-brown with reddish highlights.
- The red comes from carotenoid pigments in food, which the bird’s body turns into four red pigments.
- The bird is named after Roman Catholic cardinals, who wear red robes and caps.
Sources [1, 4, 5]
25–31 cm wingspan
- Rounded wings carry it in short, bouncy, up-and-down flights.
- Cardinals do not migrate. They stay in the same area all year.
- Their range has spread north since the early 1800s, as far as south-eastern Canada.
Sources [1, 2, 6]
- Both sexes have a long tail.
- Quick tail flicks are one of the signals cardinals use with each other.
Sources [1]
- Cardinals are perching birds (order Passeriformes).
- They hop on the ground or through shrubs to look for seeds, fruit, insects and spiders.
Sources [1, 4]
≈90% seeds, grains and fruit
- Weed seeds, grains and fruit make up most of an adult’s diet, up to about 90%.
- Some seeds pass through the gut whole, so cardinals help plants spread.
- Chicks are fed almost only on insects.
Sources [1, 2, 4]

Real northern cardinals

Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Five of them can repaint the 3D model.

Adult maleBright red all over except for a black mask around the bill and eyes. Males are slightly larger, 22.2–23.5 cm long.Red all year roundAdult male. Photo: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0
Adult femaleLight brown to greenish-brown with reddish highlights, a dusky grey mask instead of a black one, and the same orange-red bill as the male.She sings tooAdult female. Photo: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0
A male in full songPhoto: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cracking sunflower seedsPhoto: The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 CA
JuvenileBrown like a female but with a grey-black bill. The bill turns orange-red as the young bird gets its adult feathers in autumn. Young females lack the reddish tint.Seen in summer and early autumnA juvenile with its dark bill, Tower Grove Park, St. Louis. Photo: Wildreturn, CC BY 2.0
A father with a young birdPhoto: Wildreturn, CC BY 2.0
JuvenileBrown like a female but with a grey-black bill. The bill turns orange-red as the young bird gets its adult feathers in autumn. Young females lack the reddish tint.Seen in summer and early autumnA young male getting his red feathers. Photo: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cardinal in the snowPhoto: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
Adult femaleLight brown to greenish-brown with reddish highlights, a dusky grey mask instead of a black one, and the same orange-red bill as the male.She sings tooFemale in Central Park, New York City. Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cardinals in Cambridge, Ontario, CanadaPhoto: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Northern cardinal by the numbers

Measured by scientists, bird banders and conservation groups.

Weight: 42–48 g; average adult range⁠[1]
Length: 21–23.5 cm; males 22.2–23.5 cm, females 20.9–21.6 cm⁠[2, 1]
Wingspan: 25–31 cm; average about 30.5 cm⁠[2, 1]
Eggs per nest: 1–5; usually 3⁠[1, 4]
Incubation: 11–13 days; by the female only⁠[1]
Leaves the nest: 7–13 days; usually 9–10 days after hatching⁠[1]
Broods a year: 2; usually; breeding runs March to September⁠[1]
Oldest wild bird: 15 yr 9 mo; a banded wild cardinal⁠[1]
Population: ≈130 million; Audubon estimate; Northern cardinal130 millionPyrrhuloxia3 million; About 43 times as many as pyrrhuloxias⁠[6, 16]
State bird of: 7 states; more than any other bird⁠[6, 2]

Northern cardinal myths and facts

Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer.

0 of 8 answered

“Only male cardinals sing.”
“Female songbirds that sing are rare.”
“A cardinal pecking at your window is trying to get inside.”
“Cardinals fly south for the winter.”
“A male cardinal’s red colour comes from its food.”
“Yellow cardinals are a different species.”
“Exactly one cardinal in a million is yellow.”
“City cardinals are always duller than country cardinals.”

Northern cardinal records

Superlatives, each with a source.

Most state-bird titles
7 US states
Northern cardinal
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, more than any other bird⁠[6, 2]
Oldest known wild cardinal
15 yr 9 mo
A banded northern cardinal
the oldest wild cardinal on record from bird banding⁠[1]
Half male, half female
40+ days watched
A cardinal in north-western Illinois
Male red on its left half and female brownish-grey on its right. Watched from December 2008 to March 2010, one of the longest studies of such a wild bird.⁠[18]
Commonest of the red trio
≈130 million
Northern cardinal
versus about 12 million summer tanagers and 3 million pyrrhuloxias (Audubon estimates)⁠[6, 19, 16]
On the move north
Into Canada
Northern cardinal
Its range has spread north since the early 1800s, helped by mild winters, towns and bird feeders.⁠[1, 6]

A northern cardinal’s year

Most cardinals spend their whole lives in one area, so the year is about staying warm, then raising chicks.

January
Winter flocks
Cardinals gather in flocks and roost together. Their bodies burn more energy now than in the nesting season.⁠[1, 14]
February
Singing starts
Song starts in early February and goes on until August.⁠[4]
March
Pairs form
Males court females by feeding them beak to beak. Females sing most from early March to mid-May.⁠[1, 2, 7]
March–April
Territory time
Pairs defend territories. Some cardinals start fighting their own reflections in windows.⁠[1, 2]
April–May
First brood
The female builds a cup nest and lays about 3 eggs, which hatch after 11–13 days. Chicks leave the nest at 9–10 days old.⁠[1, 4]
June–July
Second brood
A second brood starts in late May to July. Brown-headed cowbirds often lay their eggs in these nests.⁠[1]
September
Bills turn red
Breeding ends. Young birds get their adult feathers in autumn, and their dark bills turn orange-red.⁠[1, 2]
November
Feeder season
Young birds that have left their parents’ territory join flocks, and cardinals visit feeders for sunflower and safflower seeds.⁠[1, 4]

Northern cardinal vs pyrrhuloxia vs summer tanager

Three red birds of North America that people mix up. Only two are true cardinals.

Northern cardinal vs pyrrhuloxia vs summer tanager
	Northern cardinal	Pyrrhuloxia	Summer tanager
Scientific name⁠[1, 15, 20]	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinalis sinuatus	Piranga rubra
Male colours⁠[1, 15, 20]	Red all over, black mask	Mostly grey, red face, crest, wings and tail	Rose-red all over, no mask
Crest⁠[1, 15, 20]	Yes, both sexes	Tall, both sexes	No
Female⁠[1, 15, 20]	Brown with reddish tints	Greyish brown, red on thighs and wing linings	Olive above, orange-yellow below
Weight⁠[1, 15, 20]	42–48 g	≈32 g	≈30 g
Main food⁠[2, 15, 19]	Seeds, grains and fruit	Grass and weed seeds from the ground	Insects, often bees and wasps
Home⁠[1, 15, 20]	Eastern and central North America to Mexico	Deserts of the south-western US and northern Mexico	Southern US in summer
Migrates?⁠[1, 16, 20]	No, stays all year	Not truly; winter flocks wander	Yes, to central Mexico and South America
Population⁠[6, 16, 19]	≈130 million	≈3 million	≈12 million

Population figures are Audubon estimates.

Is the northern cardinal endangered?

No. It is one of North America’s most common garden birds, but it still faces dangers around our homes.

IUCN Red List

Least Concern (LC)

Widespread and common, with about 130 million birds by Audubon’s estimate. Its range has grown north since the early 1800s.⁠[21, 6, 1]

IUCN Red List: Least Concern (checked via Wikidata)

Threats

Windows365–988 million
Estimated birds killed by hitting buildings in the US each year, 44% of them at homes. Garden birds like cardinals live right next to glass.⁠[13]
Free-roaming cats1.4–3.7 billion
Estimated birds killed by free-roaming cats in the US each year. Cats are among the predators of adult cardinals.⁠[22, 1]
Cowbirds and nest raiders
Brown-headed cowbirds often lay eggs in cardinals’ second nests. Snakes, blue jays, squirrels and chipmunks take eggs and chicks.⁠[1, 4]

What’s helping

Protected by law
Cardinals were once sold as cage birds. The US Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 made it illegal to capture or sell them.⁠[2, 23]
Bird feeders
Feeders probably helped cardinals spread north. In an Ohio study, neighbourhoods with many feeders had more cowbirds and crows, but cardinal nests did just as well there.⁠[1, 6, 24]
Thick shrubs
Cardinals often nest in garden shrubs, so dense bushes and vines give them safe places to raise chicks.⁠[4, 1]
Cats indoors
Un-owned cats cause most cat kills, but keeping pet cats indoors removes another hunter from the garden.⁠[22]

Red relatives

PyrrhuloxiaLeast Concern
The “desert cardinal” of the south-western US and Mexico.⁠[16]
Summer tanagerLeast Concern
An all-red, crestless bird that eats bees and wasps and winters in the tropics.⁠[19]

Northern cardinal quiz

12 questions. Every answer is somewhere on this page.

Question 1 of 12Score 0

Which northern cardinals sing?

Northern Cardinal field notes

Diet, food web, safety and badges from the Snappit field guide.

Diet & Feeding

A versatile omnivore, they mostly eat seeds and fruits, but also enjoy insects.

Primary Foods

Sunflower seeds
Black Cherry fruit
Grasshoppers
Beetles
Elderberries
Foraging Method: Foraging

Ecological connections

Black CherryEats
Consumes fruit and seeds.
Cooper's HawkEaten by
A common avian predator.
SnakesEaten by
Some snakes take eggs and chicks from nests.

Safety

Danger 1/5 · Very low

Cardinals are friendly birds and safe to watch from a distance. Enjoy their beauty without trying to touch them.

Traits

Collections

Birds

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Cardinalis

Sources for these northern cardinal facts

25 studies and references · checked Oct 16, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Northern Cardinal?

Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

How long is Northern Cardinal?

21-23.5 cm

What is Northern Cardinal's wingspan?

25-31 cm

How much does Northern Cardinal weigh?

0.042-0.048 kg

How long does Northern Cardinal live?

3-15 years

What does Northern Cardinal eat?

A versatile omnivore, they mostly eat seeds and fruits, but also enjoy insects.

Where is Northern Cardinal usually found?

Wooded areas, gardens, and parks

Do female cardinals sing?

Yes. Both sexes sing loud, whistled songs. Females sing less often, mostly in spring around pairing and nesting, and a female may sing from the nest, which scientists think tells her mate when to bring food.

Why does a cardinal keep attacking my window?

It sees its own reflection and treats it as a rival in its territory, mostly in the breeding season from March to September. It is not trying to get inside. Glass is a real danger to birds: building collisions kill an estimated 365–988 million birds a year in the US.

Why are male cardinals red?

Their bodies turn yellow carotenoid pigments from seeds and fruit into four red pigments. Females break more of the pigment down in their growing feathers, so they look browner.

How rare is a yellow cardinal?

Very rare, but nobody has measured exactly how rare. The often-quoted “one in a million” comes from news reports. A yellow cardinal tested by scientists lacked all four red pigments and had yellow ones instead.

Do cardinals migrate in winter?

No. Northern cardinals stay in the same area all year. In winter they gather in flocks, roost together and visit feeders.

How long do northern cardinals live?

The oldest wild cardinal known from bird banding lived at least 15 years and 9 months. Most live much shorter lives.

Do cardinals mate for life?

Often for a while, but not always for life. Pairs may stay together all year and for several breeding seasons. In a Kentucky DNA study, 5 of 37 chicks (13.5%) had a different father.

Which states have the cardinal as their state bird?

Seven: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. No other bird is the state bird of more states.

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Northern Cardinal

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Haskell-Baker Wetlands

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Where to spot

Historic District47 sightings50 species

Alabama, US

Alabama City Wall Street Historic District

Alabama and Art Deco

You might spot Elf Orpine, Canada Goose, and Leatherleaf Mahonia.

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Historic Site42 sightings50 species

Virginia, US

Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal

Bird Watching and Boating

You might spot Cope's Gray Tree Frog and Basilica Orbweaver.

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Botanical Garden36 sightings50 species

Florida, US

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

Azaleas and Bird Watching

You might spot Anole, Eastern Box Turtle, and Golden Silk Spider.

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Campus48 sightings50 species

South Carolina, US

Anderson University

Art Gallery and Campus

You might spot Anole, Green Treefrog, and Eastern Gray Squirrel.

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Historic District41 sightings50 species

Michigan, US

Arden Park–East Boston Historic District

Architecture and Detroit History

You might spot Eastern Gray Squirrel, Tree-Of-Heaven, and House Sparrow.

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Botanical Garden43 sightings50 species

Massachusetts, US

Arnold Arboretum

Botanical Garden, Urban Oasis, Research Institution, Historic Landmark, Free Admission, Walking Trails, Wildlife Viewing, Horticultural Collections, Wheelchair Accessible, Family Friendly.

You might spot Eastern Cottontail and American Robin.

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