# Northern Cardinal (*Cardinalis cardinalis*) The Northern Cardinal is a bright red bird with a cheerful song. They love to sing and can often be spotted in gardens and parks. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 876 - **Habitat:** Wooded areas, gardens, and parks - **Also known as:** Cardinal ![Northern Cardinal](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426169/objects/4533.jpg) ## Appearance The Northern Cardinal is a medium-sized songbird with a distinctive crest. Males are brilliant, deep red all over, while females are a duller reddish-brown with red highlights. Both sexes have a thick, conical, orange-red bill and a black mask around the eyes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Cardinalidae - **Genus:** Cardinalis ## Northern cardinal, up close 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 called: Cardinal, Redbird, Virginia nightingale. Red feathers made from food, a mum who sings from the nest and a feud with its own reflection. Spin it, tap it, then test yourself. ### Special abilities - **Duet Whistles** (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”. [6][1][7][8][2] - 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. - **Food-Made Red** (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. [5][9][10][11][12][3] - 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. - **Mirror Battle** (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. [1][2][13] - 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. - **Seed Cracker** (≈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. [2][1][4] - 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. - **Hidden Cup Nest** (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. [1][4] - 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. - **Early Leavers** (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. [1] - 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 hatching usually 9–10 days; Egg (incubation) 11–13 days; Fed after leaving the nest 25–56 days - **Winter Furnace** (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. [14][1] - 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. - **Mask and Crest ID** (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. [1][2][15] - 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. ### Body parts - **Crest** (Both sexes wear a crest) [1][2] - 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. - **Face mask** (19 subspecies) [1][2] - 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. - **Bill** (Cone shaped, for seeds) [1][2][3] - 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. - **Throat and song** (Feb–Aug main singing season) [4][2][1] - 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. - **Feathers** (42–48 g adult weight) [1][5][4] - 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. - **Wings** (25–31 cm wingspan) [2][6][1] - 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. - **Tail** [1] - Both sexes have a long tail. - Quick tail flicks are one of the signals cardinals use with each other. - **Legs and feet** [1][4] - Cardinals are perching birds (order Passeriformes). - They hop on the ground or through shrubs to look for seeds, fruit, insects and spiders. - **Gut** (≈90% seeds, grains and fruit) [2][1][4] - 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. ### Stats | Stat | Value | Notes | |---|---|---| | 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; About 43 times as many as pyrrhuloxias [6][16] | | State bird of | 7 states | more than any other bird [6][2] | ### Photos - [Adult male](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinalis_cardinalis_(Northern_Cardinal)_25.jpg) (photo: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0) - [Adult female](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinalis_cardinalis_(Northern_Cardinal)_27.jpg) (photo: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0) - [A male in full song](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinalis_cardinalis_(Northern_Cardinal)_26.jpg) (photo: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0) - [Cracking sunflower seeds](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinalis_cardinalis.jpg) (photo: The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 CA) - [A juvenile with its dark bill, Tower Grove Park, St. Louis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juvenile_Northern_Cardinal.jpg) (photo: Wildreturn, CC BY 2.0) - [A father with a young bird](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_Cardinal_-_pop_with_adolescent.jpg) (photo: Wildreturn, CC BY 2.0) - [A young male getting his red feathers](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinalis_cardinalis_(Northern_Cardinal)_52.jpg) (photo: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0) - [Cardinal in the snow](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinalis_cardinalis_(northern_cardinal)_14.jpg) (photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0) - [Female in Central Park, New York City](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_northern_cardinal_in_Central_Park_(86755).jpg) (photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [Cardinals in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_Cardinals_(Cardinalis_cardinalis)_-_Cambridge%2C_Ontario.jpg) (photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0) ### Questions - **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. [1][4][7][8] - **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. [2][1][13] - **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. [5][9] - **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. [2][5] - **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. [1][6] - **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. [1] - **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. [1][25] - **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. [2][6] ### Northern cardinal myths and facts Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer. - "Only male cardinals sing." **Myth!** Both sexes sing clear, whistled songs. Females sing less often, mostly in spring around pairing and nesting, and sometimes from the nest itself. [1][4][7][8] - "Female songbirds that sing are rare." **Myth!** Scientists used to think so. A big survey found female song in 71% of the songbird species checked, and it was probably there in the common ancestor of all songbirds. [17] - "A cardinal pecking at your window is trying to get inside." **Myth!** It sees its reflection as a rival in its territory and attacks it, mostly in the breeding season. [2][1] - "Cardinals fly south for the winter." **Myth!** They are year-round residents. In winter they gather in flocks and roost together, often near feeders. [1][6] - "A male cardinal’s red colour comes from its food." **Fact!** The raw pigments are yellow carotenoids from seeds and fruit. The bird’s body turns them into red ones using enzymes made by genes such as CYP2J19. [5][9] - "Yellow cardinals are a different species." **Myth!** They are northern cardinals with a rare mutation. The yellow bird scientists tested had yellow pigments but none of the four red ones. [5][2] - "Exactly one cardinal in a million is yellow." **Not proven!** “One in a million” comes from news reports. No study we found has measured how often yellow cardinals hatch. [2][5] - "City cardinals are always duller than country cardinals." **Not proven!** An Ohio study found males were duller where there was more city around, but another study found city males with redder bills and, in one year, redder chests. [12][3] ### Northern cardinal records Superlatives, each with a source. - Most state-bird titles: Northern cardinal, 7 US states (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, more than any other bird) [6][2] - Oldest known wild cardinal: A banded northern cardinal, 15 yr 9 mo (the oldest wild cardinal on record from bird banding) [1] - Half male, half female: A cardinal in north-western Illinois, 40+ days watched (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: Northern cardinal, ≈130 million (versus about 12 million summer tanagers and 3 million pyrrhuloxias (Audubon estimates)) [6][19][16] - On the move north: Northern cardinal, Into Canada (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 | 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) - **Threat: Windows** (365–988 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] - **Threat: Free-roaming cats** (1.4–3.7 billion): Estimated birds killed by free-roaming cats in the US each year. Cats are among the predators of adult cardinals. [22][1] - **Threat: 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] - **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] - **Helping: 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] - **Helping: Thick shrubs**: Cardinals often nest in garden shrubs, so dense bushes and vines give them safe places to raise chicks. [4][1] - **Helping: Cats indoors**: Un-owned cats cause most cat kills, but keeping pet cats indoors removes another hunter from the garden. [22] - **Pyrrhuloxia** (LC): The “desert cardinal” of the south-western US and Mexico. [16] - **Summer tanager** (LC): An all-red, crestless bird that eats bees and wasps and winters in the tropics. [19] ### Northern cardinal signals - Seeds passed beak to beak: Courtship feeding: the male feeding his mate, part of forming and keeping a pair. [1][2] - Pair singing together in early spring: Likely helps the pair bond before nesting. [7] - Female singing from the nest: May tell her mate when to bring food. [8] - Crest raised or lowered: A visual signal to other cardinals. [1] - Quick tail flicks: Another visual signal cardinals use with each other. [1] - Short, sharp chip near the nest: Alarm: a predator is close. Both parents may fly at it to scare it off. [1] - Attacking a window or mirror: Defending its territory against its own reflection. [2] ### Looks - **Adult male**: Bright 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 round) [1] - **Adult female**: Light 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 too) [1][2] - **Juvenile**: Brown 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 autumn) [1][2][4] - **Yellow cardinal**: A rare mutant with yellow feathers where a male would be red, but the same black mask. Lab tests on one bird found none of the four red pigments, only yellow ones. (Very rare; nobody knows exactly how rare) [5][2] ### Northern cardinal quiz 1. Which northern cardinals sing? **Both males and females.** Both sexes sing. Females sing less often, mostly in spring. [1][7] 2. Where does a male cardinal’s red colour come from? **Pigments in its food.** Yellow carotenoids from food are turned into four red pigments. [5] 3. How many US states have the cardinal as their state bird? **7.** Seven states, more than any other bird. [6][2] 4. What colour is a young cardinal’s bill? **Grey-black.** It turns orange-red when the bird gets its adult feathers in autumn. [1][2] 5. Why does a cardinal attack a window? **It sees its reflection as a rival.** It is defending its territory against its own reflection. [2] 6. How many eggs does a cardinal usually lay? **3.** Usually 3, with a range of 1 to 5. [1] 7. How long does the female sit on her eggs? **11–13 days.** 11–13 days, while the male brings her food. [1] 8. What is a yellow cardinal? **A rare mutant without the red pigments.** A tested yellow cardinal had none of the four red pigments. [5] 9. How old was the oldest known wild cardinal? **15 years 9 months.** A banded wild cardinal lived at least 15 years and 9 months. [1] 10. Which relative is called the “desert cardinal”? **Pyrrhuloxia.** The pyrrhuloxia lives in deserts of the south-western US and Mexico. [16] 11. In one study, when did cardinals burn the most energy? **Winter.** Daily energy use was higher in December–January than in May–June. [14] 12. What was special about the Illinois cardinal watched in 2008–2010? **It was half male and half female.** Its left half looked male and its right half female. [18] ### Sources (checked 2026-10-16) 1. [Dewey T, Kirschbaum K, Crane J. Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cardinalis_cardinalis/) 2. [Wikipedia contributors. Northern cardinal. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_cardinal) 3. [Baldassarre DT, Bedell HS, Drzewiecki KM, Goodman BD, Mills ML, Ramos DA (2022). Multiple carotenoid-based signals are enhanced despite poor body condition in urban male and female Northern Cardinals. bioRxiv (preprint).](https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.08.483494) 4. [Missouri Department of Conservation. Northern Cardinal. Missouri Field Guide.](https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/northern-cardinal) 5. [McGraw KJ, Hill GE, Parker RS (2003). Carotenoid pigments in a mutant cardinal: implications for the genetic and enzymatic control mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism in birds. The Condor 105:587–592.](https://doi.org/10.1093/condor/105.3.587) 6. [National Audubon Society. Northern Cardinal. Audubon Field Guide (text adapted from Kaufman K. 1996, Lives of North American Birds).](https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-cardinal) 7. [Ritchison G (1986). The singing behavior of female northern cardinals. The Condor 88:156–159.](https://doi.org/10.2307/1368910) 8. [Halkin SL (1997). Nest-vicinity song exchanges may coordinate biparental care of northern cardinals. Animal Behaviour 54:189–198.](https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.1996.0415) 9. [Wade MJ, Patton SM, Scheer EC, Koch RE, Zhang Y, Toomey MB, Hill GE, Sin SYW (2026). Not all roads lead to red: the genetics of sexual dichromatism in the northern cardinal. Genome Biology and Evolution.](https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evag201) 10. [Sin SYW, Lu L, Edwards SV (2020). De novo assembly of the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) genome reveals candidate regulatory regions for sexually dichromatic red plumage coloration. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 10.](https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.120.401373) 11. [Wolfenbarger LL (1999). Red coloration of male northern cardinals correlates with mate quality and territory quality. Behavioral Ecology 10:80–90.](https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/10.1.80) 12. [Jones TM, Rodewald AD, Shustack DP (2010). Variation in plumage coloration of northern cardinals in urbanizing landscapes. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 122:326–333.](https://doi.org/10.1676/09-082.1) 13. [Loss SR, Will T, Loss SS, Marra PP (2014). Bird–building collisions in the United States: estimates of annual mortality and species vulnerability. The Condor 116:8–23.](https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-13-090.1) 14. [Sgueo C, Wells ME, Russell DE, Schaeffer PJ (2012). Acclimatization of seasonal energetics in northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) through plasticity of metabolic rates and ceilings. Journal of Experimental Biology 215:2418–2424.](https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.061168) 15. [Todd R. Cardinalis sinuatus (pyrrhuloxia). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cardinalis_sinuatus/) 16. [National Audubon Society. Pyrrhuloxia. Audubon Field Guide.](https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/pyrrhuloxia) 17. [Odom KJ, Hall ML, Riebel K, Omland KE, Langmore NE (2014). Female song is widespread and ancestral in songbirds. Nature Communications 5:3379.](https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4379) 18. [Peer BD, Motz RW (2014). Observations of a bilateral gynandromorph northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126:778–781.](https://doi.org/10.1676/14-025.1) 19. [National Audubon Society. Summer Tanager. Audubon Field Guide.](https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/summer-tanager) 20. [Animal Diversity Web. Piranga rubra (summer tanager). University of Michigan.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Piranga_rubra/) 21. [Wikidata. Northern Cardinal (Q726389): Cardinalis cardinalis, IUCN status Least Concern (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q726389) 22. [Loss SR, Will T, Marra PP (2013). The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nature Communications 4:1396.](https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2380) 23. [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.](https://www.fws.gov/law/migratory-bird-treaty-act-1918) 24. [Malpass JS, Rodewald AD, Matthews SN (2017). Species-dependent effects of bird feeders on nest predators and nest survival of urban American robins and northern cardinals. The Condor 119:1–16.](https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-16-72.1) 25. [Ritchison G, Klatt PH, Westneat DF (1994). Mate guarding and extra-pair paternity in northern cardinals. The Condor 96:1055–1063.](https://doi.org/10.2307/1369114) ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 21-23.5 cm - **Wingspan:** 25-31 cm - **Weight:** 0.042-0.048 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-15 years - **Clutch Size:** 1-5 - **Incubation:** 11-13 days ## 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 - **Eats:** [Black Cherry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-cherry) (*Prunus serotina*) — Consumes fruit and seeds. - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — A common avian predator. - **Eaten by:** Snakes (*Serpentes*) — Some snakes take eggs and chicks from nests. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Crested](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/crested): Crested describes animals possessing a prominent tuft of feathers, hair, or skin on their head. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## 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. ## 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 ## Where to spot - [Alabama City Wall Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alabama-city-wall-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albemarle-and-chesapeake-canal) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alfred-b-maclay-gardens-state-park) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Arden Park–East Boston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arden-park-east-boston-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Arnold Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arnold-arboretum) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Northern Cardinal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/northern-cardinal) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Northern Cardinal: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-cardinal)