Behavior

Northern Cardinals hop through low branches and forage on or near the ground. Cardinals commonly sing and preen from a high branch of a shrub. The distinctive crest can be raised and pointed when agitated or lowered and barely visible while resting. You typically see cardinals moving around in pairs during the breeding season, but in fall and winter they form large flocks of up to several dozen birds, foregoing their territorial ways and congregating together. A group of cardinals looking for food collectively is far more successful than a single cardinal or pair. These flocks can be called a college, deck, radiance, or Vatican of cardinals. During foraging, young birds give way to adults and females tend to give way to males. Cardinals sometimes forage with other species, including dark-eyed Juncos, white-throated sparrows, tufted titmice, goldfinches, and pyrrhuloxias. They fly somewhat reluctantly on their short, round wings, taking short trips between thickets while foraging. Pairs may stay together throughout winter, with up to 20 percent of pairs splitting up by the next season.

Common Call

Unlike many other songbirds in North America, both the male and female cardinals have an ability to sing. Typically, only male songbirds are capable of singing. They have at least 28 different and distinct song phrases, such as a very sharp chip-chip-chip or a long cheer-cheer. When you hear their elegant song or call, we suggest you look up as they tend to choose extremely high perches for singing. The male will rest upon the top of a tree, roof or building and uses its call to attract a mate. Female cardinals often sing from the nest to let her mate know she needs food. No matter the reason, when you hear the sound of a cardinal, look for it! When you find it, think about your loved ones in Heaven and know that they are always with you.

Conservation

Northern cardinals are not considered threatened or endangered. They are subject to a variety of hazards, such as attacks by outdoor cats, overuse of insecticides or other chemicals, and window collisions. Because these birds are so adaptable and readily visit bird feeders, the northern extent of their range is expanding. An increased number of homeowners are offering supplemental food in the winter, which is allowing cardinals to live in less hospitable locations throughout the year.

Cardinal Diet

Northern cardinals are Omnivores and forage mostly while hopping on the ground or in low bushes. The typical diet for a northern cardinal consists of mainly seeds, grains, and fruit. Their diet is also supplemented with insects which are also the main source of food fed to their nestlings. Some of their favorite insects include ants, beetles, butterflies, caterpillars, centipedes, cicadas, crickets, flies, grasshoppers, katydids, leafhoppers, moths, snails, and spiders. During the winter months they rely heavily on the seeds provided in birdfeeders, with their favorites consisting of black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds. Other foods they enjoy are dogwood, wild grape, buckwheat, grasses, sedges, mulberry, hackberry, blackberry, sumac, tulip-tree, and corn. Blueberry, mulberry, and blackberry plants are excellent options for planting as they become both food sources and shelter due to their thickets. Cardinals consume grapes or dogwood berries to keep up their appearances. During the digestive process, pigments from the fruit enter the bloodstream and make their way to feather follicles and crystalize. If a cardinal is unable to find berries, its hue will gradually begin to fade.

Cardinal Range

Northern cardinals are non-migratory birds. Most cardinals live within a mile of where they were born. An estimated global breeding population of 120 million northern cardinals has been reported with the majority living in the Eastern United States, followed by Mexico and then Southern Canada. In the United States, they can be found from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Sightings of northern cardinals have also been reported from parts of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Hawaii. Cardinals have been extending their range for decades, which now includes New York, New England, and is continuing to increase North and West. Cardinals brighten winter days with their vibrant color and its whistled song as far north as southeastern Canada. Experts believe the cardinals range is increasing due to the increase of bird-friendly landscaping in urban areas along with more humans displaying birdfeeders year-round. Ideal landscaping and providing food throughout the year makes it easier for their survival outside of forests, especially in colder climates. Northern cardinals tend to live in dense shrubby areas such as forest edges, overgrown fields, hedgerows, marshy thickets, mesquite, and ornamental landscaping.

Cardinal Shelter

Look for northern cardinals in dense shrubby areas such as forest edges, overgrown fields, hedgerows, backyards, marshy thickets, mesquite, forests, and ornamental landscaping. Cardinals nest in dense foliage and look for conspicuous, high perches for singing. Northern cardinals can be shy visitors and are most likely to visit suburban yards that offer low, dense ground cover. Their preference is a secluded area where they feel safe and protected. The type of areas which provide excellent covers are dense vines, trees, and bushes. There are many types of trees and shrubs that cardinals are drawn to for the purpose of nesting. Planting shrubbery such as grapevines, honeysuckle, dogwoods, and junipers can provide the perfect cover for their nests. During the winter, evergreen trees and shrubs provide a safe and sufficient shelter for these non-migratory birds. Northern cardinals opt for the thick cover of coniferous trees, such as pines and spruces, and also shrubs during the winter months. These trees and shrubs provide safe hiding places from potential predators, which allows them time to rest peacefully. They will fly from tree to tree searching for food, so offering evergreens and shrubs of different heights is very important.

Attract Cardinals

If northern cardinals are native birds in your area and you are interested in attracting them, you will need to provide a safe and ideal habitat where they will have access to plenty of food, water, and shelter. The basic items you will need include at least one birdfeeder, bird bath and a variety of areas for cover and nesting. It is best to avoid using reflecting surfaces in your yard as cardinals often attempt to attack their own reflection to protect their territory. It is also wise to keep your pets away from the bird feeders, birdbath, and other areas the cardinals will rest. The list below includes some of the most important things you can do to attract cardinals to your backyard.

1. Research their range and habitat

2. Landscape yard with trees, shrubs, flowers

3. Display at least one birdfeeder near a tree

4. Offer a high-quality bird food

5. Add at least one water source

6. Keep yard safe from potential predators

7. Add cardinal decoys in planters

Bird Feeders

Cardinals are typically the first bird to visit feeders in the morning and the last to visit in the evenings. One of the most important things you need to attract cardinals is an ideal bird feeder. Unlike many other birds, cardinals are unable to change their direction quickly, so the bird feeders will need a large platform for which the cardinals to land upon easily. Square, open platform feeders are ideal as well. They want to feel protected while eating, so it is best to place the bird feeder about 5-6 feet above the ground and near trees or shrubs. Cardinals are also ground feeders and will appreciate food being left below the bird feeder as well. Some of the best options for bird feeder styles include those that are heavy and include a large, open perching area. Throughout the winter months, it is recommended that you display at least one large birdfeeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds. Birdseed is the cardinal’s primary source of food during the winter season. Open platform bird feeders are ideal for crushed peanuts, cracked corn, and berries. Suet is also important to ensure the cardinals obtain sufficient nutrition during the cold, winter months. Suet feeders and suet cakes are available in many stores and online. Suet can also be easily made at home with just a few ingredients!

Bird Baths

Northern cardinals use birdbaths for both drinking and bathing. Due to the size of most cardinals, it is best to have a birdbath with a depth of 2 to 3 inches at its deepest point. The water in any type of birdbath will need to be replaced a few times each week. If a source for water is not offered near your home, the cardinals will need to leave and obtain it from a local pond, stream, or river. During the winter, it is best to display a heated birdbath or to submerge an immersion heater into your regular birdbath. The water in any type of birdbath will need to be replaced a few times each week. If a source for water is not offered near your home, the cardinals will need to leave and obtain it from a local pond, stream, or river.

Landscaping

There are several ways to enhance your landscaping with trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers, all of which will attract cardinals. With this list, you will not need a green thumb to attract red cardinals!

• Flowers - Sunflowers, purple coneflowers black-eyed susans, asters, cosmos, zinnias, coreopsis, marigolds, and poppies in your garden. All of these flowers produce abundant banquets of tasty seeds that cardinals relish.

• Plants - Northern cardinals love sumac, mulberry, and blueberry, all of which provide doubly duty for shelter and food.

• Shrubs - Shrubs - Native shrubs at the top of the list include staghorn sumac, red-osier dogwood, gray dogwood, grapevines, clematis, and viburnum species. These options provide shelter and food. The female cardinal’s favorite place to build their nest is in the middle of shrub thickets.

• Trees - Native trees are always a good bet when you want to attract local birds. Some of the cardinals’ favorite trees include mulberry, serviceberry, flowering dogwood, crabapple, and spruce.

Mating Behavior

Mating periods are in March, May, June, and July. During courtship, affection is expressed by the male cardinals when they feed the females seeds in a method known as “beak to beak.” Many people enjoy watching this as it appears as though the cardinals are kissing. Male sings to defend its nesting territory and will actively attack any intruding males. The male cardinal will also attack its own reflection in windows in mirrors. During courtship, male and female cardinals raise their heads high, sway back and forth, and sing softly. Male cardinals often feed the female early during breeding season. The female sings mainly in spring before she begins nesting.

Nest Placement

Northern cardinals do not use birdhouses for nesting. Around two weeks before the female starts building the nest, she starts to visit potential sites with the male following along. The pair call back and forth and hold nesting material in their bills as they assess each site. The nest is usually well hidden in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees, and placed 3-10' above ground.

Nest Description

Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building. Many kinds of trees and shrubs are used for nest-building, which includes dogwood, honeysuckle, hawthorn, grape, redcedar, spruce, pines, hemlock, rose bushes, blackberry brambles, elms, sugar maples, and box elders. Each nest is built by the female and is made of twigs, weeds, grass, bark strips, leaves, rootlets, and is lined with fine strips of grass or hair. She crushes twigs with her beak until they are pliable, then turns in the nest to bend the twigs around her body and push them into a cup shape with her feet. The cup has four layers: coarse twigs (and sometimes bits of trash) covered in a leafy mat, then lined with grapevine bark and finally grasses, stems, rootlets, and pine needles. The nest typically takes 3 to 9 days to build; the finished product is 2-3 inches tall, 4 inches across, with an inner diameter of about 3 inches. A great deal of time goes into building their nest, yet cardinals are not known to use it more than one time, so it is important to always have plenty of trees, shrubs and materials nearby. This will encourage cardinals to raise future broods on your property.

Parenting

In the southern districts, northern cardinals have been known to raise three broods within one season alone. In the middle states, they seldom raise more than one. The male cardinal shares in the duties of parenthood with his mate, feeding and caring for the mother during and after incubation. His fatherly instincts guide him to protect and care for the mother and babies until after they are safely out of the nest. Young cardinals frequently follow their parents on the ground for several days after they leave the nest. They remain close to their parents until they can obtain food on their own. While the male is caring for his family, his bright red color will often change to a dull shade of brown. This temporary transformation of color occurs as a camouflage during the periods he and his mate are caring for their young.

Cardinal Eggs

Northern cardinals produce 1 to 3 broods per season, each with 2 to 5 eggs. Northern cardinal egg dimensions measure 0.9 to 1.1 inches (2.2 to 2.7 centimeters) in length and 0.7 to 0.8 inches (1.7 to 2 centimeters) in width, weighing approximately 0.16 ounces (4.5 grams). The egg appearance is smooth and glossy white with a tint of green, blue, or brown and have gray, brown or reddish speckling throughout. The incubation period is typically 11 to 13 days. Once they hatch, cardinal young are fed by both parents for the next 25 to 56 days until they learn to feed themselves. Spiders and insects are almost exclusively what they feed their young. While in the nest, baby birds get their liquid needs from the foods they eat. The male will tend to the young while the female starts a new nest to lay more eggs.

Cardinal Hatchlings

Stage One: 0 to 3 days old. Newly hatched northern cardinals are completely naked except for sparse tufts of grayish down and their eyes are closed. It is clumsy and not ready to leave the nest.

Cardinal Nestlings

Stage Two: 4 to 13 days old. Northern cardinal nestlings can open their eyes and have wing feathers that may resemble tubes, as they have yet to break through their protective sheaths. Their first set of feathers, the pin feathers, are a rust-brown color. Nestlings are still not ready to leave the nest and rely on both parents to fulfill their extreme appetites with a variety of insects.

Cardinal Fledgling

Stage Three: 14 days and older. Northern cardinal fledglings are fully feathered, although its wings and tail may be short. They retain the brown color in their feathers and start to gain their characteristic crest at the top of the head. A fledgling’s beak will be black but will turn a bright reddish orange as it gets older. It has not quite mastered flying yet, but can walk, hop, and flutter. It will leave the nest with one of its parents nearby for assistance and protection if needed. Fledglings will learn to fly within a period of about 20 days!

Juvenile Female Cardinal

As a young female cardinal matures, its feathers will develop into that of an adult female cardinal, which are dull brown and olive with red tinges. Its black beak will change color as it gets older, turning a pale orange and becoming a deep reddish orange once fully grown.

Adult Female Cardinal

The average length of a female northern cardinal is 8.3 to 9.1 inches with an average weight of 1.5 to 1.7 ounces. They have a broad wingspan which measures 9.8 to 12.2 inches. They also have a crest on the top of their head and a black mask surrounding a red, cone-shaped bill. The female's mask is generally lighter than the male's mask. Female cardinals are a dull brown or olive color overall with warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail, and crest. The average life span of a northern cardinal is approximately 3 to 5 years due to the hazards they face, which are predators, disease, accidents, and starvation. Several northern cardinals have been reported to live up to 15 years.

Adult Male Cardinal

The average length of a male northern cardinal is 8.3 to 9.1 inches with an average weight of 1.5 to 1.7 ounces. They have a broad wingspan which measures 9.8 to 12.2 inches. The male northern cardinal has a red crest on its head and a black mask on its face which surrounds its large black eyes and red, cone-shaped bill. They are one of the most recognized birds due to their brilliant red color. The average life span of a northern cardinal is approximately 3 to 5 years due to the hazards they face, which are predators, disease, accidents, and starvation. Several northern cardinals have been reported to live up to 15 years.

Yellow Cardinals

Northern cardinals get their vibrant red color from pigments within their food which is called “carotenoids.” Foods with yellow pigments are transformed into red while inside the birds’ bodies which results in bold red feathers. Scientists theorize yellow northern cardinals have a genetic plumage variation called xanthochroism which stops the color changing process and results in the gorgeous yellow feathers instead. Another possibility is the birds are ill or stressed by environmental factors. Beginning 2016, yellow northern cardinal sightings have been reported in various areas within the United States, which include: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. We would like to thank Jeremy Black for capturing such a beautiful photograph of this unique and gorgeous Yellow Cardinal!

Bilateral Gynandromorph

This extraordinary bird is divided right down the middle , a half male half female cardinal. Genetically, the left side is biologically female, while the right side is biologically male. Genetically, the two halves are as closely related as a brother and sister. This extremely rare and beautiful cardinal was spotted in 2021 in Erie, Pennsylvania and was photographed by James R. Hill III. We would like to thank James for capturing this absolutely stunning photograph!