Photo: patricia pierce / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a member of the Cardinalidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults measure 21.6 cm and weigh 42.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cardinalidae Cardinals & Allies
- Genus Cardinalis
- Species cardinalis
Where it lives
Eastern, southern, southwestern USA and Mexico
Quick facts
- Size
- 21.6 cm
- Weight
- 42.6 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Male is brilliant red overall with a black face mask around the bill and throat; female is pale grayish-brown/fawn with warm reddish tinges on the crest, wings and tail and a fainter, grayer mask.
Juvenile appearance
Resembles the dull female but has a blackish-gray bill rather than the adult's coral-red/orange-red bill, molting into adult plumage in fall.
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Cardinal is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Northern Cardinal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a member of the Cardinalidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA e, s, sw USA and Mexico.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 42.6 g and measures about 21.6 cm in length, with a wing length of about 9.4 cm and a tail of around 10.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Cardinal?
The Northern Cardinal is a small bird that weighs around 42.6 g and measures about 21.6 cm.
Where does the Northern Cardinal live?
The Northern Cardinal is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA e, s, sw USA and Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Northern Cardinal belong to?
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) belongs to the Cardinalidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern Cardinal eat?
The Northern Cardinal is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Northern Cardinal migrate?
The Northern Cardinal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern Cardinal endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Northern Cardinal make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Cardinal — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Northern Cardinal's range?
The Northern Cardinal has a mapped global range of about 5.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
How to Attract Northern Cardinal to Your Yard
The honest, data-backed way to attract Northern Cardinal to your yard — the feeders and food they actually use (black-oil sunflower), nesting help, and habitat that brings them in.