Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-capped Cardinal
Paroaria gularis
Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 23.6 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 Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Paroaria
- Species gularis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 23.6 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Extinct
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-capped 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 forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Red-capped Cardinal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 23.6 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 6.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 4.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-capped Cardinal?
The Red-capped Cardinal is a small bird that weighs around 23.6 g.
Where does the Red-capped Cardinal live?
The Red-capped Cardinal is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Red-capped Cardinal belong to?
The Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-capped Cardinal eat?
The Red-capped Cardinal is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Red-capped Cardinal migrate?
The Red-capped Cardinal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-capped 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 Red-capped Cardinal make?
1 real field recording of the Red-capped Cardinal — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-capped Cardinal's range?
The Red-capped Cardinal has a mapped global range of about 4.4 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.
Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.