50 Northern Cardinal Facts: Colors, Songs, Nests, Diet & Behavior

Northern Cardinals are among the most recognizable backyard birds in North America, but there is much more to them than the male’s bright red feathers. These 50 Northern Cardinal facts cover identification, songs, habitat, food, nesting, behavior, range, and backyard visits.

Northern Cardinal Identification Facts

1. The Northern Cardinal’s scientific name is Cardinalis cardinalis.
2. It belongs to the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals and allies.
3. Adults are roughly 8.3 to 9.1 inches long.
4. They generally weigh about 1.5 to 1.7 ounces.
5. Their wingspan is about 9.8 to 12.2 inches.
6. Adult males are brilliant red with a black face around the bill.
7. Adult females are mostly pale brown with warm reddish tones in the wings, tail, and crest.
8. Both sexes have a prominent crest.
9. The short, thick bill is adapted for handling seeds and other foods.
10. Juvenile Northern Cardinals have a dark bill at first; the bill becomes reddish as they mature.

Cardinal Song and Communication Facts

11. Female Northern Cardinals sing, which is less common among North American female songbirds.
12. Both males and females sing clear, whistled songs.
13. Typical songs last about two to three seconds.
14. Scientists have described at least 16 different Northern Cardinal calls.
15. The loud metallic “chip” is one of their most familiar calls.
16. Males may sing throughout the year, with singing strongest in spring and early summer.
17. A female may sing while on the nest, possibly communicating with the male about food delivery.
18. Cardinals use calls when defending territory, warning about predators, approaching nests, and feeding young.
19. The crest itself communicates mood: it can stand high when a bird is agitated and lie lower while resting.
20. The familiar whistles are one of the easiest ways to locate a cardinal hidden in dense vegetation.

Range, Habitat and Feeding Facts

21. Northern Cardinals are permanent residents throughout most of their range rather than long-distance migrants.
22. They are widespread in eastern and central North America and occur locally in parts of the Southwest.
23. The species has expanded its range northward over time.
24. Suburban landscaping and other human-altered shrubby habitat have helped create suitable cardinal habitat.
25. They favor forest edges, thickets, hedgerows, overgrown fields, marshy tangles, parks, and backyards with dense cover.
26. Cardinals often sing from conspicuous higher perches but forage much lower.
27. They commonly hop through low branches or forage on and near the ground.
28. Their diet is dominated by seeds and fruit, supplemented by insects and other invertebrates.
29. Nestlings are fed mostly insects, which provide protein for rapid growth.
30. At feeders, Northern Cardinals readily eat black oil sunflower seed.
31. Wild foods include dogwood, wild grape, blackberry, sumac, hackberry, grasses, sedges, and many other fruits and seeds.
32. They also eat beetles, crickets, katydids, cicadas, flies, spiders, butterflies, moths, and other small invertebrates.

For backyard feeding details, see the best bird feeders and seeds for cardinals and the cardinal feeder-placement guide.

Northern Cardinal Nesting Facts

33. Nests are usually hidden in dense shrubs, saplings, vines, or tangles.
34. Cornell reports typical nest heights from about 1 to 15 feet above the ground.
35. The female does most of the nest building.
36. The male may bring nesting material to the female.
37. A nest usually takes about three to nine days to build.
38. The finished nest is a cup made from layers of twigs, leaves, bark, grasses, stems, rootlets, and similar plant materials.
39. Northern Cardinals usually do not reuse the same nest.
40. A clutch typically contains two to five eggs.
41. Incubation lasts about 11 to 13 days.
42. Nestlings remain in the nest about 7 to 13 days before fledging.
43. The female performs the incubation.
44. Both parents feed the nestlings.
45. Cornell lists one to two broods as typical.

Dense cover matters for nesting. See the Northern Cardinal habitat guide for more on creating a cardinal-friendly yard.

Cardinal Behavior and Conservation Facts

46. During the breeding season, Northern Cardinals commonly move around as pairs.
47. In fall and winter they may gather in flocks ranging from a dozen birds to several dozen.
48. Pairs may remain together through winter, although Cornell notes that some pairs split before the next breeding season.
49. Territorial cardinals sometimes attack their reflections in windows and mirrors, mistaking the image for another bird; both sexes can show this behavior.
50. The Northern Cardinal is the official state bird of seven U.S. states and remains widespread and abundant; Cornell lists its conservation status as Low Concern. An occasional bald-looking cardinal in late summer can simply be going through an unusually abrupt head molt.

Why Northern Cardinals Stand Out

The combination of year-round residency, vivid plumage, a strong crest, clear whistled songs, and willingness to visit suburban yards makes the Northern Cardinal unusually familiar to people. Females are especially interesting because they sing as well as males, and both sexes play active roles in raising young.

For related guides, compare the Blue Jay vs. Cardinal differences, learn about the rare yellow cardinal, or explore the cultural and memorial red cardinal symbolism.

Sources

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Northern Cardinal
• Cornell Lab: Northern Cardinal Life History
• National Audubon Society: Northern Cardinal Field Guide