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Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of Northern Cardinal

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Migration Flyway

Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Northern Cardinal

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), also commonly known as the common cardinal, red cardinal, or simply cardinal, is a bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and all major islands of Hawaii since its introduction in 1929. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Cardinalis cardinalis
Family
Cardinals and Allies
Order
Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the cardinals and allies family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Black-faced Grosbeak Caryothraustes poliogaster
  • Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
  • Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina
  • Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
  • Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza concolor
  • Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides
  • Crimson-collared Grosbeak Periporphyrus celaeno
  • Dickcissel Spiza americana
  • Flame-colored Tanager Piranga bidentata
  • Gray-throated Chat Granatellus sallaei
  • Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava
  • Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

Know when the Northern Cardinal turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting Northern Cardinal

Optics

Best Binoculars for Beginners

You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.

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Cameras

Cameras for Bird Photography

From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

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Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

9 min readRead guide