Real photograph Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
say it KAR-dih-nul
Why we love them
The northern cardinal is a small, cheerful songbird with a pointed crest on its head, like a little feathered cap. The male is famous for being bright red all over, with a black patch around his orange beak. The female is a gentle brown colour with warm red edges on her wings, tail, and crest.
Cardinals live across the eastern United States, southern Canada, and down into Mexico and Central America. They are happy in woodlands, leafy gardens, and bushy places, which is why so many people spot them right outside their windows.
These birds love to sing, and they do it all through the year, not just in spring. Something special about cardinals is that the female sings too. A pair will often whistle back and forth to each other, almost like they are having a chat across the garden.
For dinner, cardinals mostly crack open seeds and grains with their strong, cone-shaped beaks. They also enjoy berries and fruit, and they catch insects to feed their hungry chicks. Bird feeders full of sunflower seeds are one of their favourite places to visit.
People love cardinals so much that seven different U.S. states have chosen the northern cardinal as their state bird. There are lots of them in the wild, and their numbers have actually been growing, partly because gardens and feeders give them extra food and places to live.
My home
Woodland, garden, shrubland, wetland
Where I live
North America
What I eat
Seeds, grains, fruit, insects, sunflower seeds
How long I am
0.21–0.235 m
How heavy I am
0.042–0.048 kg
How long I live
3–15 years
Male northern cardinals are bright red from head to tail, while females wear a soft brown coat with warm red touches — and both have a pointed crest of feathers on top of their heads.
Cardinals sing all year round, and unlike most songbirds the female sings too, often answering the male back and forth.
The northern cardinal is the official state bird of seven different U.S. states, more than any other bird.
Every northern cardinal can feel happy, scared and loved — just like you.
Looking after my friends
Doing wellThere are lots of these animals in the wild right now. That is good news!
You can help by learning their names, keeping wild places clean, and telling someone why this animal matters.
Where this came from
- Cardinalis cardinalis (Northern Cardinal) — Red List Assessment — IUCN Red List of Threatened Species / BirdLife International (Red List Authority for birds)
- Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal) — Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- Northern cardinal — Wikipedia
