Month 1 · January · Wave 1

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis · Cardinalidae

Males stay brilliant red all winter; both sexes sing.

At a glance

Size: 8.3–9.1 in (21–23 cm)
Wingspan: 9.8–12.2 in
Habitat: Backyards, thickets, woodland edges
Diet: Seeds, fruits, insects

Range: Eastern and central North America; expanding north

Nesting: Cup nest of twigs and bark strips in dense shrub or low tree, usually 3–10 ft up.

Coloring pose idea: Male on snowy dogwood branch

Hear this bird

General call / song: Sharp metallic chip; whistled song often heard as what-cheer, cheer, cheer.

Mating / display: Pair / courtship recordings are linked below when Audubon labels them. Original note — Male’s territorial song from high perches in spring; females also sing, often from the nest.

Buttons open trusted public pages with playable recordings. We link out — we do not host or embed the audio.

Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide Mating / courtship calls

How to know it

Male: all-red body, black face mask, tall crest, orange-red bill.
Female: warm tan-brown with red wash on wings, crest, and tail.
Heavy cone-shaped bill built for cracking seeds.

Behavior

Often visits sunflower and safflower feeders year-round.
Pairs stay together through winter in many areas.
Song is a clear whistled string of notes; also a sharp chip call.

Fun facts

The crest raises when the bird is alert or excited.
Unlike many songbirds, cardinals usually do not migrate.
Young leave the nest in about 9–11 days.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.

← All species · https://birds-rjdb.pages.dev/species/northern-cardinal