Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyCardinalidae (Cardinàlids)
- GenusCardinalis (Typical Cardinals)
- SpeciesCardinalis cardinalis (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. It is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. The northern cardinal is a mid-sized perching songbird with a body length of 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) and a crest on the top of its head. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cardinal sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 50 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
Pyrrhuloxia
Cardinalis sinuatus
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Lazuli Bunting
Passerina amoena
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris
Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Black-headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
Dickcissel
Spiza americana
Hepatic Tanager
Piranga flava
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Cardinal in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cardinal sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 50 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Cardinal in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
March has the highest sighting rate for Northern Cardinal in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.