Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Also called redbird, red cardinal.
The bird most people mean when they say they saw a red bird. Both sexes have the crest and the thick orange bill, which is what identifies the brown female that so many people cannot place.
- Size
- Robin to jay — 21–23 cm
- Bill
- Short and conical
- Where
- feeder, yard, woodland
- Season
- year round
What it looks like
The male is entirely brilliant red with a black mask around a heavy orange-red bill and a tall pointed crest. The female is warm buff-brown with red wings, tail and crest, and the same orange bill.
The checks that confirm it
- A thick, conical, orange-red bill — on both sexes, and unlike anything else at a feeder.
- A pointed crest, raised when alert.
- A black mask around the bill; extensive on the male, fainter on the female.
- Females are buff-brown with red edges, not dull red — they are the commonest 'what is this brown bird' question in the east.
Voice
A loud clear whistle, often written 'birdy-birdy-birdy' or 'cheer-cheer-cheer'. Both sexes sing, which is unusual.
Attracting it
Black oil sunflower and safflower on a platform or hopper feeder. They are heavy for tube perches and prefer to feed low or on the ground.
Confused with
No crest and a pale, thicker, blunt bill. Tanagers are woodland canopy birds and rarely come to feeders.
Far smaller, no crest, red confined to head and chest over a streaky brown body.
Questions about this bird
How do you identify a northern cardinal?
A thick, conical, orange-red bill — on both sexes, and unlike anything else at a feeder. A pointed crest, raised when alert.
What does a northern cardinal sound like?
A loud clear whistle, often written 'birdy-birdy-birdy' or 'cheer-cheer-cheer'. Both sexes sing, which is unusual.
How do you attract a northern cardinal?
Black oil sunflower and safflower on a platform or hopper feeder. They are heavy for tube perches and prefer to feed low or on the ground.