Cardinal

cardinal, also called redbird, any of various medium-size thick-billed species of songbirds of the New World, many with crested heads. The males all sport at least some bright red plumage. All species are nonmigratory and give clear whistled songs.

northern cardinal feeding its young

northern cardinal

One of the most popular, widespread, and abundant of the North American birds, the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is the only red North American bird with a crest. It is the official bird of seven eastern U.S. states and is especially common in the Southeast. The bird has also been introduced into Hawaii, southern California, and Bermuda. Males are bright red with a black mask and orange beak. Females are duller red or brown. Thanks to bird feeders, where the northern cardinal favours sunflower seeds, this species has recently expanded its range as far north as southwestern Canada. Both males and females whistle year-round. A pair may raise up to four broods a year. Males can be very territorial, especially during mating season. Aggressive toward birds they consider intruders, male cardinals have been known to attack their own reflections in windows.

The desert cardinal (C. sinuatus) is common to the thorn scrub of the American Southwest. Less showy than the northern cardinal, this gray bird with a red mask is also called pyrrhuloxia (formerly part of the bird’s scientific name, combining the Latin name for the bullfinch with a Greek reference to the strongly curved, stubby bill). It often forages in small flocks. The genus Cardinalis—which also includes the vermilion cardinal (C. phoeniceus)—is placed in the family Cardinalidae.

yellow-billed cardinal

Other birds referred to as cardinals belong to the genus Paroaria, which is grouped with the tanagers (family Thraupidae). Members of the genus can be found across South America as well as on several islands in the Caribbean Sea. Some species have extremely large ranges. For example, the red-capped cardinal (P. gularis), which is named for its conspicuous red head that contrasts with its black throat and wings, is native to a large portion of northern South America. The yellow-billed cardinal (P. capitata), a resident of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, differs mainly in the colour of its beak. The two species, along with P. nigrogenis and P. baeri, are very closely related.

The red-crested cardinal (P. coronata), also known as the Brazilian cardinal, has a red head, a white belly, and gray wings. Though native to Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia, it occasionally can be seen visiting the eastern coast of the United States. It was introduced to Hawaii in 1928 and is now common on the island of Oahu. Because of its beauty and melodious song, it is often trapped for the cage bird trade.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, all members of Cardinalis and Paroaria are classified as species of least concern. Moreover, most cardinals are so numerous that they are often described as “common” by ornithologists.