Common Nesting Birds

meet your neighbors

Change Species:

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)


Photo © Debbie McKenzie

Northern Cardinal Nest in Holly Tree

Photo © Judy Timmerberg

Northern Cardinal Nest in Palm Tree

Photo © Martha Sharifi

Northern Cardinal nest

Photo © René Corado

Northern Cardinal eggs

Photo © René Corado

Male

Photo © Suzie McCann / Macaulay Library

Female

Photo © Peter F / Macaulay Library

Juvenile

Photo © Andrew Lyall / Macaulay Library

Female

Photo © William Kidwell / Macaulay Library

Male

Photo © Tom Amico / Macaulay Library

Male

Photo © Paul Tavares / Macaulay Library

Female

Photo © Wen Xu / Macaulay Library

Male

Photo © Susan Carpenter / Macaulay Library

Song (Common)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Song (Common)

© Bob McGuire / Macaulay Library

Song (Common)

© Glen Chapman / Macaulay Library

Song (Common)

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Duet (Common)

© Sylvia L. Halkin / Macaulay Library

Calls (Common)

© Bob Nieman / Macaulay Library

Calls (Common)

© Brad Walker / Macaulay Library

Calls (Common)

© Bob McGuire / Macaulay Library

Calls (Common)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Juvenile calls (Common)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Song (Long-crested)

© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library

Song (Long-crested)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (Long-crested)

© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library

When To Look

Source: Birds of the World

Where To Find It

Habitats

open woodland

shrub

town

Substrates

Live Tree Branch

Bush or Shrub

Vine or Tangle

What You'll Find

Nest Type

cup

Chick

Altricial

Clutch Size

2
5

Nest Height

15 ft
1 ft

Nesting Statistics

Incubation Period

11-13
days

Brooding Period

7-13
days

Useful Hints

  • Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest.
  • Cardinals usually don’t use their nests more than once.
  • Cardinals do not migrate and often begin the nest-building process as early as late February.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology