The northern cardinal is a very recognizable songbird known for its bright red feathers and crested head. It is the state bird of multiple U.S. states and a popular visitor to backyard bird feeders. But where are northern cardinals originally from? Let’s take a closer look at the native range of this familiar backyard bird.
Quick Answer
Northern cardinals are native to eastern North America and parts of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Their range stretches from southern Canada down through most of the eastern and central United States, Mexico, and Central America to northern South America.
Northern Cardinal Native Range
The northern cardinal is found naturally across a large swath of North America. Their breeding range centers on the eastern and central United States and extends into neighboring areas of Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Here are some key details about the northern cardinal’s native lands:
- Canada: Northern cardinals live in southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
- United States: Northern cardinals are found natively across the eastern and central U.S. from Maine to Minnesota south to Texas and Florida.
- Mexico: Northern cardinals range south along both coasts of Mexico and into the central highlands.
- Central America: The birds occur down through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
- Caribbean: Northern cardinals are native to parts of the Bahamas and Cuba.
- South America: Their range just extends into northern Venezuela and Colombia.
There are also small introduced populations in areas like Hawaii, southern California, and western Canada outside of the cardinal’s main native lands. But overall, the northern cardinal’s natural range closely aligns with the eastern half of North America.
Breeding Range
The northern cardinal’s breeding range covers much of its total native territory. They nest and raise young across the eastern and central United States, southern Ontario and Quebec, eastern Mexico, and northern Central America. Here are some details on the cardinal’s key breeding areas:
- United States: They breed in habitats from Maine, New York, Michigan, and North Dakota in the north to Texas and Florida in the south.
- Mexico: Northern cardinals nest in eastern Mexico along the Gulf Coast and the Yucatan Peninsula as well as western Mexico along the Pacific Coast.
- Central America: Breeding populations occur in Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
- Caribbean: Northern cardinals nest in Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
Breeding generally occurs between March and September across most of the cardinal’s range. The further north, the later nesting starts, usually sometime around May or June.
Year-Round Range
Northern cardinals are non-migratory, staying in the same areas year-round throughout their range. They do not migrate between breeding and wintering grounds like many other North American songbirds. Here are some key details about the northern cardinal’s year-round range:
- United States: Found year-round across the eastern and central U.S. from Maine to Texas.
- Mexico: Resident all year on both the Gulf and Pacific Coasts.
- Central America: Present year-round in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala.
- Caribbean: Occurs year-round in Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
- Northern South America: Found all year in northern Venezuela and Colombia.
Some seasonal movements may occur at the northern edge of their range in Canada, but northern cardinals otherwise stay put throughout the year.
Favored Habitats
Within their broad native range, northern cardinals occupy diverse habitats. Here are some of their favored natural environments:
- Forest edges: Cardinal numbers are often highest near the borders between forests and open areas.
- Woodlands: They frequent open deciduous and mixed forests.
- Shrublands: Thickets, hedgerows, and overgrown fields provide good cover.
- Parks and gardens: Northern cardinals often visit backyard feeders near woods.
- Floodplains: They nest along streams and wetland areas.
Northern cardinals prefer habitats with dense undergrowth that provides cover while also bordering open areas or woodland clearings exposing seeds and insects to eat.
Range Expansion
Over the past century, northern cardinals have expanded their range significantly. They have extended their reach north and west from their core eastern U.S. range. Here are some keys about this expansion:
- Rapid growth started in the 1900s with range spreading north and west.
- Expanded throughout the Midwest and some western states like Colorado.
- Now found in southern Canada beyond U.S. border.
- Range growth attributed to forest clearance creating new edge habitats.
- Warming climate also enabled movement into more northern areas.
- Backyard bird feeding supports larger northern populations.
While still centered on the East, northern cardinals now occupy a much broader North American territory thanks to range growth over the past 120 years.
Native Habitat Loss
Although northern cardinals have expanded their range in recent decades, loss of native habitats in their core central and eastern U.S. territory may pose long-term risks. Here are some key habitat threats:
- Urban sprawl and expanding human populations.
- Forest fragmentation.
- Wetland drainage.
- Invasive shrubs crowding out native plants.
- Climate change altering ecosystems.
Conserving large intact forests and minimizing wetland disturbance will help ensure robust cardinal numbers remain in their ancestral homelands.
Conclusion
Northern cardinals originate from eastern North America but have expanded to cover much of the continent. They range naturally from southern Canada south to Central America and parts of northern South America. Within this broad territory, northern cardinals breed across the eastern and central U.S., Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. They are non-migratory, staying year-round throughout their breeding range. Northern cardinals inhabit diverse natural and human-altered habitats but favor edges between forests and open areas. While their adaptability has enabled northern cardinals to enlarge their range over the past century, native habitat loss in their ancestral breeding grounds still poses risks. Maintaining quality habitat across the cardinal’s original eastern strongholds will help conserve vigorous populations of this familiar red bird.
| Location | Range Type |
|---|---|
| Eastern and central United States | Year-round range, breeding range |
| Southern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, etc) | Northern edge of year-round and breeding range |
| Mexico | Year-round range, breeding range along coasts |
| Central America | Year-round range, breeding range |
| Caribbean (Cuba, Bahamas, etc) | Year-round range, breeding range |
| Northern South America (Venezuela, Colombia) | Year-round range |
Key Facts About the Northern Cardinal’s Native Range
- Centered on the eastern and central United States.
- Extends from southern Canada south to Central America.
- Found year-round across much of its range.
- Breeds across eastern North America and into Mexico and Central America.
- Favors forest edges and dense undergrowth.
- Has expanded north and west over the past century.
Comparison to Other Cardinal Species
The northern cardinal is part of the wider cardinal family Cardinalidae, which includes numerous brightly colored songbirds. Here is how the northern cardinal’s range compares to some other cardinal species worldwide:
- Vermilion cardinal: Occurs only in Brazil, far south of the northern cardinal’s range.
- Red-crested cardinal: Native to parts of South America beyond the northern cardinal’s range.
- Yellow-billed cardinal: Found only in parts of Venezuela and Colombia overlapping the northern cardinal’s South American edge.
- Scarlet-headed blackbird: Native to the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico with minimal overlap with northern cardinals.
The northern cardinal is the most widespread and familiar cardinal species found across much of North America.
Fun Facts About the Northern Cardinal’s Range
- Northern cardinals were named after the Catholic cardinals due to their red color.
- They are the state bird of 7 U.S. states including Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.
- Northern cardinals do not migrate and have been spotted surviving harsh northern winters with snow cover.
- Backyard bird feeding has helped northern cardinals expand their range northward.
- Loss of wetland habitats poses one of the biggest threats to cardinals’ native range.
Plants and Animals Within the Cardinal’s Range
Northern cardinals interact with many other animal and plant species across their widespread native territory in North America. Here are some other common plants and animals found within the cardinal’s range:
Trees
- Oaks like red oak, white oak, pin oak, and live oak
- Maples such as red maple and sugar maple
- Pines including eastern white pine, Virginia pine, jack pine, and red pine
- Hickories like shagbark hickory, pignut hickory, and mockernut hickory
- Eastern hemlock, American beech, and eastern redcedar
Other Plants
- Dogwoods, blueberries, sumacs, and wild grapes
- Arrowwood and elderberry shrubs
- Marsh plants like bulrushes, cattails, and swamp loosestrife
- Milkweeds, asters, goldenrods, and joe-pye weeds
Mammals
- White-tailed deer, raccoons, red foxes, and squirrels
- Rabbits, voles, mice, and chipmunks
- Skunks, groundhogs, opossums, and bats
- Muskrats, beavers, minks, and river otters in wetlands
Birds
- Chickadees, nuthatches, tufted titmice, and woodpeckers
- Blue jays, mockingbirds, thrushes, and warblers
- Finches like the American goldfinch and purple finch
- Sparrows including song sparrows and swamp sparrows
This is just a small sampling of the diverse flora and fauna within the northern cardinal’s native range across eastern North America they interact and coexist with.
Range Changes from Climate Change
Looking ahead, climate change could potentially cause further shifts in the northern cardinal’s range over the coming decades. Here are some possible climate-driven changes:
- Further northern expansion as winters warm.
- Movement into higher elevations in mountainous areas.
- Southern range retraction if habitat becomes hotter and drier.
- Declines possible if climate alters forests and wetlands.
- Higher risk of exposures to new diseases and parasites.
- Impacts highly dependent on how climate affects vegetation.
Climate change will likely bring a mixed bag of opportunities and threats that could reshape where cardinals are found across North America in the future.
Tracking Range Shifts
Several programs monitor northern cardinals to detect range shifts over time:
- The North American Breeding Bird Survey tracks breeding populations annually.
- Project FeederWatch engages backyard birders to report winter numbers.
- eBird gathers bird sightings submitted by citizen scientists.
- Range maps are updated periodically based on latest data.
Information provided by volunteers combined with scientific surveys enables continual tracking of subtle shifts in cardinal numbers and distributions over time.
Importance of Native Range
Why is conserving northern cardinals in their ancestral native range important? Here are some key reasons:
- Preserves genetic diversity that may confer climate resilience.
- Upholds cultural value to Indigenous peoples.
- Maintains role as a key seed disperser for native plants.
- Provides an abundant year-round food source for predators.
- Sustains aesthetic and recreational value for birdwatchers.
Protecting robust northern cardinal numbers across eastern North America ensures this iconic songbird continues thriving in the wild places it has called home for thousands of years.
Conclusion
With its recognizable red plumage, the northern cardinal is a bird that has become a symbol of eastern North America. Cardinals originate from a large swath spanning southern Canada down through the eastern and central United States to Central America and parts of northern South America. They breed across much of this territory and are non-migratory, staying year-round throughout their range where suitable habitat exists. Northern cardinals occupy diverse ecosystems but thrive in edge habitats blending open areas, shrubs, and woodlands. Over the past century, they have expanded their range north and west but still rely on their ancestral eastern homelands. Climate change may bring further shifts in where cardinals occur. Tracking programs help monitor their numbers and distribution over time. Conserving robust northern cardinal populations across their native range preserves this species’ natural heritage and ecological importance.
