Listen to the northern cardinal
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the northern cardinal
The northern cardinal is a bird in the family Cardinalidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults measure about 22 cm.
What does the northern cardinal sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
The recordings here are labelled as song and call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
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.
Related birds in the genus Cardinalis
More from the family Cardinalidae
Indigo bunting
Passerina cyanea
Dickcissel
Spiza americana
Rose-breasted grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Scarlet tanager
Piranga olivacea
Summer tanager
Piranga rubra
Black-headed grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
Western tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
Lazuli bunting
Passerina amoena
Black-backed grosbeak
Pheucticus aureoventris
Red-crowned ant tanager
Habia rubica
Blue seedeater
Amaurospiza concolor
Frequently asked questions
What does a northern cardinal sound like?
You can hear 6 recordings of the northern cardinal on this page, including its song and call. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the northern cardinal endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the northern cardinal as “least concern”.
What family does the northern cardinal belong to?
The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) belongs to the family Cardinalidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Song · Wood Lake, Richfield, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) - Guelph-Eramosa, Ontario 2020-05-20 by Ryan Hodnett – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Miesville Ravine Park Reserve, Goodhue County, Minnesota… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinalis cardinalis - Northern Cardinal by Eric B – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q726389 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Northern cardinal – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by patricia pierce – CC BY 2.0