“Cardinal” can refer to several kinds of birds, but the name most often means the Northern Cardinal, the familiar red-crested bird of North America. In a broader classification, cardinals belong to the family Cardinalidae, which includes grosbeaks, buntings, and other songbirds as well as birds commonly called cardinals.
What “cardinal” means
The word has two useful meanings. In everyday conversation, a cardinal is usually a member of the genus Cardinalis, especially the Northern Cardinal. In bird classification, “cardinal” may refer more broadly to a member of Cardinalidae, a family of perching birds found mainly in the Americas.
That distinction explains why lists of cardinal types do not always agree. Some list only the species in Cardinalis; others discuss the wider cardinal family, whose members include birds with different shapes and common names. A grosbeak, for example, can be a cardinalid without being a cardinal in the narrower, familiar sense.
Common names are not a perfect guide to biological relationships. A bird called a cardinal may be closely related to other cardinalids, while a bird with a different common name may belong to the same family. Scientific names and taxonomic family names help make those relationships clearer.
The three birds in the genus Cardinalis
The genus Cardinalis contains three living species: the Northern Cardinal, the Pyrrhuloxia, and the Vermilion Cardinal. They share a general resemblance, including strong bills and prominent crests, but they differ in range, color, and appearance. The Northern Cardinal is the species most people mean by “cardinal” in the United States and Canada.
- Northern Cardinal: A widespread bird of eastern and central North America, with populations extending into parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
- Pyrrhuloxia: A bird of arid regions in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, also known as the Desert Cardinal.
- Vermilion Cardinal: A striking red species native to northern South America, including parts of Venezuela and Colombia.
These are species, not simply color varieties of one bird. Their ranges and identifying features differ, and each has its own place in the genus. The name “Desert Cardinal” is a common name for the Pyrrhuloxia, not an additional species.
Northern Cardinal: the familiar backyard bird
The Northern Cardinal is famous for the adult male’s vivid red plumage, black face mask, and pointed crest. Females are generally warm brown, with reddish coloring on the crest, wings, and tail. Both sexes have substantial, cone-shaped bills suited to cracking seeds. Their differences are a normal feature of the species, not evidence that the female is a different kind of cardinal.
Northern Cardinals live in a wide range of habitats, particularly places with shrubs or other dense vegetation. These include woodland edges, thickets, gardens, and suburban neighborhoods. They are year-round residents across much of their range rather than birds that routinely migrate away for winter.
Their clear whistles are among the sounds many people associate with a backyard. Males and females both sing, and pairs may communicate with calls. A cardinal’s crest can rise or flatten, so its outline changes with its posture. That can make a bird look more dramatically peaked in one moment than another.
Although bird feeders can make cardinals easier to see, feeders are not necessary for them to survive. They also forage naturally for seeds, fruit, and insects. Dense shrubs and other suitable cover can make a yard more useful to birds, while clean feeding equipment and attention to local wildlife guidance help reduce avoidable risks.
Pyrrhuloxia: the desert relative
The Pyrrhuloxia looks related to the Northern Cardinal but is adapted to a drier landscape. It occurs in desert scrub and other brushy habitats in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its body is mostly gray, with reddish areas on the face, crest, wings, and tail; the male is more strongly marked than the female.
Its bill is a useful identification clue. The Pyrrhuloxia’s bill is short and thick, with a curved shape that differs from the more evenly conical bill of a Northern Cardinal. The bird is sometimes called a Desert Cardinal, but it is not merely a desert-dwelling Northern Cardinal. It is a distinct species.
Range is often the quickest way to narrow an identification. A gray-and-red cardinal-like bird in desert scrub in the Southwest may be a Pyrrhuloxia, while a bright red crested bird in a leafy eastern yard is more likely a Northern Cardinal. Habitat alone cannot establish an identification, so it is best considered alongside bill shape, plumage, and location.
Vermilion Cardinal: a South American species
The Vermilion Cardinal is native to northern South America, particularly Venezuela and Colombia. Adult males are vivid red with a dark face and a tall crest. Females are less brightly colored, with muted tones and reddish markings. Like its relatives, it has a strong bill and a distinctive profile.
It is not the same bird as the Northern Cardinal, despite their shared red plumage and genus. Their natural ranges are far apart, and the Vermilion Cardinal belongs to the South American avifauna. In places where a cardinal-like bird appears outside its natural range, location and the possibility of an escapee or introduced bird matter; a sighting should not automatically be treated as evidence of a native population.
Other members of the cardinal family
Cardinalidae is a larger family than Cardinalis. Its members include birds known as grosbeaks, buntings, and chats, among other groups. Many have stout bills and are songbirds of the Americas, but the family contains considerable variety in color, shape, behavior, and habitat.
Examples include the Blue Grosbeak, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and Painted Bunting. These birds are cardinalids, but they are not species of Cardinalis and are not ordinarily what someone means by “a cardinal” in a backyard birding conversation. The distinction is similar to the difference between a broad family name and the narrower name used for a familiar group within it.
Classification can also change as scientists refine how birds are related. A family’s membership is based on biological relationships, not only on what a bird is called in English. For a field identification, a reliable regional bird guide is more useful than trying to infer family membership from color alone.
How to tell cardinal species apart
For a likely Cardinalis sighting, begin with where the bird was seen, then examine its color pattern and bill. A red bird is not automatically a Northern Cardinal: several unrelated birds around the world are red, and the Vermilion Cardinal is a different species within the same genus.
- Check location: A familiar cardinal in much of eastern North America is likely a Northern Cardinal; a gray-and-red bird in the desert Southwest could be a Pyrrhuloxia.
- Compare the bill: The Pyrrhuloxia has a notably curved bill, while the Northern Cardinal’s bill is more conventionally cone-shaped.
- Look at the whole plumage: Adult male Northern Cardinals are largely bright red; Pyrrhuloxias are mainly gray with red accents.
- Account for sex and age: Females and younger birds can be less vivid than adult males, so color alone can mislead.
- Notice habitat and behavior: Shrubby woodland and yards suit Northern Cardinals; desert scrub is characteristic Pyrrhuloxia habitat.
Do not rely on a single photograph or one feature when the bird is partly hidden. Lighting can alter how red or brown a bird appears, and posture affects how prominent its crest looks. A combination of range, shape, and plumage gives a more dependable identification.
Common misconceptions about cardinals
“Only male cardinals are red.” Male Northern Cardinals are the brightest, but females also have reddish accents, especially on the crest, wings, and tail. Female Vermilion Cardinals likewise differ in appearance from males without being a separate species.
“Every red crested bird is a cardinal.” Color and a crest are not enough to identify a bird. Species in different families can share those features, so range, bill, markings, and body shape matter.
“The Desert Cardinal is a fourth species.” That is another common name for the Pyrrhuloxia. It does not add a species to the three in Cardinalis.
“All birds in Cardinalidae are cardinals.” They are members of the cardinal family, but common names such as grosbeak and bunting remain useful distinctions. Family membership does not make every member a cardinal in the everyday sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of cardinal birds are there?
There are three living species in the genus Cardinalis: Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, and Vermilion Cardinal. The broader family Cardinalidae contains many additional kinds of songbirds.
Is a Pyrrhuloxia a cardinal?
Yes. It is a species in the genus Cardinalis and is also called the Desert Cardinal. It is distinct from the Northern Cardinal.
Are male and female cardinals different species?
No. They are males and females of the same species. Their plumage differs, with males usually more brightly colored.
Are grosbeaks and buntings cardinals?
They are among the birds in the family Cardinalidae, but they are not species in the genus Cardinalis. In ordinary usage, people usually mean the Northern Cardinal when they say “cardinal.”
Where do Vermilion Cardinals live?
They are native to northern South America, including parts of Venezuela and Colombia. They are not the Northern Cardinal under another name.
In brief
The clearest answer depends on how broadly the word is being used. In the narrow sense, “cardinal birds” means the three species in Cardinalis: Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, and Vermilion Cardinal. In the broader scientific sense, cardinals may mean the whole Cardinalidae family, which also includes grosbeaks, buntings, and other related songbirds. For identifying a bird, combine its range, habitat, bill, and plumage rather than relying on redness alone.