North Carolina State Bird: Northern Cardinal
Fact-checked • Updated January 15, 2025
North Carolina State Bird – Northern Cardinal
North Carolina adopted the Northern Cardinal as the official state bird on March 8, 1943. Legislators acted after the North Carolina Bird Club held a statewide poll. More than twenty-three thousand residents voted. The cardinal received about five thousand votes. Several other states also recognize this species as a symbol.
Why North Carolina Chose This Bird
Cardinals lived in every county. Males sang from backyard shrubs year-round. Females built nests in dense tangles along woodland edges. Winter feeders attracted them when most songbirds had migrated south. Practical choice.
Garden clubs pushed for the designation. Schools participated in the voting campaign organized by the North Carolina Bird Club in 1943. Twenty-six species competed. The mourning dove came in second with 3,395 votes, well behind the cardinal's total.
Why did cardinals win? Bright red plumage caught attention in any season. Non-migratory habits meant residents watched them twelve months a year. Farmland edges, suburban gardens, and forest patches all provided habitat. Familiarity drove the choice.
Legislative History
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Previous Attempt
North Carolina briefly had a different state bird. The legislature designated the Carolina Chickadee in 1933 at the suggestion of the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs. That designation lasted only a few days before lawmakers repealed it.
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1943 Campaign
Senator Rivers Johnson of Duplin County introduced the cardinal bill. The North Carolina Bird Club had canvassed 36 schools and organizations to determine public preference. By 1943, North Carolina and Connecticut were the only two states without an official state bird. The General Assembly voted in favor on March 4, 1943. Ratification came four days later on March 8. North Carolina became the sixth state to adopt the Northern Cardinal, joining Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia. One more state would follow later.
What This Bird Represents
Historical Associations
Cherokee communities associated red birds with weather warnings and messages from the spirit world. Early European settlers noticed the resemblance between male plumage and the red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals. This connection gave the bird its modern name. Christian households viewed cardinals as serendipitous visitors. Winter sightings held particular significance—the only bright red bird present during cold months when other species had departed. Some residents called them Winter Redbirds for this reason.
Modern Significance
The bird represents accessibility. Watch one crack sunflower seeds at your feeder. Listen to pairs sing duets from shrub tangles in early spring. Both male and female cardinals defend territory aggressively, sometimes attacking their own reflections in windows. This territorial behavior shows up in residential areas across the state.
Physical Characteristics
Size and Build
Cardinals measure between 8.3 and 9.3 inches long. Weight ranges from 1.5 to 1.7 ounces. Wingspan stretches 9.8 to 12.2 inches from tip to tip. Males average slightly larger than females. Both sexes possess a prominent pointed crest and thick, cone-shaped bills adapted for cracking seeds.
Coloration
Males display brilliant scarlet red plumage. A black mask covers the face, extending around the eyes and bill down to the throat. Females wear olive-brown feathers with reddish highlights on crest, wings, and tail. Both sexes have coral-orange bills that stand out against darker plumage. Young birds resemble females but carry grayish-black bills instead of orange-red ones. The bill color shifts as juveniles mature into adult plumage during their first fall. Carotenoids from berries and fruits produce the red pigmentation—yellow pigments transform into red within the bird's body.
Distinguishing Features
That crest sets them apart. Raised when alarmed or during territorial displays, lowered when relaxed. The thick bill handles large seeds like sunflower and safflower with ease. Cardinals use their strong beaks to crack tough seed coats that smaller finches cannot manage.
Behavior and Song
Vocalizations
Both males and females sing. Their songs consist of loud, clear whistles that carry across considerable distances. Listen for patterns described as 'cheer cheer cheer' or 'purty purty purty' or 'whit-chew whit-chew.' Males sing to defend territory. Females sing mainly in spring before nesting begins. Cardinals can produce up to 28 different song variations. They use short, sharp chip notes as contact calls and alarm signals. Males sing from exposed perches at dawn and dusk during breeding season. Winter singing occurs on warm days when territorial boundaries start forming again.
Territorial Behavior
Males defend roughly four acres during breeding season. They chase intruding males aggressively, sometimes for extended periods. Cardinals mistake their reflections in windows and car mirrors for rival males. Watch one attack the same window repeatedly throughout the day. Females also defend territory, though less aggressively than males. During winter, cardinals form small flocks and join mixed-species feeding groups. Territorial behavior resumes in late winter as pairs begin forming for the breeding season.
Daily Activity
Cardinals are most active during morning and evening hours. They forage by hopping along the ground or through low shrubs, occasionally moving higher into trees. You'll see them using a flap-bounding flight pattern—short bursts of flapping alternated with periods when wings fold against the body. They fly reluctantly on their short, rounded wings, preferring to make brief trips between cover.
Habitat and Range
North Carolina Distribution
Cardinals live year-round across all North Carolina counties. They occupy woodland edges, overgrown fields, riverside thickets, suburban gardens, and city parks. Dense shrubs and tangled vegetation provide essential cover for nesting and roosting. Most individuals spend their entire lives within a mile of where they hatched. Habitat preferences? Forest edges where sunlight reaches the ground. Hedgerows between agricultural fields. Backyard plantings with thick shrubs. Abandoned farmland reverting to brush. They avoid deep forest interiors but thrive where human activity creates edge habitat.
Range Expansion
The species originally occupied mainly southeastern states. Starting in the mid-1800s, cardinal populations began spreading northward, reaching southeastern Canada by the 1900s. Rising temperatures made northern climates more hospitable. Growth of towns and suburbs created additional edge habitat. Today cardinals range from southern Canada through the eastern United States, westward into the Great Plains, and south into Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. North American breeding population estimates reach 130 million birds. Population numbers remain stable with slight increases recorded in recent decades.
Winter Behavior
Cardinals do not migrate. Winter flocks may include 10-20 birds roosting together in dense evergreen cover. Home ranges during winter average about 0.2 square kilometers. They visit feeders regularly when natural food sources become scarce. Seeds make up 90% of their winter diet.
Interesting Facts
Fact 1 of 8
Seven U.S. states claim the Northern Cardinal as their official state bird—more than any other species.
Northern Cardinal Songs & Calls
Hear the clear whistles and sharp calls of the Northern Cardinal. These field recordings capture their distinctive voice in natural habitat.
Audio licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Also the State Bird of:
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records and scientific databases.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology • Accessed: November 30, 2025
National Audubon Society • Accessed: November 30, 2025
NCpedia • Accessed: November 30, 2025
North Carolina Wildlife Federation • Accessed: November 30, 2025
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