Knowing and Photographing The Northern Cardinal

Since this site is dedicated to northern cardinals, I wanted to share what I’ve learned while photographing these remarkable birds. I have a project documenting four seasons at Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Pleasantville, NY. Audubon designates this park as an Important Birding Area. I’ve made hundreds of trips to this park over the past few years. After taking thousands of bird pictures, the Northern Cardinal is my favorite!

With their bright plumage, Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are among the most recognized birds in the United States. The male northern cardinal has bright red plumage, a black mask, and a red-orange beak. The female cardinal has a red-orange beak and tan plumage with red-orange accents that appear more prominent during different times of year.  One of the reasons I like to photograph these birds is because of their personalities. This (to me) appears to be especially apparent when looking at their crest, which sometimes can be straight-up and other times straight back. The male scarlet tanager is the only other bird I’ve photographed with bright red plumage, and the tanager is a migratory songbird, while northern cardinals are year-round residents.

I wondered how cardinals got their names. From what I can find, the name is based on the bright red vestments worn by Cardinals in the Roman Catholic church. When early settlers to the United States saw the birds, the male’s bright red plumage made them think of the Catholic Cardinals. There are yellow cardinals in the southern hemisphere and the “northern” in their name refers to their geographic range.

In the U.S., you can find the Northern Cardinal in many states. Seven states have named the northern cardinal as their state bird! 

1. Illinois
2. Indiana
3. Kentucky
4. North Carolina
5. Ohio
6. Virginia
7. West Virginia

Cardinals’ range extends east of the Mississippi River and north from Florida into southeastern Canada. They can also sometimes be found in Texas and northward into the southwest desert. Parts of Northern Mexico will also have cardinals. 

Cardinals are not only found in suburban or rural locations. I live in the South Bronx, and even in this densely populated area, I can hear the cardinal chirping and whistling in the mornings much of the year. One of my neighbors has a shelf outside the fifth floor window of his apartment and puts out seeds that attract cardinals.

One thing consistent across the habitats where I find northern cardinals is their preferred gathering spots. Whether in Rockefeller State Park Preserve, or the South Bronx, I often hear the birds chirping as they forage in shrubs and bushes. While there is foliage on the bushes and dense shrubs, it’s usually hard to spot the birds, but by waiting a bit you may see them fly and land on a nearby twig or branch. Being patient has rewarded me with great poses and pictures as the birds eat seeds and berries, or perched singing away. 

Northern cardinals are known to mate for life, so if you see a male or female cardinal alone, their mate is likely nearby. I’ve been able to photograph a male and female cardinal together only a few times because they will follow each other from location to location rather than simultaneously being in the same place.

If you are fortunate enough to have a bird feeder, the northern cardinals will find you! They seem to enjoy sunflower seeds, and I’ve seen them going from feeders to nearby branches to eat, then back to the feeder for more. This allows you to take great pictures of cardinals and other birds while eating their bird seed on the branches surrounding a feeder.

Unfortunately, I have not found a cardinal nest on my hikes, but according to Audubon Field Guide, these birds nest as follows (link here):

“Usually well hidden in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees, placed 3-10′ above ground, sometimes higher. Nest (built by female) is an open cup made of twigs, weeds, grass, bark strips, leaves, rootlets, lined with fine grass or hair”

On the flip side of not finding a nest, when photographing birds I try not to disturb them in their habitat so if I do see a nest I’ll likely stay well away from it.

Another point to note when searching for cardinals is that they stay within a defined area. When I’m hiking and find cardinals, I often return to the same location over and over a few days or weeks to get more photographs since I’ll likely see them again. I’ve also seen small groups of 6 to 8 cardinals feeding in the same areas during the winter. I’ve gotten some great shots when this happens since there’s a selection of birds for pictures versus one or two.

They’ll have a brood 2 to 3 times per year. Since cardinals are monogamous, male and female cardinals feed the young. The young birds fledge quickly after 10 days in the nest. As the young birds move towards fledglings, the male cardinal may feed them while the female cardinal starts the next nesting cycle. Males are territorial and will defend the nest from other males. I hope to see or photograph young cardinal fledglings on my future hikes.

As I mentioned above, cardinals are my favorite birds to photograph. I’ve taken hundreds of pictures of these birds, and here are a few things I’ve learned along the way that may be helpful to you.

A male cardinal enjoying some red berries

As I mentioned above, cardinals are my favorite birds to photograph. I’ve taken hundreds of pictures of these birds, and here are a few things I’ve learned along the way that may be helpful to you.

A bright red maile cardinal perched on a branch

While you may be lucky and have a cardinal fly in front of you and land on a nearby branch so you can take its picture, listening for their sounds will lead to many more birds to photograph. Cardinals have a distinctive “chirp” and different songs that are very recognizable. I’ve taken most of the pictures by listening to their chirps near thick brush or bushes. They make these sounds when they find berries or rooting around on the ground for other food types. I also listen to their songs, which carry a long distance. The songs will guide me where to look for the birds using my binoculars, and based on the location, I’ll head over to take some pictures.

A female cardinal in dense brush

During late fall to early spring in the northern United States, you have an easier time spotting cardinals once you’ve heard them. The red plumage of the male cardinal stands out in barren bushes and trees (and snow if you have that in your area). Once the leaves appear in the spring, cardinals are much more challenging to spot. However, they seem to remain in places you see during the fall and winter, so returning to these locations to listen and watch is a good approach. 

A female cardinal perched on a branch

You can hang in there if you hear or spot a cardinal in the middle of a dense bush. They often move quickly to other locations, making photographing easier. You need to be ready, though. Cardinals can move from the middle of a dense bush to a more visible branch or tree limb, then rapidly move to another location. Don’t give up if the bird flies off when you are ready to push the shutter button. They may not fly far, and even if they do, since the male and female cardinals often travel together, you may be able to photograph their mate. You may have a great photo opportunity if you find a cardinal immersed in singing. They can stay in their perch for a while, giving you ample time to get some great pictures. If you hear cardinals calling back and forth, that is even better!

A bright red male cardinal taking off from a branch

Your camera should be set up and ready to go. I mainly use a Sony a6700 camera and a Sigma 150 to 600mm zoom lens for my bird photography. My camera settings are:

• Manual
• Starting shutter speed of 1/500th of a second
• Starting aperture wide open (f5.6 to 6.3 on my Sigma lens depending on the zoom)
• ISO is auto
• I use a low burst mode if needed
• Subject recognition is set to bird only
• Lens is set to autofocus

Your camera settings will vary depending on the brand and model you use. Still, you should set up a baseline setup for your bird photography and then go through a short checklist on each outing to ensure your camera and lens are set up correctly and ready to go.

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A male red cardinal looking a bit sad as he’s perched on a log

For fun I did a bit more research on interesting things about cardinals. First, they symbolize love and devotion because they are monogamous. Also, Native North Americans believed that cardinals are messengers between the spirit world and the living. You’ll find sayings like “Angels are near when cardinals appear.” Some believe that seeing a cardinal after a close one has passed is a message from that person. 

Climate change appears to impact cardinals. As the climate has warmed, their range has expanded into southeastern Canada. Increased temperatures have also impacted their breeding habits. Finally, their food supply appears to be affected. The good news is that because northern cardinals have a variety of food sources, they are well positioned for our climate changes.

A male red cardinal perched on a branch among red berries

This article provides some facts and background on the northern cardinal, and the tips for photographing this red bird help you get some great shots. I always look forward to hearing their calls and songs when I’m hiking and enjoy watching them as they search for and eat food. If you have other information you’d like to share about cardinals, please let me know using the contact form.

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