All posts in Cardinal Seasonal Guides

Spring is the season cardinals come alive with activity. The male’s song ramps up as he establishes territory, pairs court and mate-feed, and nesting gets underway. Unlike migratory birds, cardinals are already present when spring arrives — they’ve been in the territory all winter —…

Summer is peak family season for cardinals — multiple broods overlap, fledglings follow their parents around the yard, and by late summer the sometimes-alarming annual molt sets in. It’s the busiest and most visible stretch of the cardinal year, with young birds learning the feeders…

For cardinals, fall isn’t about departure — since they don’t migrate, it’s a transition into the winter they’ll spend right where they are. Fall is when the molt wraps up, territorial behavior relaxes, birds begin gathering in looser groups, and the smart backyard birder gets…