When do cardinals leave Alabama?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Alabama: it is reported all year, from 58% of checklists in late November to 73% in the second week of May.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Alabama?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of May, on about 73% of Alabama checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Alabama?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Alabama all year. It turns up on about 73% of checklists at its peak (the second week of May) and on 58% in its quietest week (late November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekMay 8-14the second week of May

Quietest weekNov 22-30late November

Best: the second week of May. Here all year. Peak: on about 73% of Alabama checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Cardinals in Alabama, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	May 8-14	–	73%

Northern Cardinal

Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Alabama that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Alabama

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Geneva CountyBest early October · 69 checklists that week, 3,203 in all97%
Dale CountyBest early August · 26 checklists that week, 2,170 in all97%
Crenshaw CountyBest mid April · 11 checklists that week, 374 in all97%
Houston CountyBest mid July · 84 checklists that week, 6,424 in all96%
Marengo CountyBest late June · 73 checklists that week, 2,453 in all92%
Fayette CountyBest late April · 18 checklists that week, 231 in all91%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Alabama

8 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year and 7 are summer visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	May 8-14	73%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Mar 22-31	May 1-7	28%
3	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Mar 22-31	May 1-7	27%
4	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Mar 22-31	Apr 22-30	17%
5	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 1-7	Apr 22-30	15%
6	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 1-7	Apr 22-30	12%
7	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 8-14	3.7%
8	Painted Bunting	Summer visitor	Dec 1-7	Apr 8-14	2.5%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Alabama?: The Northern Cardinal is in Alabama all year. It turns up on about 73% of checklists at its peak (the second week of May) and on 58% in its quietest week (late November).
When do cardinals leave Alabama?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Alabama: it is reported all year, from 58% of checklists in late November to 73% in the second week of May.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Alabama?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of May, on about 73% of Alabama checklists.