When do cardinals leave District of Columbia?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave District of Columbia: it is reported all year, from 47% of checklists in early January to 78% in late April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in District of Columbia?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 78% of District of Columbia checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in District of Columbia?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in District of Columbia all year. It turns up on about 78% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 47% in its quietest week (early January).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 22-30late April

Quietest weekJan 1-7early January

Best: late April. Here all year. Peak: on about 78% of District of Columbia checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novcommon
Deccommon

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

Cardinals in District of Columbia, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	Apr 22-30	–	78%

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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

District of Columbia CountyBest late April · 5722 checklists that week, 121,721 in all78%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in District of Columbia

6 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 4 are summer visitors, and 1 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 22-30	78%
2	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	27%
3	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jul 8-14	24%
4	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Sep 1-7	Sep 22-30	20%
5	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	Jul 8-14	4.5%
6	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Aug 15-21	Sep 15-21	1.2%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in District of Columbia?: The Northern Cardinal is in District of Columbia all year. It turns up on about 78% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 47% in its quietest week (early January).
When do cardinals leave District of Columbia?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave District of Columbia: it is reported all year, from 47% of checklists in early January to 78% in late April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in District of Columbia?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 78% of District of Columbia checklists.