When do cardinals leave Georgia?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Georgia: it is reported all year, from 57% of checklists in late November to 80% in mid April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Georgia?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid April, on about 80% of Georgia checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Georgia?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Georgia all year. It turns up on about 80% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 57% in its quietest week (late November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 15-21mid April

Quietest weekNov 22-30late November

Best: mid April. Here all year. Peak: on about 80% of Georgia 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 Georgia, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	Apr 15-21	–	80%

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 Georgia 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 Georgia

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Jeff Davis CountyBest mid February · 12 checklists that week, 627 in all100%
Pike CountyBest the second week of October · 14 checklists that week, 779 in all98%
Coffee CountyBest the second week of August · 11 checklists that week, 977 in all97%
Tattnall CountyBest late May · 11 checklists that week, 650 in all95%
Bibb CountyBest the second week of April · 522 checklists that week, 19,154 in all94%
Upson CountyBest the second week of October · 21 checklists that week, 1,067 in all94%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Georgia

7 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 5 are summer visitors, and 1 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 15-21	80%
2	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 1-7	May 1-7	19%
3	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 8-14	19%
4	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	Aug 1-7	13%
5	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 1-7	12%
6	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Sep 8-14	Oct 1-7	11%
7	Painted Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	Apr 22-30	4.1%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Georgia?: The Northern Cardinal is in Georgia all year. It turns up on about 80% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 57% in its quietest week (late November).
When do cardinals leave Georgia?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Georgia: it is reported all year, from 57% of checklists in late November to 80% in mid April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Georgia?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid April, on about 80% of Georgia checklists.