When do cardinals leave Hawaii?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Hawaii: it is reported all year, from 20% of checklists in the second week of September to 36% in the second week of May.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Hawaii?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of May, on about 36% of Hawaii checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Hawaii?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Hawaii all year. It turns up on about 36% of checklists at its peak (the second week of May) and on 20% in its quietest week (the second week of September).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekMay 8-14the second week of May

Quietest weekSep 8-14the second week of September

Best: the second week of May. Here all year. Peak: on about 36% of Hawaii checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augcommon
Sepcommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Decpeak season

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

Cardinals in Hawaii, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	May 8-14	–	36%

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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Hawaii CountyBest late May · 1640 checklists that week, 75,146 in all41%
Kauai CountyBest the second week of May · 576 checklists that week, 32,543 in all41%
Maui CountyBest the second week of June · 333 checklists that week, 22,729 in all33%
Honolulu CountyBest late May · 1189 checklists that week, 47,705 in all30%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Hawaii?: The Northern Cardinal is in Hawaii all year. It turns up on about 36% of checklists at its peak (the second week of May) and on 20% in its quietest week (the second week of September).
When do cardinals leave Hawaii?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Hawaii: it is reported all year, from 20% of checklists in the second week of September to 36% in the second week of May.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Hawaii?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of May, on about 36% of Hawaii checklists.