When do cardinals leave Indiana?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Indiana: it is reported all year, from 52% of checklists in late November to 72% in late April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Indiana?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 72% of Indiana checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Indiana?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Indiana all year. It turns up on about 72% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 52% in its quietest week (late November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 22-30late April

Quietest weekNov 22-30late November

Best: late April. Here all year. Peak: on about 72% of Indiana 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 Indiana, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	Apr 22-30	–	72%

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 Indiana 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 Indiana

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Blackford CountyBest the second week of February · 26 checklists that week, 962 in all91%
Switzerland CountyBest late June · 33 checklists that week, 1,318 in all90%
Harrison CountyBest early July · 213 checklists that week, 12,553 in all89%
Clinton CountyBest the second week of June · 15 checklists that week, 900 in all89%
Brown CountyBest mid January · 63 checklists that week, 5,917 in all89%
Vanderburgh CountyBest late September · 381 checklists that week, 18,940 in all88%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Indiana

7 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year and 6 are summer visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 22-30	72%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jun 22-30	36%
3	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	23%
4	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	13%
5	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	May 1-7	Jun 22-30	8.8%
6	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	6.6%
7	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	Aug 1-7	5.5%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Indiana?: The Northern Cardinal is in Indiana all year. It turns up on about 72% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 52% in its quietest week (late November).
When do cardinals leave Indiana?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Indiana: it is reported all year, from 52% of checklists in late November to 72% in late April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Indiana?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 72% of Indiana checklists.