When do cardinals leave Kentucky?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Kentucky: it is reported all year, from 58% of checklists in late November to 78% in the second week of April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Kentucky?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of April, on about 78% of Kentucky checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Kentucky?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Kentucky all year. It turns up on about 78% of checklists at its peak (the second week of April) and on 58% in its quietest week (late November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 8-14the second week of April

Quietest weekNov 22-30late November

Best: the second week of April. Here all year. Peak: on about 78% of Kentucky 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 Kentucky, species by species

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

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Butler CountyBest early May · 11 checklists that week, 267 in all98%
Spencer CountyBest early January · 92 checklists that week, 7,721 in all98%
Morgan CountyBest early August · 10 checklists that week, 282 in all97%
Pike CountyBest late July · 13 checklists that week, 402 in all95%
Breckinridge CountyBest late April · 17 checklists that week, 454 in all95%
Clinton CountyBest late May · 17 checklists that week, 220 in all93%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Kentucky

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 8-14	78%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jul 8-14	45%
3	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	22%
4	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Apr 8-14	May 1-7	18%
5	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 8-14	12%
6	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jul 22-31	9.8%
7	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 22-31	5.5%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Kentucky?: The Northern Cardinal is in Kentucky all year. It turns up on about 78% of checklists at its peak (the second week of April) and on 58% in its quietest week (late November).
When do cardinals leave Kentucky?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Kentucky: it is reported all year, from 58% of checklists in late November to 78% in the second week of April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Kentucky?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of April, on about 78% of Kentucky checklists.