When do cardinals leave Louisiana?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Louisiana: it is reported all year, from 51% of checklists in early November to 70% in mid May.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Louisiana?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid May, on about 70% of Louisiana checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Louisiana?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Louisiana all year. It turns up on about 70% of checklists at its peak (mid May) and on 51% in its quietest week (early November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekMay 15-21mid May

Quietest weekNov 1-7early November

Best: mid May. Here all year. Peak: on about 70% of Louisiana 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 Louisiana, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	May 15-21	–	70%

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Allen ParishBest mid June · 12 checklists that week, 466 in all100%
La Salle ParishBest mid July · 16 checklists that week, 847 in all98%
Webster ParishBest mid June · 11 checklists that week, 418 in all97%
East Feliciana ParishBest mid March · 28 checklists that week, 1,037 in all96%
West Feliciana ParishBest mid July · 29 checklists that week, 2,336 in all95%
East Carroll ParishBest mid April · 16 checklists that week, 317 in all93%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Louisiana

8 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 5 are summer visitors, and 2 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	May 15-21	70%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Mar 15-21	Apr 22-30	27%
3	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Mar 22-31	Apr 22-30	23%
4	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Mar 15-21	Apr 22-30	18%
5	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 1-7	Apr 22-30	12%
6	Scarlet Tanager	Passes through	Apr 1-7	Apr 22-30	12%
7	Painted Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 1-7	Apr 22-30	10%
8	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	4.3%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Louisiana?: The Northern Cardinal is in Louisiana all year. It turns up on about 70% of checklists at its peak (mid May) and on 51% in its quietest week (early November).
When do cardinals leave Louisiana?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Louisiana: it is reported all year, from 51% of checklists in early November to 70% in mid May.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Louisiana?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid May, on about 70% of Louisiana checklists.