When do cardinals leave Maine?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Maine: it is reported all year, from 19% of checklists in late June to 42% in early May.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Maine?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in early May, on about 42% of Maine checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Maine?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Maine all year. It turns up on about 42% of checklists at its peak (early May) and on 19% in its quietest week (late June).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekMay 1-7early May

Quietest weekJun 22-30late June

Best: early May. Here all year. Peak: on about 42% of Maine checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Juncommon
Julcommon
Augcommon
Sepcommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon

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

Cardinals in Maine, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	May 1-7	–	42%

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 Maine 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 Maine

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Cumberland CountyBest the second week of May · 8112 checklists that week, 169,501 in all60%
Androscoggin CountyBest the second week of May · 810 checklists that week, 16,955 in all56%
York CountyBest early May · 3100 checklists that week, 101,844 in all54%
Kennebec CountyBest the second week of May · 1947 checklists that week, 48,185 in all50%
Lincoln CountyBest the second week of May · 1602 checklists that week, 59,429 in all50%
Knox CountyBest mid April · 642 checklists that week, 34,453 in all46%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Maine

5 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year and 4 are summer visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	May 1-7	42%
2	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 15-21	13%
3	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	May 1-7	May 22-31	6.6%
4	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	May 8-14	May 22-31	3.7%
5	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	Sep 1-7	Sep 22-30	1.3%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Maine?: The Northern Cardinal is in Maine all year. It turns up on about 42% of checklists at its peak (early May) and on 19% in its quietest week (late June).
When do cardinals leave Maine?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Maine: it is reported all year, from 19% of checklists in late June to 42% in early May.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Maine?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in early May, on about 42% of Maine checklists.