When do cardinals leave Maryland?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Maryland: it is reported all year, from 57% of checklists in the second week of January to 78% in late April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Maryland?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 78% of Maryland checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Maryland?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Maryland all year. It turns up on about 78% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 57% in its quietest week (the second week of January).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 22-30late April

Quietest weekJan 8-14the second week of January

Best: late April. Here all year. Peak: on about 78% of Maryland checklists.

Jancommon
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 Maryland, species by species

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

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Montgomery CountyBest late April · 8918 checklists that week, 219,548 in all87%
Prince George's CountyBest mid April · 2398 checklists that week, 87,907 in all86%
Anne Arundel CountyBest late April · 3402 checklists that week, 93,516 in all84%
Howard CountyBest late April · 4510 checklists that week, 118,290 in all83%
Carroll CountyBest late April · 1073 checklists that week, 26,728 in all82%
Frederick CountyBest mid April · 1352 checklists that week, 57,576 in all81%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Maryland

6 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 4 are summer visitors, and 1 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 22-30	78%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	Jun 15-21	33%
3	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	18%
4	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Aug 8-14	11%
5	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Aug 15-21	Sep 22-30	7.5%
6	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 15-21	4.0%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Maryland?: The Northern Cardinal is in Maryland all year. It turns up on about 78% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 57% in its quietest week (the second week of January).
When do cardinals leave Maryland?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Maryland: it is reported all year, from 57% of checklists in the second week of January to 78% in late April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Maryland?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 78% of Maryland checklists.