When do cardinals leave Nebraska?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Nebraska: it is reported all year, from 30% of checklists in the second week of November to 50% in early May.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Nebraska?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in early May, on about 50% of Nebraska checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Nebraska?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Nebraska all year. It turns up on about 50% of checklists at its peak (early May) and on 30% in its quietest week (the second week of November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekMay 1-7early May

Quietest weekNov 8-14the second week of November

Best: early May. Here all year. Peak: on about 50% of Nebraska checklists.

Jancommon
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Sepcommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon

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

Cardinals in Nebraska, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	May 1-7	–	50%

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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Otoe CountyBest mid December · 52 checklists that week, 3,856 in all88%
Saline CountyBest late June · 16 checklists that week, 724 in all79%
Cass CountyBest mid April · 114 checklists that week, 4,466 in all78%
Richardson CountyBest late July · 12 checklists that week, 788 in all77%
Gage CountyBest the second week of April · 37 checklists that week, 1,579 in all76%
Nemaha CountyBest the second week of February · 15 checklists that week, 883 in all74%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Nebraska

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

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	May 1-7	50%
2	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	May 1-7	Jul 8-14	35%
3	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 8-14	20%
4	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 15-21	13%
5	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	May 8-14	Aug 1-7	6.5%
6	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 15-21	3.5%
7	Black-headed Grosbeak	Passes through	May 1-7	Jun 1-7	2.9%
8	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	May 1-7	May 15-21	2.6%
9	Lazuli Bunting	Summer visitor	May 1-7	May 22-31	1.4%
10	Western Tanager	Summer visitor	May 8-14	Jun 8-14	1.0%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Nebraska?: The Northern Cardinal is in Nebraska all year. It turns up on about 50% of checklists at its peak (early May) and on 30% in its quietest week (the second week of November).
When do cardinals leave Nebraska?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Nebraska: it is reported all year, from 30% of checklists in the second week of November to 50% in early May.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Nebraska?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in early May, on about 50% of Nebraska checklists.