When do cardinals leave New Jersey?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave New Jersey: it is reported all year, from 39% of checklists in the second week of January to 66% in late April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in New Jersey?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 66% of New Jersey checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in New Jersey?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in New Jersey all year. It turns up on about 66% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 39% 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 66% of New Jersey checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon

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

Cardinals in New Jersey, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	Apr 22-30	–	66%

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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Mercer CountyBest late April · 1983 checklists that week, 56,614 in all77%
Camden CountyBest late April · 977 checklists that week, 25,931 in all76%
Gloucester CountyBest late April · 1347 checklists that week, 36,378 in all74%
Passaic CountyBest late April · 1220 checklists that week, 24,933 in all74%
Essex CountyBest late April · 1046 checklists that week, 28,396 in all74%
Somerset CountyBest early May · 1995 checklists that week, 58,057 in all74%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in New Jersey

7 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 5 are summer visitors, and 1 are winter visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 22-30	66%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 22-31	19%
3	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	13%
4	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 8-14	13%
5	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	Aug 1-7	4.2%
6	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 8-14	1.4%
7	Dickcissel	Winter visitor	Aug 22-31	Oct 1-7	1.3%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in New Jersey?: The Northern Cardinal is in New Jersey all year. It turns up on about 66% of checklists at its peak (late April) and on 39% in its quietest week (the second week of January).
When do cardinals leave New Jersey?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave New Jersey: it is reported all year, from 39% of checklists in the second week of January to 66% in late April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in New Jersey?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in late April, on about 66% of New Jersey checklists.