When do cardinals leave New York?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave New York: it is reported all year, from 37% of checklists in the second week of January to 62% in early May.

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

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in early May, on about 62% of New York checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in New York?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in New York all year. It turns up on about 62% of checklists at its peak (early May) and on 37% in its quietest week (the second week of January).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekMay 1-7early May

Quietest weekJan 8-14the second week of January

Best: early May. Here all year. Peak: on about 62% of New York checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
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 New York, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	May 1-7	–	62%

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 York 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 York

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Monroe CountyBest the second week of May · 7517 checklists that week, 166,009 in all76%
Schenectady CountyBest early May · 494 checklists that week, 11,851 in all74%
Nassau CountyBest late April · 3017 checklists that week, 95,019 in all72%
Richmond CountyBest late April · 1712 checklists that week, 55,926 in all72%
Rockland CountyBest late April · 1090 checklists that week, 35,579 in all72%
Kings CountyBest mid April · 4448 checklists that week, 134,897 in all71%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in New York

4 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year and 3 are summer visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	May 1-7	62%
2	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	22%
3	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	May 15-21	15%
4	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	Jun 22-30	13%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in New York?: The Northern Cardinal is in New York all year. It turns up on about 62% of checklists at its peak (early May) and on 37% in its quietest week (the second week of January).
When do cardinals leave New York?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave New York: it is reported all year, from 37% of checklists in the second week of January to 62% in early May.
When is the best time to see cardinals in New York?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in early May, on about 62% of New York checklists.