When do cardinals leave North Carolina?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave North Carolina: it is reported all year, from 55% of checklists in mid November to 76% in the second week of April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in North Carolina?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of April, on about 76% of North Carolina checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in North Carolina?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in North Carolina all year. It turns up on about 76% of checklists at its peak (the second week of April) and on 55% in its quietest week (mid November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 8-14the second week of April

Quietest weekNov 15-21mid November

Best: the second week of April. Here all year. Peak: on about 76% of North Carolina 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 North Carolina, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	Apr 8-14	–	76%

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Lenoir CountyBest mid September · 31 checklists that week, 2,189 in all94%
Hertford CountyBest the second week of March · 27 checklists that week, 1,343 in all94%
Gates CountyBest early February · 77 checklists that week, 4,066 in all91%
Gaston CountyBest mid April · 287 checklists that week, 10,633 in all89%
Cleveland CountyBest the second week of April · 165 checklists that week, 6,121 in all89%
Duplin CountyBest mid March · 19 checklists that week, 2,097 in all89%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in North Carolina

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

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 8-14	76%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jun 22-30	29%
3	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 8-14	17%
4	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	Jul 15-21	15%
5	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Apr 8-14	Sep 22-30	13%
6	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 1-7	13%
7	Painted Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jul 15-21	1.7%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in North Carolina?: The Northern Cardinal is in North Carolina all year. It turns up on about 76% of checklists at its peak (the second week of April) and on 55% in its quietest week (mid November).
When do cardinals leave North Carolina?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave North Carolina: it is reported all year, from 55% of checklists in mid November to 76% in the second week of April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in North Carolina?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of April, on about 76% of North Carolina checklists.