When do cardinals leave Oklahoma?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Oklahoma: it is reported all year, from 46% of checklists in early November to 66% in the second week of July.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Oklahoma?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of July, on about 66% of Oklahoma checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Oklahoma?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Oklahoma all year. It turns up on about 66% of checklists at its peak (the second week of July) and on 46% in its quietest week (early November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekJul 8-14the second week of July

Quietest weekNov 1-7early November

Best: the second week of July. Here all year. Peak: on about 66% of Oklahoma checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octcommon
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Cardinals in Oklahoma, species by species

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

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Adair CountyBest late January · 14 checklists that week, 616 in all97%
Logan CountyBest early July · 100 checklists that week, 5,258 in all95%
Johnston CountyBest early June · 79 checklists that week, 4,464 in all92%
Pawnee CountyBest early May · 21 checklists that week, 948 in all90%
Choctaw CountyBest late March · 21 checklists that week, 844 in all87%
Pushmataha CountyBest late May · 49 checklists that week, 361 in all87%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Oklahoma

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	Jul 8-14	66%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	26%
3	Painted Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jun 15-21	25%
4	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	18%
5	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 8-14	15%
6	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jun 8-14	9.0%
7	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Apr 22-30	May 8-14	3.0%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Oklahoma?: The Northern Cardinal is in Oklahoma all year. It turns up on about 66% of checklists at its peak (the second week of July) and on 46% in its quietest week (early November).
When do cardinals leave Oklahoma?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Oklahoma: it is reported all year, from 46% of checklists in early November to 66% in the second week of July.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Oklahoma?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in the second week of July, on about 66% of Oklahoma checklists.