When do cardinals leave South Carolina?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave South Carolina: it is reported all year, from 54% of checklists in late November to 76% in mid April.

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

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid April, on about 76% of South Carolina checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in South Carolina?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in South Carolina all year. It turns up on about 76% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 54% in its quietest week (late November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 15-21mid April

Quietest weekNov 22-30late November

Best: mid April. Here all year. Peak: on about 76% of South Carolina checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Deccommon

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

Cardinals in South Carolina, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	Apr 15-21	–	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 South 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 South Carolina

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Aiken CountyBest mid April · 664 checklists that week, 26,980 in all89%
Union CountyBest early July · 13 checklists that week, 851 in all88%
Lexington CountyBest mid April · 692 checklists that week, 27,992 in all87%
Greenwood CountyBest early May · 82 checklists that week, 3,752 in all87%
Clarendon CountyBest early July · 116 checklists that week, 9,189 in all87%
Kershaw CountyBest late April · 370 checklists that week, 10,450 in all87%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in South Carolina

8 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 6 are summer visitors, and 1 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 15-21	76%
2	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 1-7	May 1-7	21%
3	Painted Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 1-7	Jun 15-21	19%
4	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 8-14	16%
5	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 8-14	11%
6	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Passes through	Sep 1-7	Oct 1-7	5.3%
7	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	May 1-7	4.9%
8	Dickcissel	Summer visitor	May 1-7	May 22-31	1.2%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in South Carolina?: The Northern Cardinal is in South Carolina all year. It turns up on about 76% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 54% in its quietest week (late November).
When do cardinals leave South Carolina?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave South Carolina: it is reported all year, from 54% of checklists in late November to 76% in mid April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in South Carolina?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid April, on about 76% of South Carolina checklists.