When do cardinals leave Virginia?

The Northern Cardinal does not leave Virginia: it is reported all year, from 56% of checklists in mid November to 77% in mid April.

When is the best time to see cardinals in Virginia?

The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid April, on about 77% of Virginia checklists.

Northern Cardinal · Cardinalis cardinalis

When Do Cardinals Arrive in Virginia?

Photo: Michael, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Northern Cardinal is in Virginia all year. It turns up on about 77% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 56% in its quietest week (mid November).

Cardinals here are the bird, not a sports team.

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 15-21mid April

Quietest weekNov 15-21mid November

Best: mid April. Here all year. Peak: on about 77% of Virginia checklists.

Janpeak season
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 Virginia, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Northern Cardinal	all year	–	Apr 15-21	–	77%

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 Virginia 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 Virginia

Best counties for Northern Cardinal

Share of checklists at the peak

Buchanan CountyBest early December · 13 checklists that week, 1,612 in all96%
Radford CountyBest mid April · 469 checklists that week, 21,965 in all96%
Falls Church CountyBest early April · 51 checklists that week, 1,687 in all94%
Manassas Park CountyBest late September · 11 checklists that week, 343 in all93%
Martinsville CountyBest late June · 45 checklists that week, 1,842 in all92%
Harrisonburg CountyBest mid April · 294 checklists that week, 8,395 in all92%

All cardinals, grosbeaks & buntings in Virginia

6 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year and 5 are summer visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	Northern Cardinal	Year-round	all year	Apr 15-21	77%
2	Indigo Bunting	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jun 15-21	35%
3	Scarlet Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	19%
4	Blue Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Aug 1-7	10%
5	Summer Tanager	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 8-14	7.9%
6	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	May 1-7	7.6%

Common questions

When do cardinals arrive in Virginia?: The Northern Cardinal is in Virginia all year. It turns up on about 77% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 56% in its quietest week (mid November).
When do cardinals leave Virginia?: The Northern Cardinal does not leave Virginia: it is reported all year, from 56% of checklists in mid November to 77% in mid April.
When is the best time to see cardinals in Virginia?: The Northern Cardinal is reported most often in mid April, on about 77% of Virginia checklists.