{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "northern-cardinal",
  "name": "Northern Cardinal",
  "scientificName": "Cardinalis cardinalis",
  "category": "Bird",
  "summary": "The northern cardinal is a popular North American songbird, the male instantly recognizable by his brilliant red plumage, black face mask, and pointed crest. Females are warm tan with red highlights. A frequent visitor to backyard feeders, the cardinal sings rich, whistling songs year-round and does not migrate. Cardinals usually live about 3 years in the wild, sometimes much longer.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Aves",
    "order": "Passeriformes",
    "family": "Cardinalidae",
    "genus": "Cardinalis"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.045,
    "lengthM": 0.22,
    "topSpeedKmh": 48,
    "lifespanYears": 3
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Cardinalis cardinalis"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Omnivore (seeds, grains, fruit, insects)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Woodland edges, gardens, and shrubland"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "About 3 years in the wild, longer possible"
    },
    {
      "label": "Length",
      "value": "21–23 cm (8–9 in)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 48 km/h (30 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Woodland edges, gardens, and shrubland across the eastern and central United States, the Southwest, Mexico, and Central America.",
    "continents": [
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Cardinalis cardinalis.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Cardinalis%20cardinalis&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Cardinalis cardinalis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cardinalis_cardinalis/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Northern Cardinal.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_cardinal"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/northern-cardinal/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/northern-cardinal/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}