Do Cardinals Mate For Life?

Northern Cardinal (cardinal) are small passerine songbirds from the family Cardinalidae. These colorful birds can be found throughout the eastern and southern United States, and birders can enjoy them year-round, often in backyards and city parks.

Cardinals are a joy to watch during breeding season, working closely together in pairs to support their families. So how did Northern Cardinals work together? Do they mate for life?

Northern cardinals are a monogamous species. A pair will co-raise up to two broods each season, each containing up to five eggs. Each mate performs a role, and they continue to raise the offspring long after they leave the nest. Cardinals usually stay together throughout the breeding season, and some birds even pair for multiple seasons, so you could say these birds mate for life.

Cardinals aren’t always loyal, however, and a bereaved bird doesn’t waste time looking for a replacement. With so many threats, such as cats, cooper’s hawks, and even window knockers, short-lived species like cardinals struggle to reproduce successfully.

Sometimes, however, it’s not just death that separates them. Even healthy cardinals break up, and the divorce rate can be as high as 20 percent a year.

Cardinals are a monogamous species, pairing up during the breeding season, sometimes multiple seasons

For the most part, Northern Cardinals are devoted partners and parents. The couple court each other with a charming song and dance, with the male cardinals showing their devotion by feeding the female even before she lays her eggs.

Their affection extends to their chicks, which will remain in the nesting area for several weeks. Even after the mother has laid her second clutch of eggs, they are fed by the father.

This article sheds light on the relationship between pairs of northern cardinals. Read on to learn the fascinating secrets behind the love life of one of America’s favorite backyard birds.

Why do some cardinals mate for life?

Northern cardinals are non-migratory birds, and their nesting grounds can be sustained year-round in some areas. Finding a new partner takes work, and there’s always the chance they’ll be incompetent parents, so it makes sense that successful couples stay together.

Cardinals are not a very long-lived species. In fact, the average lifespan of a cardinal is only about three years. This short lifespan means that many cardinal pairs that only mate for a few consecutive seasons will effectively pair for life.

Read on to learn more about the Northern Cardinals pairing.

Breeding Pair Northern Cardinals

Did the Cardinals cheat?

The Cardinals can form strong partnerships, but they’re not always what they seem. A study of northern cardinals nesting in Kentucky found that 13.5 percent of the chicks in their group were offspring of another male. The same study found that male cardinals spend 72 percent of their time protecting their fertile female mates, though that’s clearly not enough.

Male cardinals have been known to be polygamous in some cases. This behavior may be due to bereaved females entering the territory of established pairs. However, some males may actively seek out other mates.

Male involvement is critical to successful chick rearing, so mating females without a dedicated mate are less likely to successfully raise their offspring.

However, it has been documented that males have more than one mate who provides enough food to successfully raise two litters simultaneously.

Male and female cardinals perched on a branch in winter

Why did the cardinals get divorced?

Even during the breeding season, cardinal pairs often separate. This behavior may occur as much as 20 percent of the time. Nesting failure is the most likely reason a couple divorces.

How do cardinals attract mates?

Male cardinals don’t have the bright red plumage and wonderful voice. These striking songbirds use their sounds and movements to attract a mate and then woo her each breeding season. Read on to learn more about how Cardinals attract breeding partners.

courtship behavior

Courtship in the Northern Cardinal begins in late winter or early spring, with most pairs forming in April. Male cardinals use their songs to woo women. They will also display in the air, slowly flying towards the female, their crests will be erected and their feathers will be loosened.

If the female is interested in his advances, the male cardinal will proceed to court her and display her in a dance-like fashion, raising and flapping his wings while leaning his body from side to side.

Male cardinals also feed on females during courtship, possibly to demonstrate their ability to provide food to their mates while they are hatching. Females encourage this behavior by flapping their wings, as many fledgling birds beg for food.

Interestingly, female cardinals were also involved. They show this to their mates by raising their wings slightly to one side. In fact, their presentation looks very similar to the males, and may even include similar vocalizations. Cardinals let their mates know they are ready to mate by crouching high with their heads and tails.

A male cardinal feeds a female as part of a courtship ritual

to form

Cardinals do not migrate, so some bonded pairs remain in their nesting areas throughout the fall and winter to nest together for the following breeding season. However, many cardinals leave their nesting grounds to join the flock in winter.

In this case, the bonded pair may keep the flock together at the start of the nesting season, or the male may leave to establish a territory, which is then joined by the female. If a pair should divorce or lose their mate, the remaining birds will look for new mates during or after the breeding season.

How many times do cardinals mate each year?

Northern cardinals produce one to two litters per year. It’s hard to tell how many times cardinals mate in a season because they tend to be secretive when they mate.

Female (left) and male (right) northern cardinals in a bird bath

What happens after a cardinal dies?

The world is a dangerous place for small, brightly colored songbirds like the northern cardinal. Cats, hawks and many other predators are a constant threat. Many deaths were also caused by factors such as disease, exposure and collisions.

Northern cardinals seek new mates after losing their mate. The unlucky bird may have had a recently bereaved neighbor, or simply mate with a bird that couldn’t find a mate at the start of the breeding season.

Will the Cardinal grieve the loss of a partner?

If the Cardinals do mourn the loss of their partner, it probably won’t last long. In some cases, it won’t take long to find a new mate, even within the same breeding season. However, science has yet to uncover the complexities of emotions in birds, so we don’t know for sure.

A pair of cardinals feeding together from a feeder

Will the cardinal birds stay together like family?

Small northern cardinals are the first to leave the nest within a week or two of hatching. However, they do not go far, but continue to stay near the nest for two or three weeks. Their parents continue to feed them until they are two months old.

During this time, the birds stick together in the breeding area, although the females stop feeding the young of the first brood once they start preparing for the season’s second brood.

Cardinal kissing?

You may find that Cardinals are a very romantic way to lock down bills. The act isn’t exactly kissing, although this display of affection will certainly strengthen the bond between the two. Cardinals lock their beaks when males feed on females during courtship.

A pair of ‘kissing’ cardinals – the male is feeding the female to strengthen the pair bond