Seeing a Northern cardinal is a treat for birders, but what about a whole flock of cardinals! Learn why the birds flock together in groups.
Flock of Cardinals: Is It Normal to See Multiple Cardinals?
Published on Mar. 19, 2025
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Do Cardinals Flock Together?
Northern cardinals are frequent visitors to backyard feeding stations. Bird-watchers love seeing their colorful plumage. Most of the time you’ll only see one or two cardinals at a time. Mated pairs do stay together for life. But once in awhile, a whole group of cardinals flocks together. Our birding experts explain why you might see dozens of cardinals at the same time. Here’s what you need to know.
Are Cardinals Territorial Birds?
“I counted as many as three dozen cardinals at one time in my yard last winter, a mix of males and females. Is this normal?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Mark Bolinger of Glenville, Pennsylvania.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “Northern cardinals are flexible in their social behavior. During the breeding season, each pair is very defensive of their own territory, driving away other cardinals. But in fall, after breeding season ends, they become more tolerant of others.
A flock may begin with a pair and their offspring from that year, and then other neighboring families may join them, concentrating where the most food is available. Cardinal flocks with as many as 100 birds have been reported, but these are rare, and gatherings of six to 20 are more typical. Your flock of three dozen was bigger than average.”
One redditor on r/birding recently reported seeing this phenomenon: “We had more cardinals than the Vatican at our feeder the other day. Our normal crowd is four to six pairs so this was truly exceptional! The temperature that day was below zero and they must’ve spread the word to their bird buddies.”
What does a cardinal’s song sound like?
Group Foraging Behavior
You might also notice other types of birds in a flock with cardinals. During fall and winter, cardinals forage for food near the ground with other cold-weather species such as dark-eyed juncos, sparrows and finches.
Next, find out if you see a cardinal, this is what it means.
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
