Habitat
Red-crested Cardinals are common in semiopen areas with shrubs and scattered trees, often near water. In their native South American range, they inhabit thorny woodlands, savannahs, agricultural areas, parks, and cities. In Hawaii, they typically occur in parks, yards, resorts, and other suburban settings, avoiding native forests.
Back to topFood
Red-crested Cardinals eat mainly seeds, fruits, and insects. They forage on the ground and in low trees and shrubs, typically in pairs or small groups.
Back to topNesting
Nest Placement
Placed in small forks of trees 2-6 meters (6–18 feet) off the ground, surrounded by dense tree cover.
Nest Description
An open cup built of thin branches and grass stems. The inside is lined with rootlets, plant fibers, and cattle hair.
Nesting Facts
| Clutch Size: | 1-5 eggs |
| Egg Description: | Greenish with brown marks. |
Behavior
Red-crested Cardinals are generally found in pairs or small groups during the breeding season. Nesting pairs are monogamous, with both sexes singing to maintain contact. During the nonbreeding season, Red-crested Cardinals may form flocks of up to 25 birds, and they also join mixed-species flocks.
Back to topConservation
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists Red-crested Cardinal's conservation status as Least Concern.
Back to topCredits
BirdLife International. 2018. Paroaria coronata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22721582A132144578. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22721582A132144578.en.
Floyd, Ted (2025). Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada. Eighth edition. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
Gwynne, J. A., R. S. Ridgely, G. Tudor, and M. Argel (2010). Birds of Brazil: the Pantanal and Cerrado. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Linn, A., K. J. Burns, and C. H. Richart (2020). Red-crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.reccar.01
Pratt, H.D., Bruner, P.L. and Berrett, D.G. (1987). A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, New Jersey.