Difference Between Male & Female Cardinals

The cardinal is a red bird that is seen all year long through most of the United States of America. The cardinal does not molt, therefore it does not need to migrate to the south during the winter. As with all bird species, the male and female cardinals have vast differences.

  1. Color

    • The cardinal is known as the redbird. This is not entirely accurate as only the male of the species is entirely red. The male cardinal is a bright scarlet red from crest to tail. The female bird has a red hue to its feathers but the main color of the female of the species is a burgundy brown. The breast of the male is also bright red while the female has white in her breast.

    Beak

    • The beak of a bird is proportionate to the size and type of food the bird eats. The cardinal has a large, hearty beak to crack open hard seeds. The difference between the male and female cardinal's beak is not in size but in color. The male beak is as bright a red as its plumage. The female cardinal has a bright beak also, but hers is an orange with red tones.

    Face

    • A black mask around the eyes and beak decorate cardinals. The difference between the male and female cardinal's mask is the color and size. The male cardinal has a deep black mask that encompasses the entire face ranging from above the eyes, around the beak and meeting under the beak. The female of the species has a lighter black or brown mask that barely covers the eyes and rarely meets under the beak but rather ends at the top of the beak.

    Size

    • With most animals in the wild, the male cardinal is larger than the female cardinal. The difference between the sizes of the male and female cardinal is minimal, however. The male cardinal measures, from crest to tail, usually between 22.2 to 23.5 centimeters. The female cardinal, usually more fat than the male, measures only slightly shorter at between 20.9 to 21.6 centimeters. As measuring a bird with just a look is hard, check the crest, the feathers upon the top of the bird's head. The male crest is larger, thicker and taller than a female crest.