The state bird of Illinois is the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). That is the official answer, codified in Illinois law under 5 ILCS 460/10, which reads: 'The bird Cardinalis Cardinalis, commonly known as the Cardinal, is designated the official State Bird of the State of Illinois.' If you are looking for a quick, authoritative confirmation, that is it.
What Is the State Bird of Illinois? Identification Guide
Marcus Webb
18 Apr 2026
When it became official and why Illinois chose it
Illinois adopted the Northern Cardinal as its state bird in 1929. What makes this story interesting is how the decision was made: Illinois schoolchildren voted on it. The cardinal won decisively, pulling in 39,226 votes. Here is how the rest of the field finished:
| Bird | Votes |
|---|---|
| Cardinal | 39,226 |
| Bluebird | 30,306 |
| Meadowlark | 16,237 |
| Quail | 15,843 |
| Oriole | 15,449 |
The margin was not even close. The cardinal beat the second-place bluebird by nearly 9,000 votes. That kind of enthusiasm from kids probably reflects the same thing birders notice today: the Northern Cardinal is hard to miss and easy to love. The Illinois DNR points to two things that make it instantly recognizable, which are the brilliant red flash of the male's feathers and its loud, clear whistle. For a state bird, those are exactly the qualities you want. People across every corner of Illinois, from cities to farm country, grew up seeing cardinals at their feeders and in their yards.
How to identify the Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is about 7.5 to 9 inches long, which puts it in a medium-small range, roughly the size of a chunky sparrow but more upright in posture. Both sexes have a prominent crest on the head and a thick, cone-shaped red bill. Beyond those shared traits, males and females look quite different.
Males
The adult male is brilliant red all over with a black mask that wraps around the bill and extends to the throat. That combination of all-red body, raised crest, and black face patch is unmistakable. There is no other bird in Illinois that looks like this at a feeder.
Females
Females are gray-brown overall with dull reddish tones on the wings and tail. They share the same red bill, black mask around the bill, and crest as the male. Compared to the male, they are easy to overlook, but once you know the silhouette and the red bill, you will pick them out reliably.
Immature birds
Young cardinals resemble females in overall coloring but have a black bill instead of a red one. That is the key detail that tells you a bird is a juvenile. As they mature, the bill transitions to red.
The call
Even before you see one, you will likely hear it. The cardinal's song is a loud, clear whistle that carries well. Common phrases sound like 'cheer-cheer-cheer' or 'birdy-birdy-birdy.' Both males and females sing, which is relatively unusual among North American songbirds.
Where to find cardinals in Illinois
The Illinois DNR describes the Northern Cardinal as a 'common, permanent resident statewide in Illinois.' That means you do not need to travel anywhere special or wait for a particular season. Cardinals stay in Illinois year-round and are found across the entire state, from Chicago's suburbs down to the southern tip near Shawnee National Forest.
In terms of specific habitat, cardinals favor edges rather than deep forest interiors. Good places to look include:
- Forest edges and woodland margins
- Overgrown fields and hedgerows
- Marshy thickets and brushy areas
- Backyards with dense shrubs, especially those with bird feeders stocked with sunflower seeds
- Suburban parks and neighborhoods with ornamental plantings
- Gardens and yards with thick hedges or berry-producing shrubs
Nesting season runs from April to August in Illinois. During this window, cardinals build nests in shrubs, small trees, vines, or briar patches, typically between 3 and 20 feet off the ground. If you have dense shrubs in your yard, you may have nesting cardinals without even knowing it. A simple bird feeder with black-oil sunflower seeds is probably the single best way to attract and observe cardinals up close.
Illinois state bird and state flower: keeping the symbols straight
If you searched for 'Illinois state bird and flower,' here is the short version: they are two separate official state symbols. The state bird is the Northern Cardinal, designated in 1929. The state flower is the violet (Viola sp.), which the General Assembly designated much earlier, back in 1908. Both are recognized individually under Illinois law and listed separately in official state symbols references. So when someone asks about the bird, the answer is the cardinal. When they ask about the flower, the answer is the violet. This article focuses on the bird, but it is worth knowing both if you are studying Illinois state symbols.
How many states share the Northern Cardinal as their state bird
Illinois is far from alone in claiming the cardinal. Seven states total have designated the Northern Cardinal as their official state bird, making it the most commonly shared state bird in the United States. The full list:
- Illinois (1929)
- Indiana (1933)
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Virginia
- West Virginia
That concentration in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic/Southeast reflects where the cardinal is most abundant and familiar to residents historically. From Illinois down through Kentucky and Ohio and into the Carolinas, the cardinal is a backyard fixture in all four seasons. It is not a migratory bird that arrives in spring and disappears, so it builds strong recognition and affection wherever it lives. The fact that seven state legislatures and schoolchildren in Illinois independently arrived at the same answer says something about how much this bird resonates with people.
It is also worth noting the contrast with states like Colorado, which chose the Lark Bunting as its state bird, a species unique enough that it has not been claimed by any other state. The Northern Cardinal sits at the opposite end of that spectrum: beloved and shared widely. If you are curious how different states made their choices, comparing Illinois to a state like Colorado is a good exercise in understanding regional bird culture.
Where to go from here
If you arrived here just wanting a quick answer, you have it: Illinois' state bird is the Northern Cardinal, officially since 1929. But if you want to dig deeper, there are a few natural next steps worth exploring.
- Explore the other six states that share the cardinal as their state bird, especially Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, to see how their designations compare in history and reasoning.
- Compare states that chose less common birds. Colorado's Lark Bunting, for example, is a stark contrast to the ubiquitous cardinal and has its own interesting backstory.
- If you enjoy drawing or illustrating birds, the Northern Cardinal is a popular subject for beginner and intermediate nature artists thanks to its vivid coloring and distinctive silhouette.
- Check out the full list of Illinois state symbols beyond the bird and the flower. Illinois has an official state fish, state insect, state animal, and more, all designated through similar legislative processes.
- Visit the Illinois DNR's 'Wild About Birds' education pages for deeper natural history on the cardinal, including nesting behavior, diet, and population trends specific to Illinois.
The Northern Cardinal is one of those species that rewards attention even after you think you know it well. If you want a drawing project instead focused on the how to draw colorado state bird, look up the Colorado bird's key features and practice the outline first. If you want to learn how to draw the state bird, start with the cardinal’s red body, black facial mask, and raised crest Northern Cardinal. Whether you are a casual backyard watcher refilling a feeder or a dedicated birder tracking nesting behavior through the summer, the cardinal is always worth a second look.
FAQ
Is the Northern Cardinal only a seasonal bird in Illinois? If I visit in winter, will I still see it?
Yes. The Northern Cardinal is a year-round resident statewide, so you can see it in winter and summer without planning around migration.
How can I tell male versus female Northern Cardinals at my feeder?
Male and female cardinals are easier to confuse at distance. A reliable clue is the always-cone-shaped bill with the black mask around it, plus the male’s bright red body versus the female’s gray-brown body.
What’s the quickest way to identify a young Northern Cardinal in Illinois?
Juvenile cardinals look similar to females, but the bill is black rather than red (as they mature, the bill turns red).
Where in Illinois should I look if I want to spot cardinals away from city parks?
Cardinals prefer edges and brush rather than deep, unbroken forest. Yards with dense shrubs, briars, and vines, or nearby hedgerows, are much more likely to host them.
When is the best time to look for nests, and how high off the ground are they usually?
The best chance of seeing nesting activity is during April through August, and nests are often fairly low (about 3 to 20 feet). Keep observation time short and avoid disturbing shrub thickets.
What feeder food and setup works best to attract Northern Cardinals?
Feeding with black-oil sunflower seeds is more effective than many mixed seed blends because it attracts cardinals reliably. Place the feeder near cover (shrubs or small trees) but keep a clear view for quick observation.
How do I find cardinals if they are hidden and I only hear them? Do both sexes sing?
Their loud whistle and repeated phrases can help even when you cannot spot the bird. Because both sexes vocalize, you may hear cardinals around dawn and throughout the day.
If I see a different red bird, is it still considered the Illinois state bird?
The state bird designation is specifically the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Other cardinals or similar songbirds may appear, but the official state bird is not a different species.
Is the state bird of Illinois the same as the state flower (violet)?
No. Illinois also has an official state flower, the violet, designated separately in 1908. The bird and flower are governed as different state symbols.
Do other states share Illinois’s state bird, or is it unique to Illinois?
Several states also chose the Northern Cardinal as their state bird, so you might see overlap when comparing state symbol lists. Illinois is still the official Northern Cardinal state bird, adopted in 1929.
Next Article
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Colorado’s state bird is the Lark Bunting. Learn how to identify it, why it was chosen, and fun related facts.
