Cardinalidae – Cardinals, Grosbeaks & Allies

Cardinalidae are nine-primaried oscines passerines, closely related to the Thraupidae (Tanagers). Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that a number of genera traditionally placed within Cardinalidae are embedded within other families, and conversely, birds traditionally placed in other families such as the Fringillidae or Emberizidae, belong with the cardinals, such as the Granatellus chats Piranga and Habia tanagers. All are endemic to the New World.

Members of this family are not easily defined by a single or even one set of physical characteristics. Some species have large, heavy bills ideal for seed-eating. They range from average-sized to relatively large and have stout features. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually differ with distinctive appearances. The Northern Cardinal type species was named by colonists for the male’s red crest, reminiscent of a Catholic cardinal’s biretta.

Black-thighed Grosbeak Pheucticus tibialis	Carmiol’s Tanager Chlorothraupis carmioli
Varied Bunting Passerina versicolor	Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
All photos in this text courtesy of ©Dubi Shapiro

About half the species in the family have deep seed-eating bills, and all have plumages dominated by bold large-brush patterns in primary, generally matte, blues, reds and yellows; some of the buntings are luminous in their delicately blended shades of pink and blue. Remarkably, many of the species with dramatically more colourful males are still socially monogamous, with the males taking an active role in rearing the young. Thus, simple sexual selection does not explain all the elaboration of colours in this group. In appearance and ecology, this family overlaps a great deal with many thraupids, but, unlike them, it is centred in the Northern Hemisphere and contains a much higher proportion of migrating and seed-eating forms.

They generally live in a broad array of habitats, from forests to grassland and arid scrubland. There is a strong divergence in food preferences within the family. There are two distinct bill morphologies with some having heavy, conical, seed-crushing bills and others having slightly longer and less deep bills. Members of the first group, including the grosbeaks, buntings, and cardinals, which feed heavily on fruits and seeds, especially during the non-breeding season. During the breeding season, they also feed on insects and other invertebrates.

Rose-bellied Bunting Passerina rositae

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Some species, such as the Dickcissel Spiza americana, feed almost entirely on seeds during the non-breeding season. Members of the second group, previously placed with the tanagers, feed primarily on insects and fruit.

Most are monogamous and share nestling care, although polygyny, shared nests, and cooperative breeding all seem to occur in some species at least occasionally. Nests are a simple open cup constructed of grass, twigs, rootlets, stems, and other vegetation, lined with finer material such as hair; sometimes they include snake skins (or man-made equivalents) or are bound in part by spider silk. Nests are placed in well-concealed sites, anywhere from on the ground to high in dense vegetation. Nest-building is by both genders or by the female alone.

Red-breasted Chat Granatellus venustus

Rose-breasted Chat Granatellus pelzelni

They typically lay one to six eggs. Incubation is generally by the female alone, and takes eleven days to two weeks. In some species, the female is largely responsible for feeding chicks, but in others, both parents share the duty. Young leave the nest after between nine and twelve days there.  The young are fed for up to several weeks post-fledging.