Find out what Project FeederWatch is, its history, and more
Find out how you FeederWatch, when you can FeederWatch, and what you'll need to do to get started
Review these instructions carefully before you count and enter data
Find out about types of feeders and types of foods, and where to place your feeder
Feeding Birds FAQs
Explore the winter distribution, food, and feeder preferences of common feeder birds.
Find out about color and plumage variations, bald heads, and deformed bills
Unusual Birds Gallery
Find out about bird disease and identifying the signs of bird disease
Sick Birds Gallery
Find out how to identify birds and download identification tools
Learn how to help birds as they seek out food sources, nesting habitat, protection, and more
Find educational resources for teachers, group leaders, and families
Find an article archive packed with lots of great bird study information
Learn about house finch eye disease
Review content from current and past BirdSpotter photo contests
Keep up to date with the latest FeederWatch happenings
These are exemplary FeederWatchers!
Send us your photos! Show us your count site, your birds, or you watching your site with loved ones!
Visit our live FeederWatch feedercams!
Cornell Lab of Ornithology feeders
Ontario (winter only)
See what birds occur the most by region
Explore species by state/province
See where FeederWatchers are
Graphs of regional population trends and distributions
Explore papers that have used FeederWatch data
Lab scientists analyze the data submitted by FeederWatch participants.
See birds well outside their winter range submitted to Project FeederWatch.
Start here for data entry and personal data review and exploration
Keep live track of your counts using the FeederWatch mobile app
Steven Weiss
Toms River, NJ, USA
Other
Orange cardinal
My son and I saw one that looked just like that yesterday. He was moving too fast to get a picture, but he look exactly like a cardinal, but he was bright ORANGE. At first, I thought it was a misplaced Oriole, but he didn’t have the black wing bars. He was pretty much solid and very bright orange. Is this just an oddball coloration of a Cardinal? We are in Uxbridge, Massachusetts.
In Williamsbug Virginia I saw two male orange cardinals. I was in awe of this strange color.
I’m in Richmond, Va and I saw an orange one flying with a female
We saw four orange cardinals in our tree this morning in iowa Falls, Iowa. January 27, 2022. Have never seen one before. The red ones are plentiful here.
Its April 4 2022 here and I have been watching a single orange cardinal for the past week here in Lecanto, Florida Cyrus county
Citrus
We’re in Des Moines, IA and saw our first orange cardinal yesterday. Couldn’t believe it. Seems like sitings are more east and south. Hope this one sticks around. My camera is ready.
Greetings from Pointblank, Texas! Orange cardinal just showed up. Beautiful! Hope she comes back tmrw.
We live in Johnstown Pa. and have ONE orange of requent among the many regular Cardinals we have at our feeders. I want to believe its a gene defect. We also have several all white skunks with a black stripe, instead of the normal color. And several Albino deer! Can’t figure it? But love such odd beauty!
I have seen orange cardinals and a yellow one here in Maynard MA. Lately I’ve been seeing a BROWN cardinal–hat and all. Definitely a cardinal but totally chestnut brown.
I saw a totally brown cardinal today hanging out with the red and lighter female cardinals. It made me a wonder if the all brown one is a juvenile
A friend in Florida has a bright orange cardinal coming to her feeders. She’s north of Clearwater on the Gulf Coast. I’ll ask her to try and capture some photos.
Incredible! I just saw what looked to be an orange cardinal south of Clearwater, FL. It also flew so quickly eliminating the possibility of a photo.
Are they a rare sighting? Any info would be appreciated. TYSM from a novice bird watcher.
Hi MC, You can learn more about Color Variants on our webpage here. Northern Cardinals can be orange (or even yellow) which is usually related to the pigments that their body produces – this production can be affected by many things, such as diet, energy reserves (such as if the bird were sick or malnourished during molt), and even simple genetics. It’s indeed an uncommon occurrence – nice find!
We have an orange Northern Cardinal who visits our back yard. We thought we were just seeing him washed out because we were looking into almost direct sunlight. But then we saw the deep red Cardinal and definitely knew they were different birds! How fascinating to see them. We live on the Suncoast in Florida.
New here. Live out in the Ocala National Forest and Just seen our orange Cardinals that have returned. This is the second time they’ve visited. It’s a family of 3. Wished I could post a pick of them here. They are just as beautiful as the Red. God makes beautiful things.
Hello! While posts to our Unusual and Sick Birds galleries can only be done by FeederWatch participants, anyone can post photos to the public gallery (there is an option to submit as a guest on the upload page). If you’d like to submit your photos, please feel free to do so there.
we have an orange cardinal that has been visiting us in Barnstable,MA (Cape Cod) for more than a month almost on an hourly basis. Will try to get a picture to post.
Just saw your orange cardinal at our bird feeder on Scudders lane Sept 1 1 pm
Saw an orange Cardinal at our bird feeder in Waco, Texas. Beautiful.
I saw an orange cardinal sitting on my neighbor’s fence today in Bel Air Maryland. I thought I was mistaken about what he was until these pictures. Lovely coloring.
London ontario -enjoying my first orange cardinal today at the feeder.
There is a bright orange cardinal that visits my backyard daily (Rochester, NY.) He sings, flies like the wind, seems healthy, although appears to be just a bit smaller than the red cardinals in our area. He seemingly has a mate. They share the yard with the robins who continually nest best the house/patio covering. He is quite beautiful and had a delightful personality!
Big bright orange cardinal has visited here in Northeast Indiana several times in this last week of July. AWSOME!
I live southwest Ohio, I have a pair of orange cardinals that come to my feeders several times a day!! It is so thrilling!!!! I do have pix I just don’t know to post them
I came across this board while searching for “strangely colored cardinals”. It looks like I have them here in Delaware!! Yay ❤
Saw an orange Cardinal on feeder yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon I saw a male .and female cardinal. There was also a yellow one. This was the first time that I saw them. They are absolutely beautiful. I live in Townsend, MA.
I live in Massachusetts and just saw my first orange cardinals! It was beautiful! Didn’t know they came in that color.
I live in Durham, NC, and two orange or at least definitely player red males have been around the past 2 weeks. Never saw this before. It concerns me a bit as I wonder why we are seeing them in so many states. I have been watching birds 60+ years. I do not think it is just more reporting, though that may be true also.
I live in Ft Worth TX. Just saw an orange cardinal today on my bird feeder which I hung in a tree in my bark yard yesterday.
I live in n.j. and saw a peachy color cardinal on my back porch. It was beautiful!. I hope it isn’t sick.
I saw an orange Cardinal on my platform feeder this morning. Arlington Heights, IL. Never had one before! I have had a couple of Orioles this week as I put orange wedges on a feeder.
I’ve got an Orange cardinal attacking my window right now in Ridgefield, CT.
We have an orange cardinal here in Georgia! He’s beautiful! Haven’t been able to get a picture yet.
I just now looked out the door and saw a very bright orange cardinal. I live in Ohio and always have a pair or two of the bright red. It had the little hat on his head that a cardinal does! Well ill be dammed. It was a beauty too.
I saw one yesterday in Norwich, CT…I thought I was seeing things and went online to see if there is such a thing…boom ! Orange cardinals exist.
We have one in NC – really fluorescent orange or peach colored Cardinal visiting us for months and daily! I knew it’s probably just a rare mutation since there aren’t that many!
An orange cardinal has come to my feeder in Dowagiac, Michigan twice this week.
Had a beautiful orange cardinal today singing the sweetest song in the tree by our garage in NE South Carolina. I hope this one comes back often!
We have a bright ORANGE cardinal that has visited the last two days. It’s beautiful and was able to get a picture. We are in Richardson,Texas.
I’ve seen an orange cardinal at my feeder twice now. I thought I was crazy, but then I looked online and found that they do exist. It is beautiful! I am located a little west of Knoxville,TN.
I’m in Milwaukee, WI a suburban neighborhood and there is at least one orange cardinal. Could it be a young bird? It is definitely not red or brown, but does have brownish wings. I will try to get a pic. Seen it twice in last 2 days.
Just saw an orange cardinal in my front yard on the northside of Chicago!
I live in Northern IN – Marshall County and saw my first orange-red Cardinal, this Sunday afternoon of July 17,2024
I’m in south carolina and have an orange cardinal on my feeder beautiful
I saw an orange cardinal in upstate NY. It looked like it was glowing bright especially compared to the other cardinals around it.
I am in Virginia and I have an orange cardinal at my feeder. It really stands out when the other cardinals are there
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.