Do cardinals pair for life?

Kenn and Kimberly: The best answer would be to say that cardinals frequently mate for life—almost as often as humans do! Some pairs of cardinals do stay together all year long in their nesting territory. read more

Yes, they are generally monogamous and mate for life. They produce two broods a year! read more

Once the birds mate, they stay together for years if not for life. During courtship, aerial displays bring the pairs to several nest options—kind of like searching for a potential home. The female, of course, has the final say in where the birds settle down. read more

The Cardinal Mating Habits. The early spring is the mating season for cardinals. These songbirds are known as “socially monogamous” but there are times when they copulate with the others. There was even one study which found that nine to 35 percent of cardinal nestlings came from extra-pair copulations. read more