Facts · Updated 6 Oct 2026
Cardinals in Hawaii: Northern, Red-crested and Yellow-billed
By the Birdfact teamChecked by
Nathan Cope
Hawaii has three cardinals, all introduced: the Northern Cardinal on every main island since 1929-1931, the Red-crested Cardinal of South America in the dry lowlands, and the Yellow-billed Cardinal on Hawai'i Island only. How they arrived, where to see them and how to tell them apart.
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Hawaii has three established birds called cardinals, and none is native. The Northern Cardinal of North America is found on all the main islands, the Red-crested Cardinal from South America is common in dry lowlands, and the Yellow-billed Cardinal lives only on Hawai'i Island. For the Northern Cardinal itself, see the Northern Cardinal guide.
Are there cardinals in Hawaii?
Yes. Northern Cardinals were brought to the islands between 1929 and 1931 and are now established on every main island, from Kaua'i and Ni'ihau to Hawai'i Island.1 The two South American "cardinals", the Red-crested and the Yellow-billed, arrived separately and are not close relatives of the Northern Cardinal.
Are cardinals native to Hawaii?
No. All three were introduced by people in the 20th century.
How Northern Cardinals came to Hawaii
The first came in 1929, when one of a caged pair escaped in Honolulu and its mate was set free. Between 1929 and 1931, bird clubs and other groups released another 300 to 350 cardinals shipped from San Francisco on Kaua'i, O'ahu and Hawai'i Island, including 163 let go in Hilo. From those islands they spread on their own to all the other main islands by the 1940s to 1960s.1
They are strong colonizers. Cardinals have even turned up on Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a flight of at least 275 km (170 miles), and in Hawaii they were among the first birds to move into rainforest after it had been cleared.2
Where to see Northern Cardinals in Hawaii
In gardens and disturbed lowland forest, especially dry, open forest with grassy or shrubby undergrowth. They also live, less commonly, in native forest up to 2,300 m (7,500 ft), and single birds have even been recorded at 4,055 m (13,300 ft) on Mauna Kea.1
Numbers have fallen in some places. Christmas Bird Counts show a slow decline around Honolulu since the 1940s and around Kapa'a on Kaua'i since 1971, perhaps because of lost thickets or competition from bulbuls, and on O'ahu they are now seen in small numbers.
Do cardinals look different in Hawaii?
A little, perhaps. Male Northern Cardinals in Hawaii can look duller than mainland birds, though this has not been measured.2 Where they came from is debated: Birds of the World says the introduced birds came from the eastern US, while Pyle and Pyle found that Hawaiian specimens match the southwestern subspecies, which fits birds shipped through San Francisco.
The Red-crested Cardinal: the "Hawaiian cardinal"
A cardinal in Hawaii with a gray back and white underparts is a Red-crested Cardinal from South America. It has a bright red head and crest, a white breast and belly and a gray back, wings and tail.3 Despite the name it is not a true cardinal: it belongs to the tanager family.4
It was released on O'ahu and Kaua'i from 1928 to 1931 and has spread to most or all of the main islands. Look for it in dry lowlands, beach parks and resorts, up to about 400 m; on O'ahu, 40 to 50 a day can be counted in the larger parks.
The Yellow-billed Cardinal
Hawai'i Island has a third cardinal, found nowhere else outside South America. The Yellow-billed Cardinal has no crest, a red head with a black bib, and a yellow bill, and it is smaller than the Red-crested Cardinal.3
How it arrived is unknown, probably in the 1960s. The first birds were seen on the Kona coast in 1972 and identified in 1976, and by 2004 to 2009 they had spread right around the island. They stay mostly within a few kilometers of the coast, in kiawe thickets, beach parks and gardens.
How to tell Hawaii's cardinals apart
The table gives the quickest checks.
| Northern Cardinal | Red-crested Cardinal | Yellow-billed Cardinal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Male red all over; female tan with red in wings, tail and crest | White below, gray above | White below, dark above |
| Head | Crest; black mask around a thick red-orange bill | Red head and crest | Red head, no crest; black bib; yellow bill |
| Where | All main islands | Most main islands, dry lowlands | Hawai'i Island only, near the coast |
Sources
- Pyle, R. L., Pyle, P. (2017). The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. Version 2. B. P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. Accessed 6 October 2026. Source
- Halkin, S. L., Shustack, D. P., DeVries, M. S., Jawor, J. M., Linville, S. U. (2021). Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), version 2.0. Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald and B. K. Keeney, editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.norcar.02
- Linn, A., Burns, K. J., Richart, C. H. (2020). Red-crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata), version 1.0. Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Accessed 6 October 2026. Source
- Merriam-Webster. Cardinal. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Accessed 6 October 2026. Source
