Cardinals are a familiar backyard bird in many parts of North America, known for their bright red plumage and melodious songs. However, they are not native to the United Kingdom. This article will explore whether cardinals can be found in the UK, the history of cardinal sightings and introductions, and the reasons why the cardinal has not become established as a breeding species in the UK.
Brief Overview of the Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a mid-sized songbird native to North America. Their range extends across eastern and central parts of the United States south through Mexico.
Some key facts about the Northern Cardinal:
– Bright red plumage with a black face mask in males, duller brownish plumage in females
– Average length of 21-23 cm and weight of 45 grams
– Omnivorous, eating insects, seeds, fruits and sometimes small vertebrates
– Cavity nesters, with females building nests and incubating eggs
– Resident species that lives year-round across much of its range
– Popular back garden bird appreciated for its beauty and song
The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of no less than 7 U.S. states, representing its popularity and familiarity throughout much of the country. But in the UK, the Northern Cardinal has struggled to gain a foothold as a breeding species.
Native Range of the Northern Cardinal
Image: Native breeding range of the Northern Cardinal in North America. Source: Wikimedia Commons
As the range map shows, the Northern Cardinal is widely distributed across eastern and central North America, including the entire eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida. Its range extends westward across the central plains states to eastern parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, and north up the Mississippi River valley through Iowa and Minnesota. A small disjunct population also occurs in southern Arizona.
The Northern Cardinal has expanded its range northward across southern Canada during the 20th century as far as southeastern Ontario. However, it remains restricted to the continent of North America.
History of Cardinal Sightings in the UK
The vibrant red plumage of the male Northern Cardinal makes it a prized cage bird that has been transported around the world. Escaped pet cardinals have been sighted in the UK since the late 1800s. However, the cardinal has failed to ever establish a stable breeding population in the UK.
Early Escapee Reports
There are records of cardinals occurring in the UK dating back to the Victorian era:
– An 1888 report of an escaped cardinal near Lewisham in London which survived 2-3 winters
– Several Victorian-era records of escaped cardinals near Manchester reported in 1909
– A report of a mated pair nesting in Hampshire in 1925, potentially the first UK breeding record
These early records were likely escaped caged birds from North America. However, the cardinal did not gain a foothold and nesting attempts were not successful.
Recent Sightings
More recent reports of cardinals in the UK include:
– Occasional sightings in England since the 1990s, including reports from Norfolk, Devon, West Sussex, and the London area
– A long-staying male spotted repeatedly in a Lancashire garden between 2001-2002
– A report and photo of a male cardinal in a garden in Surrey in December 2020
– A report of a male cardinal alongside goldfinches at a bird feeder in Northamptonshire in January 2022
While many anecdotal sightings have occurred over the past 30 years, there is no evidence that cardinals have established a persistent breeding population in England or elsewhere in the UK. Most sightings are presumed to be escaped caged birds.
Why hasn’t the Cardinal Become Established in the UK?
Despite sporadic sightings over the past 130+ years, the Northern Cardinal has never gained a foothold as a year-round UK breeding species. There are several ecological and environmental factors that help explain why cardinals have not thrived in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland:
Climate Limitations
The Northern Cardinal is adapted to the climates found across the central and eastern United States. Winters in much of its range are relatively mild, with temperatures seldom staying below freezing for long periods. The cardinals are not well adapted to the cooler, wetter oceanic climate that predominates across the UK and Ireland.
City | Average High Temp (July) | Average Low Temp (January) |
---|---|---|
London, England | 22°C / 72°F | 2°C / 36°F |
St. Louis, Missouri | 31°C / 88°F | -4°C / 25°F |
As this table shows, winters are significantly milder in the cardinals’ native range than in the UK. The wetter conditions found across England, Wales and Ireland would also take an energetic toll on cardinals during the winter months.
Lack of Suitable Food Sources
Cardinals predominantly eat seeds and fruits, along with some insect protein. Their short, thick bills are adapted for cracking open larger hard seeds. Typical foods include sunflower seeds, grains, berries and tree fruits.
The UK lacks many of the cardinal’s native fruiting trees and shrubs, such as mulberry, dogwood and sumac. There are also fewer mature broadleaf forests that produce the seeds and berries cardinals rely on. Gardens provide an abundance of sunflower seeds, but may not offer enough variety of suitable foods all year round.
Insufficient Cavity Nest Sites
Cavity availability may also limit cardinals in the UK. Cardinals build their nests in the crooks, holes and branches of trees. However, many UK woodlands lack the old-growth broadleaf trees that provide ideal cavity nesting spots. Modern forestry practices also reduce the number of cavity trees in many areas. The lack of natural nesting opportunities could hinder establishment.
Native Species Competition
The UK has a diverse range of small bird species that occupy similar ecological niches to the Northern Cardinal. These include other seedeaters like finches, sparrows and buntings that compete for food sources. There are also several resident thrush species that consume many of the same fruits and berries.
Without a clear ecological advantage over UK native species, the Northern Cardinal may struggle to carve out a niche that allows it to thrive if introduced in greater numbers.
Lack of Established Population
The Northern Cardinal exhibits flocking behavior outside of the breeding season. Flocks help cardinals locate food sources and provide safety in numbers against predators. Without an established population in the UK, lone escaped birds do not experience the benefits of flocking, making long-term survival less likely.
Could Cardinals Someday Thrive in the UK?
While unsuitable climate, habitats, food sources and competition from native birds currently limit cardinals, could they ever establish breeding populations in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
Some factors that could potentially allow cardinals to gain a foothold include:
– Climate change leading to warmer average temperatures more suitable for cardinals
– Increasingly bird-friendly gardening providing supplemental food sources
– Maturation of new woodlands increasing availability of nesting cavities
– Release or escape of larger numbers of birds that could form flocks
However, significant ecological barriers remain. The Northern Cardinal still appears poorly equipped to survive UK winters and compete with well-established resident species.
For the foreseeable future, sightings of cardinals in the UK are expected to remain rare and highly localized. It is unlikely cardinals will join species like collared doves that have rapidly colonized the UK over the past decades. While striking and charismatic, the Northern Cardinal seems destined to remain a North American species outside of small isolated populations of escaped cage birds.
Conclusion
In summary, while Northern Cardinals have been sporadically reported in the UK since the Victorian era, they have never gained a foothold as a breeding species. Constraints such as climate, lack of native food sources, and competition from other UK birds have prevented cardinals from thriving. Periodic sightings likely represent isolated escaped caged birds.
While climate change or other factors could potentially allow cardinals to spread in the UK in the future, significant barriers remain. For now, bird enthusiasts will have to travel to North America to see cardinals in their native habitat rather than hope to spot them in English gardens. The bright red cardinal will remain a classic symbol of the American landscape and gardens rather than a regular sight at British bird feeders.