8-10 song types using 8-21 syllable types (Halkin et al. 2021) *
Song Type 1
cheer cheer cheer (che-urr che-urr che-urr)
Song Type 2
churr churr churr
chew chew chew
| 1. 030916 Rierson Rd bridge, Tobaccoville |  |  |
| 2. 041416 Rierson Rd, Tobaccoville |  |  |
| 3. 051017 Rierson Rd, Tobaccoville |  |  |
Song Type 3
wheet’-er
| 1. 051017 Rierson Rd, Tobaccoville |  |  |
| 2. 031016 Rierson Rd, Tobaccoville | ||
| 3. 051017 Rierson Rd, Tobaccoville (slow) |  |
Song Type 4
sweet sweet sweet (twit twit twit)
| 1. 040316 Bethabara Park lower trail (fast) | |
| 2. 040217 Pilot Mountain Pilot Access(slower) |  |
| 3. 030916 Rierson Rd, Tobaccoville slowest) |  |
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Tt-0IPviU&t=109s (Male Cardinal Singing Close-up Finale with Thunderstorm in HD)
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6auQK-4RaEo&t=73s (Digiscoped Male Northern Cardinal Singing)
Song Type 5
pur’ty pur’ty pur’ty pur’ty
| 1. 040616 Walnut Bottoms Bethania (slow) |  |
| 2. 051717 Stout Farm Rd, Tobaccoville (fast) | |
| 3. 040917 Pilot Mountain Access (slowest) |  |
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEu88E-vFME (Northern Cardinal singing video)
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0I7B7KZJQk (Male Northern Cardinal Singing birdie Birdie)
Song Type 6
che-urr che-urr tu tu tu tu
………
More recordings
*Note: the types used to classify northern cardinal songs on this page are my own interpretation of what I hear. Likewise, the mnemonics assigned are also my interpretation.
References:
Halkin, S. L., D. P. Shustack, M. S. DeVries, J. M. Jawor, and S. U. Linville (2021). Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald and B. K. Keeney, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.norcar.02