Fledges within ~10 days
Approximate Hatch Weights:
~3.5g at hatching
~6.3g by 2 days old
~23.1g by 7 days old
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Common Name: Cardinals/Allies
Region: Eastern
Chick Type: Altricial
Down: Sparse gray down
Skin Color: Orange
Bill: Short and conical
Foot Type: Anisodactyl
Gape: Reddish-orange
Gape Flanges: Cream-colored
Iris: Dark brown
Legs and Feet: Pink to brown legs and feet
Video by Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center
Video from Tufts Wildlife Clinic
Video by Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center
Video by Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center
Video from Tufts Wildlife Clinic
Video from Tufts Wildlife Clinic
Nest
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2022/05/280325746_10220403478343364_8121832238903638984_n.jpg)
Photo by Sheida Soleimani
Eggs
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2023/03/Cardinal-Nest-1.jpg)
Photo from the Wildlife Center of Virginia
Egg
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_37dd.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
Just Hatched
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-27-at-1.17.22-PM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
1 Day Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-27-at-1.18.35-PM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
~1st Week - 6.3g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2022/05/280122635_10220403478703373_3722080181051693680_n.jpg)
Photo by Sheida Soleimani
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/Frame-19-04-2020-08-50-01.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/Frame-19-04-2020-08-50-19.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/Frame-19-04-2020-08-50-43.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/Frame-19-04-2020-08-51-08.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/Frame-19-04-2020-08-51-49.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/Frame-19-04-2020-08-52-12.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/Frame-19-04-2020-08-52-31.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
3 Days Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-27-at-1.19.09-PM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
~1st week - 10g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/05/IMG_4284.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st week - 10g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/05/IMG_4285.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 10g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/05/IMG_4259-1.jpg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic
~1st Week - 10g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/05/IMG_4267-1.jpg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic
4 Days Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-27-at-1.19.47-PM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
5 Days Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-28-at-8.20.52-AM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
5 Days Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-28-at-8.21.47-AM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/19748021_10155054212613347_96527321_o.jpg)
Photo by Ingrid Hodel, WildCare Oklahoma
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/19747726_10155054212673347_1412426339_o.jpg)
Photo by Ingrid Hodel, WildCare Oklahoma
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/19720366_10155054212663347_1279730841_o.jpg)
Photo by Ingrid Hodel, WildCare Oklahoma
~1st Week - 16g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/06/fullsizeoutput_3d81.jpeg)
Photo by Kylee Schooley, The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week - 16g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/06/fullsizeoutput_3d8b.jpeg)
Photo by Kylee Schooley, The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week - 16g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/06/fullsizeoutput_3d88.jpeg)
Photo by Kylee Schooley, The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/07/fullsizeoutput_413a.jpeg)
Photo by Andrea Aiuto
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/07/fullsizeoutput_4142.jpeg)
Photo by Andrea Aiuto
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/07/fullsizeoutput_413d.jpeg)
Photo by Andrea Aiuto
6 Days Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-28-at-8.22.10-AM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/IMG_3085.jpg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic
~1st Week - 16g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3aab.jpeg)
Photo from The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week - 16g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3aa2.jpeg)
Photo from The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week - 19g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_37ea.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 19g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_37ee.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 19g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_37f4.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 19g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_37f7.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 21g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3815.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 21g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3818.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 21g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_381b.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~1st Week - 20g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3aa7.jpeg)
Photo from The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week - 20g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3aad.jpeg)
Photo from The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week - 20g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3aaf.jpeg)
Photo from The Wildlife Center of Virginia
~1st Week - 22g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/42074448025_1527242d67_o.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week - 22g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/42074582335_0d9b414628_o.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
7 Days Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-28-at-8.22.47-AM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/09/11219565_407680846098519_7551494511986280632_o.jpg)
Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds
~1st Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/09/11802695_453231818210088_8627507285712210480_o.jpg)
Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds
~1st Week - avg. 22g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_2aae.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~1st Week - avg. 22g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_2ab0.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
8 Days Old
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-28-at-8.23.29-AM.jpg)
Photo by Lisa Gibson
~2nd Week - 20g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_382c.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~2nd Week - 20g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_3825.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~2nd Week - 20g
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_382a.jpeg)
Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2023/03/2010.jpg)
Photo from the Wildlife Center of Virginia
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2023/03/2010-2.jpg)
Photo from the Wildlife Center of Virginia
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/21329471_10155256232913347_707750018_o.jpg)
Photo by Ingrid Hodel, WildCare Oklahoma
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_39bf.jpeg)
Photo by Nikki Becich, Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_39c3.jpeg)
Photo by Nikki Becich, Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_38da.jpeg)
Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2019/05/fullsizeoutput_38dc.jpeg)
Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/09/11952965_453231891543414_6739075660020976861_o.jpg)
Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds
~2nd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/09/13235411_533931573473445_3632580484280724692_o.jpg)
Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds
~3rd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/48992320028_f7c1842439_o-scaled.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
~3rd Week
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2020/04/48992862811_b2f6da6928_o.jpeg)
Photo by Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center
>4 Weeks
![](https://sites.tufts.edu/babybirds/files/2018/04/DSC_0093.jpg)
Photo by Britney Hover