Do the Blue Cardinals Exist? Fact VS Fiction!

You’re not the only one who’s wondering. Searching “are there blue cardinals” turns up a lot of conflicting information, so we set out to find the definitive answer. After asking a few experts and doing our own research, we found some interesting things about this surprisingly popular question.

Do the Blue Cardinals Actually Exist?

The short answer is NO, they do not exist. Still, there is some confusion out there so lets look at this in more detail. What are the possible causes for this rumor and what might be the birds that people actually mistake for Blue Cardinals.

Who Started the Silly Rumor of Blue Cardinals?

Rumors about the blue cardinal have been around for as long as anyone can remember. But it was the arrival of these rumors to social media that really pushed them into mainstream society.

What started this chain of events? According to sources, it all began when a group of friends started taking selfies with a beautiful blue cardinal and posting them on Instagram.

But it didn’t stop there. The friends then started to tell stories about the cardinal they had named Bob. Bob was apparently the “mascot” of this group of friends; a group that was full of creatives and writers who enjoyed sharing their stories with the world.

This is when things got interesting.

Some of these stories started to catch on. They were being shared and liked all over the internet. A few months later it was like they had gone viral, at least viral for social media. Of course, some of these stories were dismissed by many as a hoax or “fake news.” But the truth is that blue cardinals DO NOT exist.

Did these stories about Bob originate from a real cardinals or were they just made up? I cannot say for sure. But one thing is for sure. People love a good story!

And the blue cardinal is just that: A good story! Regardless of whether or not Bob was ever real, the rumors about him have grown to epic proportions. Of course, some people love talking about it and others hate it. Having a conversation about this topic can quickly turn into an argument.

How Many Different Cardinals are there?

There are actually 3 species of Cardinal Birds. They are:

The Northern Cardinal

If you have any interest in birds, then you’ve likely seen the Northern Cardinal. This red bird is often seen perched on tree branches, looking for a meal. Cardinals are found throughout North America except in the Canadian arctic tundra and along parts of the east coast. They can be found in both rural and urban regions across Canada and the United States.

The Northern Cardinal is the official bird of several states in the United States. You’re likely to see them at birdfeeders in your yard during the winter, when they’re not out looking for insects and seeds to eat. As their name implies, they are a cardinal-colored bird, primarily scarlet red with a black mask across the eyes and a black beak. These colors make them easy to identify. Males and females look alike. Cardinals mostly eat fruits and berries during the summer months when they’re in season. They also eat insects, small reptiles and even snails.

Vermilion Cardinal

Vermilion Cardinal birds are small songbirds native to the United States, Mexico, and Central America. They are commonly seen in places like backyards, parks, and woodlands. They live year-round in the southern part of their range but migrate north during the winter.

One of their main predators is the hawk. Cardinal birds also have many natural enemies, especially during the summer, when they make nests in gardens and parks. Besides hawks, other potential predators include medium to large-sized owls (for example: barn owl) and snakes (for example: black rat snake). Cardinals are also vulnerable to many types of diseases and parasites.

Vermilion Cardinal birds feed primarily on insects, and they forage for food on the ground by walking or hopping. They also eat fruits in the summer. They communicate using high-pitched whistles, and their diet consists of seeds, berries, fruit, insects, spiders, centipedes, millipedes and other invertebrates.

The Cardinal Bird is extremely territorial, especially during the mating season. During breeding season, they perform a courtship dance that includes bobbing their heads up and down, fanning their tail feathers, and flapping their wings vigorously. Vermilion Cardinals make nests in cavities or dense shrubs in order to protect them from predators. The male builds the nest and places it in a tree cavity or shrub.

Red-crested Cardinal

Red-crested Cardinals are native to the tropical parts of Central America. This species can be found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama. The birds live in a range of habitats including forests and coast lines and they will usually build their nests on the ground or low in trees.

The Red-crested Cardinal is a small bird with a red crest and pinkish bill. Both sexes are very similar, with the only difference being that the female is slightly smaller than the male. This bird has a typical bill shape for the family and has a large crest on its head.

The Red-crested Cardinal is a lively bird with a beautiful, melodic voice that can be heard at any time of the day. The birds feed mostly on fruits and berries in their habitat. They live in groups of up to 12 individuals and will breed to try and make their population more stable.

Red-crested Cardinals are a very territorial bird and will defend their area from other Red-crested Cardinals. They do this by singing and making themselves known in the area.

The species is diurnal, which means they are most active during the day time hours and rest at night. This bird is very vocal, often singing loudly as it flies around its territory.

Birds That Could be Mistaken for Blue Cardinals

These birds are not actually Blue Cardinals, but are blue in appearance that you might think they are. Here is a list of some of the birds that could be mistaken for a blue cardinal:

Indigo Bunting

The Indigo Bunting is a small bird that lives in North America. This bird has a blue chest, and the word “Indigo” comes from the color of its chest. They can be found usually in open fields with short grasses and bushes, or near trees.

Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea) are bright blue all over, with darker blue on their heads. They also grow to about 5.5 inches in length, and can be heard, high in trees, calling “see see, see see, cheddar cheddar, see see,” and “wizzzz, wizzzz.” Female buntings are light brown in color. Lazuli Buntings are also mostly blue, but they have a lot of white and orange on them, making their sky blue color less noticeable. Indigo Buntings are common backyard birds of America’s eastern states during the summer.

The indigo bunting primarily eats insects, berries, seeds and grains. The female builds the nest by herself, but the male helps feed her and defend their territory. The eggs are typically blue or greenish white with brown splotches.

It is a perch-feeder which spends the majority of its time on the ground or low in a shrub.

Eastern Bluebirds

Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are found in every state east of the Rockies. Male bluebirds have bright blue backs, wings, tails, and heads, with orange colored breasts and throats. They also have white from the lower belly to the tail. Female bluebirds look similar, but their colors are more dull and grayish, particularly on the back and head. These birds grow to about 7 inches long, and call “wididewdewdew.” Bluebirds nest in holes in trees or in bird boxes. Bluebirds love meadows and fields.

Eastern bluebirds are native to North America. They are a little larger than the more common bluebird, and their plumage can appear orangish in color. These birds will typically breed from March through June, they will make nests with a hollowed out tree, building them from scratch or taking over abandoned squirrel homes and enlarging them. Eastern Bluebirds have four to eight eggs that hatch after 12 days of incubation.

Due to their striking color, Eastern Bluebirds have been used in art, and their songs have been used for music. In 2006, the Eastern Bluebird was chosen to appear on a U.S. postage stamp in a set of four depicting American birds in flight. This shows that people consider it to be an important bird species in the United States.

Western Bluebirds

Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) live primarily in the very Western US and in Mexico, though they come as far east as West Texas. Texas and New Mexico are the only places where the eastern and western bluebirds’ ranges (as well as that of the upcoming mountain bluebird) overlap. Male western bluebirds have a deeper, darker blue and a deeper and darker orange on their bodies than do the eastern males. They also have completely blue heads, with no orange throats, as the orange starts at their breasts, and it also extends back behind their shoulders. Females look very similar to eastern females. These birds grow to the same size as their eastern counterparts, and have a similar song.

Western Bluebirds are found in open country west of the Rocky Mountains where they make their nests in cavities or woodpecker holes. Western bluebirds typically build nests in tree cavities, but also use fence posts, utility poles and other man-made structures. The female lays 3 or 4 eggs. The male and female both incubate the eggs for 12 to 14 days. The young fledge after 14 to 15 days.

These birds mainly eat insects, but also consume berries and seeds.

Mountain Bluebirds

Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) can be found throughout the west, and well into Canada and Alaska, and Mexico. They are usually seen alone or in pairs. Bluebirds fly swiftly and maneuver easily in the air, often catching insects on the wing. The bluebird is a fairly small, bright bird with a short tail. The head and body length of the Mountain Bluebird is about 6 in (16 cm). It has a wingspan of 11-14 in (22 cm) and weighs about 0.9 oz (22 g).

They are lighter in color, with a deep sky blue color on their backs, wings, and heads, and a lighter sky blue on their undersides. They grow to slightly larger lengths than do the other species of bluebird, and can be heard saying “jerf, jerf.” .

These birds may be found in fields, old meadows, clearings, streamside thickets and open woodland habitats throughout the western United States and Canada . They winter from southern California to South America .

The male Mountain Bluebird is very territorial. He will defend a large territory and all of the food and other resources found within it. Males are aggressive towards other males and even rival females.

Mountain Bluebirds breed in early spring, nesting from April to June. The female lays three or four eggs, which both parents help to incubate. The young leave the nest at about 12 days of age.

Mountain Bluebirds migrate in autumn, traveling overland to wintering grounds in southern California, Arizona and Mexico. It is known for its lovely song, which consists of very high pitched notes in a trilling pattern.

These birds forage on the ground or from low bushes. They mainly eat insects, including ants, beetles, grasshoppers and caterpillars. They will also eat some weed seeds and berries.

Mountain Bluebirds are very vulnerable to pesticides that are sprayed on fields. They may also be threatened by buildings that block out areas of their habitat.

In the early 20th century the bluebirds habitat decreased dramatically due to increased farming, modernized construction methods and the introduction of aggressive bird species from Europe. Because of this reduction, many people have not witnessed the unexpected delight of seeing a bluebird elegantly swoop into their hurried world.

Blue Grosbeak

Blue Grosbeaks (Guiraca caerulea) are found everywhere in the lower two thirds of the states, and in much of Mexico. These birds look identical to Indigo Buntings, except they have thicker bills, and grow to nearly 7 inches in length, and have rufous colored wing bars. Females look like big female buntings, except they too have light brown wing bars.

Excluding jays, these are the most common blue birds of America. They make their nests in trees and lay 4 or 5 eggs. The eggs are bluish white with some light brown speckling. Nest predators include squirrels, weasels, snakes, cats, crows and more.

Blue Grosbeak are widespread in the Southwest, and are very common throughout most of the country. They breed in trees, shrubs or on cliffs. The male sings a loud, clear trill from a high perch.

Blue Grosbeak is the only grosbeak to regularly visit feeders, eating sunflower seeds and millet.