Named for the male's bright red plumage, this species is native to the North American mainland. The race C. c. canicaudus was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands from Texas or Oklahoma starting in 1929. They were established on the big island by 1933 increasing to a maximum by about 1990 after which they started to decline. We only encountered a few on our visit. The race C. c. canicaudus is characterized by shorter wings and slightly larger bill than nominate C. c. cardinalis from the Eastern United States. The male C. c. canicaudus are a more intense red and the black band across the forehead is narrower. Females are grayer above and paler below and have a less distinct face-mask compared to nominate cardinalis females. Like nominate the males have a dull red crest and the females have a gray (not black) face mask. Formerly placed in the genus Richmondena.
