| Measurements of living cardinals: | ||||||
| Population | Southeastern Mississippi (1) | Southern Indiana (2) | Southern Indiana (3) | Western Ohio (4) | South-central Wisconsin (2) | Southern Florida (5, 6) |
| Source | (MSD) | (Kinser 1973) | (JMJ) | (SUL) | (SLH) | Rindy Anderson, unpublished data |
| Bill length (7) | ||||||
| Male | 12.7 (56) | 15.9 ± 1.9 (11.0–18.5, 11) | ||||
| Female | 12.6 (52) | 15.8 ± 2.0 (13.0–19.5, 7) | ||||
| Wing length (chord, flattened) | ||||||
| Male | 95.2 (150) | 94.5 (33) | 97.8 ± 3.2 (94.5–105.0, 10) | |||
| Female | 92.5 (145) | 91.9 (27) | 93.2 ± 3.1 (90.0–98.0, 8) | |||
| Wing length (chord, natural curve) | ||||||
| Male | 91.29 (83) | 94.53 (53) | 88.06 (16) | |||
| Female | 89.11 (109) | 92.3 (80) | ||||
| Tail length (longest feather) | ||||||
| Male | 99.72 (83) | 99.7 (101) | 101.6 (33) | 104.8 ± 4.7 (98.5–114.0, 12) | 94 (16) | |
| Female | 96.83 (109) | 95.5 (102) | 98.2 (27) | 96.2 ± 4.6 (87.0–101.0, 10) | ||
| Tarsus length | ||||||
| Male | 24.2 (83) | 24.79 (53) | 28.3 ± 1.7 (24.0–30.0, 12) | |||
| Female | 23.99 (109) | 24.28 (80) | 27.9 ± 1.7 (25.0–30.0, 10) | |||
| Mass | ||||||
| Male | 40.45 (88) | 47.9 (257) | 46.9 (77) | 42.4 (33) | 44.6 ± 3.9 (40.0–52.3, 12) | 35.81 (15) |
| Female | 40.55 (112) | 45.5 (218) | 44.1 (52) | 42.9 (25) | 45.9 ± 3.5 (40.0–51.5, 10) | |
| Crest length | ||||||
| Male | 30.05 (83) | 31.08 (53) | 27.7 (16) | |||
| Female | 28.92 (109) | 29.4 (80) | ||||
(1) Measurements taken January to May.
(2) Measurements taken throughout year.
(3) Measurements taken December to February, following completion of molt.
(4) Measurements taken May–July.
(5) Measurements taken in March before breeding.
(6) Subspecies floridanus.
(7) In southern Indiana (Kinser data), culmen; in western Ohio, anterior edge of nasal fossa to bill-tip; in south-central Wisconsin, exposed culmen.