Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Red-crested Cardinal has a sweet, melodious, and slow voice with notes at high frequencies. Its song is slow and resembles "tchew tweet chuu tweet chuwiit tuup tweet chuu", often repeated (Jaramillo 2011). While the whistle is loud and clear, the notes are lilting, and often warbled or slurred with some occasional squawky tones (Belton 1985). The notes are evenly spaced with roughly one-second intervals (Perlo 2009). Phrases are often sung in pairs or along with a subsong, and in captivity it may imitate other birds (Sick 1993). When agitated P. coronata may sing faster and longer phrases (Belton 1985). A second recorded song is hurried with a complex, speedy, nasal warble and sharp frequency modulated notes (Jaramillo 2011).

The call of P. coronata is a nasal ascending "phwit" or "chuup" (Jaramillo 2011).

Additional audio recordings of vocalizations of Red-crested Cardinal can be heard at Macaulay Library and at xeno-canto.

None reported.