If bird watching hasn’t been your thing in Red Dead Redemption 2, you may change your mind after catching a glimpse of the cardinals that populate the American West. These tiny little fellas have striking red feathers as bright as holly berries and an acute triangular crest atop their heads.
Though these recognizable birds can be a rare sight, they are found in a shockingly wide array of locations throughout the American West. Whether they fascinate you or not, you may need to track some down from time to time to progress through dailies and other tasks in Red Dead Online. So, for your convenience, we have sighted out the best Cardinal locations in RDR2 and RDO.
Best Cardinal Locations
New Austin
Cardinals aren’t well adjusted to New Austin’s desert heat, but they will visit the farm animals residing in the pens in the southwest region of the MacFarlane’s Ranch property.
West Elizabeth
- Northeast of their vacation spot in New Austin, Cardinals can be found to the northeast just across from MacFarlane’s Ranch on the opposite bank of the Lower Montana River.
- Quaker’s Cove to the east is another good spot to go bird-watching when seeking out Cardinals.
- Northeast of Quaker’s Cove, keep another habitat in the Southeast Great Plains, right between where the “T” and “H” in West Elizabeth fall on the map.
- Heading back to the Tall Trees region in the west, Cardinals have been seen covering a wider span east and northeast of the Aurora Basin.
- You’re also likely to spot some Cardinals by riding along the western bank of the Upper Montana River bank north of the Aurora Basin location.
- The land running north of the Owanjila pool is also good bird-watching grounds for Cardinals.
- Keep your eyes peeled for the little red birds when riding through the land around Rigg’s Station in the southwestern Big Valley region.
- You may find Cardinals hanging out around or near the farmstead along the northern bank of Little Creek River.
- West of there is another Cardinal habitat that runs west and northwest of Wallace Station.
Ambardino
- Crossing the northern border into Ambardino, you may spot another Cardinal or two along the path northeast of Cattail Pond.
- Following the train tracks, southwest from Granite Pass is a suitable method of finding a few Cardinals as well.
- Heading over to Eastern Ambardino, Moonstone Pond is a favorite watering hole among most of the Grizzlies East’ wildlife, including Cardinals.
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Further northeast, the northern shores of O’Creagh’s Run is another known Cardinal habitat.
New Hanover
Lemoyne
- North of the Brandywine Drop is the most northern location you’ll find Cardinals.
- Cardinals like to alternate across the bends in the Kamassa River just north of Annesburg.
- West of Annesburg, there is a smaller habitat on the opposite bank of the Kamassa.
- Following the Kamassa River South, there are two more Cardinal habitats on the southwestern and southeastern tips of the Elysian Pool.
- There’s another minor Cardinal habitat along the bank of the Lannahechee River, east of the previous locations.
- You’ll find more Cardinals inhabiting the abandoned Van Horn Trading Post south of the previous location.
- Cardinals have been seen in a couple of areas around the border between Roanoke Ridge and The Heartlands.
- Cardinals can be found in the central-most region of The Heartlands southeast of The Heartland Oil Fields.
- Also, check The Heartland Oil Fields’ western and northern borders where indicated on the map.
- In Cumberland Forest, you may spot some Cardinals on either side of Fort Wallace.
- Hands down, the most abundant and widespread Cardinal Habitat lies along the Dakota River, primarily on the New Hanover side. Still, you may spot them on the west Elizabeth side as well. You’re likely to spot Cardinals in the fields of The Heartlands running near the river.
- Starting southeast of Flatneck Station in the southern Heartlands, you may find more Cardinals if you travel northeast.
- Another small Cardinal habitat straddles the border between New Hanover and Lemoyne, south of Emerald Ranch.
- Cardinals keep one habitat in the Bluewater Marsh below the waterway that trickles in from the Lanahechee River.
- You may also find Cardinals around the easternmost docks in Saint Denis.
- Crossing into the Scarlett Meadows, another small population of Cardinals resides along the shore of the Lanahechee on the state’s southern coast.
- Braithwaite Manor has its own population of cardinals in the western region of the estate along the shores of Flat Iron Lake.
- North of Bolger Glade is an excellent area to scope out as well.
- The south, west, and northeast borders of Rhodes have decent Cardinal populations.
- The northern stretch of Ringneck Creek is a good area to check too.