The family Cardinalidae includes 13 species found in North America.

Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Buntings are seed eaters. The conical bill is thick, short and powerful. Seed kernels can easily be cracked open. Insects are also a significant part of the diet. The plumage of the males is often very colorful in breeding plumage. Songs of birds in the Cardinalidae family tend to be very musical. The clutch size is 3-4 eggs.