Cardinalis is a genus of birds in the family Cardinalidae.

[1][2] There are three species ranging across the Great Lakes region to northern South America.

Its most distinctive characteristics are the presence of a conspicuous crest and a thick and strong conical bill.

There is sexual dimorphism;[3] males have a greater amount of red in their plumage, and females have only some tints, with a predominance of gray.

Cladogram based on analysis by Tilston Smith and Klicka published in 2013.