50 Cardinal Tattoos to Remember Loved Ones | Cake Blog (2024)

Memorializing a loved one with a cardinal tattoo is a great way to pay tribute to them. Not only does it show that you loved and respected them, but it also conveys how you plan on keeping their memory alive.

If you are struggling to decide what kind of cardinal tattoo you should get, consider everything your loved one enjoyed besides cardinals. They may have enjoyed a specific time of day or season. Think about the activities and places they loved. Here’s a long list of ideas to get you started.

Jump ahead to these sections:

• What Do Cardinal Tattoos Mean?
• Memorial Cardinal Tattoo Ideas with Flowers
• Black and White Memorial Cardinal Tattoo Ideas
• Small Memorial Cardinal Tattoo Ideas
• Large Cardinal Memorial Tattoo Ideas
• Cardinal Tattoo Ideas for Your Wrist
• Religious or Spiritual Cardinal Tattoo Ideas
• Quotes to Add to a Cardinal Memorial Tattoo

Red Bird or Cardinal Tattoo Meaning

Unsurprisingly, this lovely ruby or pale, brown-colored bird represents many things for many people. Across cultures, you’ll discover that cardinals have many symbolic meanings. A cardinal is undoubtedly more than just a beautiful bird.

Here are some of the ideas that cardinals represent.

Spiritual messengers

One common belief is that cardinals are birds sent from Heaven as spiritual messengers. For many people, spotting a red cardinal is a sign that their loved one is happy or safe in the afterlife. For others, the cardinal is a symbol of loss.

Hope

Cardinals are easily spotted against the white snow. For this reason, they are a symbol of hope and joy that winter will end and spring will come.

Happiness

Happiness is often associated with the cardinal as well as the cardinal tattoo. The bright color and song of the cardinal make people joyful.

Christmas

There are different ideas on why cardinals are associated with Christmas. Some say the birds are easily seen against the snow common during Christmastime. Others associate the red-colored birds with the red vestments of Roman Catholic leading bishops. Still others associate the red color with the blood of Jesus.

Love

You can often spot the beautiful bright-colored male bird with its mate, a reddish, brownish-colored female that has similar markings. Seeing these two birds together can evoke the thought and feeling of love.

These are just a few of the meanings assigned to cardinals. But in the end, what cardinals symbolize when they become part of your body is up to you to define.

Memorial Cardinal Tattoo Ideas with Flowers

Choose from cultivated or wildflowers with summer or winter themes and various tattooing effects for visual appeal.

1. Male cardinal and yellow roses

Yellow is a happy color. Think of the sun, swallowtail butterflies, gold rings, daisies, and yellow roses.

Choosing a bright red male cardinal with a yellow rose signifies family and joy. If you need a pick-me-up, you can look at the boldness of color and remember brighter days.

2. Watercolor flowers with cardinals

A more recent trend in tattooing has been the watercolor technique, which, admittedly, fades more quickly than color-saturated tattoos.

Still, the style allows for broader use of colors that might otherwise look messy. The splashes of color can create a sense of movement, which may remind you of the cardinal in flight.

Pro-tip: Flowers are more than just a backdrop. Each type of flower has a special meaning.

3. Prairie flowers with cardinal

Choose from any of the wildflowers located nearby or ones that remind you of the places you had visited with your loved one.

Create a colorful, dramatic scene on your forearm or leg, or choose tiny tattoos on the sides of your fingers or shoulder.

4. Cardinal on spruce

Create a wintry scene with a cardinal perched on a spruce branch, with berries, pinecones, and a few red flowers for effect.

Include your loved one’s name and the date of their passing on a branch, or ask the tattoo artist to create a kind of sash for visibility.

5. Stained glass

Consider featuring rosettes and cardinals on a tattoo designed to look like a stained glass window.

Black and White Memorial Cardinal Tattoo Ideas

Consider using varying shades of black and white ink for this popular technique. Maintain the theme or add dimension with a spot of red on a rose bloom or cardinal feather.

6. Black and white flowers with red cardinal

Opt for a black and white backdrop for the tattoo to make the red cardinal pop. Choose to color the entire cardinal in red or add a red shade to its tail, head, and back.

Include a quote from one of the famous poems about cardinals, or challenge yourself to write a short poem about your loved one.

7. Cardinal with a timepiece

Human existence relies on the notion of time. Time shapes us – whether we have too much of it, very little to spare, or none left to give. The classic timepiece with a chain and analog face is a popular tattoo design idea.

Adorn it with a cardinal and compass or human eye for depth of imagery.

8. Cardinal with majestic wings

Extend the wings and tail feathers of the cardinal past their natural state so that they imitate the breadth of love or friendship of a lost loved one.

As a black and white tattoo, the exaggerated length of the wing and tail feather will highlight your loved one’s ability to give, soar, and bring joy.

9. Hawaiian theme with cardinal

Cardinals are not native to Hawaii, though they’re now common throughout the islands and known to sing, chirp, and trill at dawn.

If your loved one often vacationed on any of the islands, you might like to remember them with a Hawaiian-themed tattoo that includes the symbolic cardinal.

10. Tree of Life with cardinal

The tree of life is a symbol that escapes no culture. Some believe it connects those on Earth with the gods and goddesses above. Others believe it represents a universal source of wisdom, enlightenment, or equilibrium in the world.

Wherever your beliefs land, choose to include the cardinal on one of its many branches so that your lost loved one remains present when you pray, meditate, commune with nature, or do whatever you choose to find your spirituality or worship.

Small Memorial Cardinal Tattoo Ideas

Minimalism meets maximum meaning for small memorial cardinal tattoos. Small tattoos aren’t less meaningful. Consider the tattoo’s placement on the body to give it special meaning. Consider using a non-traditional pattern or technique.

11. Finger tattoos

Celebrities with social media accounts have made tiny finger tattoos popular.

Small red feathers, simple cardinal outlines, and even more detailed cardinal heads and beaks can fit discreetly anywhere between your fingers. Since they’re so small, you can get more tattoos for the same price as a larger tattoo elsewhere.

12. Wrist infinity tattoos

The lemniscate (infinity sign) is an algebraic symbol, and its use has found a path through ancient history, symbolism, graphic design, and even encoding. Like any timepiece, the symbol adjusts to how you view it.

Add in a cardinal, and you might create something that means endless hope, an eternal familial bond, or even enduring love. The typical placement for this memorial wrist tattoo is on the same side as the most dominant hand, so you can look at it often.

13. Flock of birds

Flocks of bird silhouettes have nestled into mainstream movies, art, children’s literature, and now, tattoos. You may even recall seeing a few pictorials with blackbirds rising from a single feather or soaring across an autumn moon.

Keep the original theme to represent cardinals but add one red silhouette for effect. Design your ink with as many shapes as you like and with whatever background seems fitting.

14. Red outlines

Instead of the traditional black outline, choose a red design. Keep the shape, including the spikiness of a cardinal’s head feathers, and add a black eye for general effect, but leave the entire tattoo without detail.

The tattoo may be designed to look like a child’s drawing of a bird, making it ideal for anyone wanting to represent children and general youth.

15. Cartoon bird

Skip the realism and choose a cardinal tattoo that is more cartoon-like. Add tiny bird tracks for effect if the tattoo is anywhere near or on your feet.

Large Cardinal Memorial Tattoo Ideas

Most tattoo artists agree that getting a memorial tattoo can be cathartic. While in the chair, you can discuss the life and memories of your lost loved one and finally leave with a piece of art that makes you proud. The bigger the tattoo, the better the chat.

16. Abstract Japanese art

Mix and match your art, using a balance of modern aesthetics with traditional pieces, such as origami-shaped birds perched in the front of a realistic-looking branch filled with cherry blossoms. Or opt for seigaiha (waves) below a soaring male and female cardinal.

17. Your favorite season

One can’t help but notice the wild, gorgeous red male and yellow female cardinals soaring, swooping, and perching throughout summer. Even more impressive is the striking contrast of their feathers against the snow-backed greenery of winter.

18. Flowers and vines

Expand your ideas from using one or two flowers to expressing yourself with a bountiful display of floral grandeur from your shoulder to wrist. Create a story that wraps around your arm so no two angles tell the same tale.

Include flowers that have yet to bloom and even ones that have reached full-color display. Leave areas black and gray, or color the entire piece for the most dramatic effect.

19. Full poems and quotes

Often, memorial tattoo quotes have few words, but you can change that to an entire poem or perhaps the full excerpt from your favorite book.

20. The blackout tattoo

Are you looking for a cardinal tattoo with more of an edge? Consider adding a blackout feature, such as inking an entire lower leg in black with a contrasting red cardinal. Include concepts above, such as the timepiece, spruce, and even abstract Japanese art.

Pro-tip: Blackout tattoos are more expensive and take longer to heal. And because they completely blackout pigmentation, you won’t be able to check for such things as melanoma.

Cardinal Tattoo Ideas for Your Wrist

Tiny wrist tattoos are popular. They’re cute and can be added to later – or are perfect as a stand-alone design.

21. Cardinal’s red feather

The plume from one cardinal feather is different than one might imagine, and it’s no wonder they are rarely found.

After all, the red brilliance of the male cardinal rests on its head alone, and those feathers are pretty tiny. Yet, the body is full of shades that seem somewhat faded, almost brown.

22. Petite encircled cardinal

Encircle the cardinal in bright sunny orange for even more color, playing with the feathers as they drape down the shoulder.

Don’t like the basic shapes? Then choose a hexagon—or anything that will give your tattoo some originality.

23. A cardinal’s pair of red wings

The wings alone will make a fantastic tattoo. But to make them more original, play with their placement instead of keeping them parallel with your wrist.

Try rotating them 45 degrees left or right to see if that slight adjustment is more appealing.

24. Two cardinal love birds on a branch

The tiniest of tattoos can also be the cutest. Choose a male and female cardinal and perch them facing one another on a small branch.

Play with the placement of wings, or consider something off-balance where one cardinal sits below the other on a crooked branch.

25. Minimalist cardinal tattoo

We have moved to a minimalist society with tiny homes and books to help you declutter your life and home.

So, why not make your tattoos minimalist, too? Sketch an outline of the bird in flight or perch to decide which basic drawing best suits your style.

26. Cardinal inside a heart tattoo

Situate the cardinal inside a heart to show your love. Get creative with where the red will support your design, too.

Even a simple design can be complex. Will you use watercolors outside of the heart but not inside? Will you color the heart in red or choose variations of a sunset?

27. Abstract cardinal

Does your cardinal have to look realistic? Not at all. You can make your bird as abstract or cartoon-like as you prefer.

Take note of the use of prismatic features, for instance. The addition of triangles throughout the shape of the cardinal can add just enough individuality to make it perfect for you

28. Sporting team cardinal

Seven professional sports teams call the cardinal their mascot, each with a different look.

From plumage accents to beaky grins, or even a cheeky “wings on hips” stubbornness, the cardinal can take on several personalities, some of which you may even prefer to the traditional cardinal remembrance tattoo.

Religious or Spiritual Cardinal Tattoo Ideas

Choose any spiritual or religious symbol to accent a cardinal, such as a cross, a star of David, a Karma wheel, a peace sign, yin yang symbol, or anything else that aligns with your beliefs.

29. Cardinal and candle

Liturgical candles are a fitting accent to the traditional cardinal tattoo, especially if the lit candle is glowing to signify your continued presence of thoughts for a loved one.

30. Cardinal and cross

The ideal placement for a cross is either right behind the cardinal, off-center or even a necklace draping from the neck.

Consider a cardinal gripping the cross in its feet while aloft and mid-flight.

31. Cardinal and peace sign

Center a roosted or in-flight cardinal in front of a traditional peace sign. Shade, the peace sign in anything that stands out to you or in consideration of your lost loved one, such as a purple gradient or tie-dye.

32. Cardinal and mala beads

Tattoo mala beads around your cardinal as a reminder of your intention.

These Buddhist symbols and tools for meditation can remind you daily to be open to receiving calmness in mind, body, and spirit.

33. Cardinal and rosary

The Catholic rosary is an ideal religious or spiritual addition to your cardinal tattoo.

34. Cardinal and yin and yang symbol

With everything, there is an opposite. A crevice carved with sorrow leaves room to fill with joy; adversity in a day’s trials meets returned love and gratitude.

No matter how you see the yin-yang symbol in your life, you could tattoo the image next to your memorial cardinal to remind you that even in pain, there is a gift of truth.

35. Tribal symbolism and cardinal

Some artists can create your tattoo in the tradition of Native Americans or global indigenous peoples. The best place to find those artists is through a basic image search.

36. Abstract cardinal

Instead of a traditional-looking cardinal, consider an abstract representation of the bird using geometric considerations where interesting shapes represent the body and wings.

Quotes to Add to a Cardinal Memorial Tattoo

Below are some general bird quotes for your cardinal memorial tattoo.

37. “In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” ― Robert Lynd

Lynd’s quote works for those who thought that silent contemplation gave them the most opportunities to hear the innermost thoughts that a busy day often ignores.

38. “Birds were created to record everything. They were not designed just to be beautiful jewels in the sky, but to serve as the eyes of heaven.” ― Suzy Kassem

Choose this quote if your loved one was quietly observant while going about their day.

39. “Love is not only the story of butterflies or birds; it is also the story of jackals and hounds.” ― M.F. Moonzajer

Use Monnzajer’s quote for the loved one who embraced both sides of their personalities.

40. “Cardinals appear when angels are near.” ― Holly Schindler

Holly Schindler’s quote works best for anyone who believes something awaits them after death.

41. “When you see birds flying from the sunset towards you, you will find it hard to convince yourself that they are not angels from heaven!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

Apply this quote to any bird and sunset motif to indicate awe for the world around you and the possibilities that await.

42. “Wise men don’t judge – they seek to understand.” ― Wei Wu Wei

Here’s a quote for the loved one whose Buddhist philosophy was as apparent as their smile.

43. “The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities.” ― Shunryu Suzuki

Consider using this quote if your loved one was curious from sun-up to sundown.

44. “Relax. Nothing is under control.” ― Adi Da

This is for the loved ones who saw the comedy in absolute truth.

45. “Still your waters.” ― Josh Waitzkin

Some parents taught that the way to truth was through patience. Others tried to remind you that disarray would cloud your goals.

46. “You are what you believe in. You become that which you believe you can become.” ― Bhagavad Gita

This quote is for those who knew that learning and becoming was a continuous process.

47. “You’re going to be happy,” said life. “But first, I’ll make you strong.” ― Unknown

If your parents tried to give you all the tools to succeed, even if there were some painful lessons, then consider this quote for them.

48. “Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson

Accompany this quote with the image of a cardinal singing among raindrops.

49. “Feathers brightly colored red, angels from heaven it’s been said. Those we’ve lost come from above. To lend us strength and show their love.” ― Unknown

This rhyme can help explain the reason behind your choice of image for your tattoo.

50. "In Memory of – "

Would it give you comfort to see your loved one's name every time you looked at your tattoo? Consider using this type of phrasing to go along with your cardinal tattoo.

Cardinal Tattoos Can Represent Many Meanings and Different Beliefs

As you can see from our extensive list, cardinal tattoos are versatile. This beautiful bird can be used to represent many different ideas and beliefs.

Sources:

1. Ghloum, Emilio. “The Significance for a timepiece.” The Ontarion, The Ontarion, 26 March 2015. theontarion.com
2. Michalak, Jodie. “Should I Get a Color or a Black and Gray Tattoo?” Byrdie, Byrdie, 26 June 2021. byrdie.com
3. Stanton, Kristen M. “Tree of Life Meanings, Symbols, and Mythology.” Uniguide, Uniguide, 24 June 2021. uniguide.com