Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Greg Gillson
Northern Cardinals may be the most popular bird in the United States.
They are year-round residents throughout their range. They live in the eastern United States, the Southeast, and the South as far west as Arizona.
How do you attract Northern Cardinals to your feeder? Continue reading to learn how to attract Northern Cardinals to your yard.
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| Northern Cardinal. Greg Gillson. |
Why attract Northern Cardinals to your bird feeder?
Male Northern Cardinals are strikingly beautiful. They are a shocking red. And they are a good-sized bird, larger than the sparrows and finches that visit your feeder. So they are easy to spot when they show up.
Unlike the shy chickadees and nuthatches, Northern Cardinals will sit in your feeder and eat seeds. They don’t dash in and out as those other birds. So you can spend more time watching them.
The spring song of the Northern Cardinal is a series of loud, pleasant, short whistles. If Northern Cardinals visit your feeder, that probably means they nest in your neighborhood, too.
Guess what? Female Northern Cardinals also sing! How wonderful!
What foods will attract Northern Cardinals to your feeder?
Northern Cardinals are fond of all types of sunflower seeds, especially black oil sunflower.
Northern Cardinals will eat safflower seeds. These are often fed at feeders where squirrels are a problem. Most squirrels don’t like safflower seeds. But I always hear of someone who has a squirrel that does like safflower seeds after all!
They will also eat peanut hearts, other mixed bird seeds. They may eat fruit and berries.
If you choose to feed a bird seed mix, make sure not to feed seed with red milo.
The best mixed bird seed that I have found is Wagner’s Songbird Supreme. It is 50% sunflower seeds and doesn’t have any cheap filler seed that birds won’t eat. This seed attracts the largest variety of birds to your feeder.
In winter, Northern Cardinals will eat suet.
For my home feeders, I always purchase St Albans Bay Suet blocks. It comes in several flavors, including peanut and berry. They fit in required special suet cages, which are a type of bird feeder.
What kind of feeders do Northern Cardinals like?
Northern Cardinals like platform feeders best.
They will also feed from larger hopper feeders and larger tube feeders if they have a wide tray. They don’t like small perches or any feeder where they have to hang from it to feed.
Often, though, you may see Northern Cardinals feeding on the ground below feeders.
You may scatter sunflower seed on the ground for them.
Where to place your bird feeder for Northern Cardinals
In more natural settings, Northern Cardinals spend much time in low dense tangled bushes. They often feed on the ground, venturing out cautiously from the bushes.
Thus, to attract Northern Cardinals, place your bird feeder near cover, so they have dense bushes into which to escape.
They like to feed low, so place their feeder low to the ground, if possible.
However, if cats are a problem, a large hanging feeder will work too.
The closer the feeder is to the edge of the yard, the safer birds will feel, and the more they will use it. Avoid placing a feeder all by itself out in the middle of the lawn. Birds will feel too vulnerable there.
When placing your feeder, be sure you can see it out the window from your favorite chair!
How else can you attract Northern Cardinals to your yard?
Northern Cardinals will use bird baths. They will be attracted to any water feature–especially where there is moving water that makes any kind of splashing sound. Birds really love that!
These birds will appreciate thick low bushes and hedges. They like thorny scrubby bushes, too. The unkempt edges of woods will attract them. If the bushes have any type of berries, they will likely eat them.
They also may nest in thick hedges.
They don’t nest in enclosed bird houses. But they may use a nesting shelf. These have a roof and are open on the front. Other birds that like this nesting shelf include American Robins, Eastern Phoebes, and Mourning Doves. So if you find a shelf for them, Cardinals may also use it.
Problems with Northern Cardinals: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
I can’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t want to attract Northern Cardinals to their home.
However, the following may keep cardinals from visiting.
Cardinals have trouble eating from tube feeders with small perches and no trays.
I really love the way my iBorn tube feeder looks, with it’s copper top. A screwdriver takes off the lower perch and opens it up for cleaning. This feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds attracts all types of finches, chickadees, and nuthatches. The smaller perches and lack of tray mean that you’ll have fewer House Sparrows, Starlings, Doves, and Jays at this feeder.
While cardinals will eat suet in winter, they don’t like to hang from suet feeders as some other birds do.
I bought a Nature’s Way Upside-down suet feeder a couple years ago and have been very happy with it. Chickadees, nuthatches, bushtits, and woodpeckers eat from it easily. But starlings, blackbirds, and jays can’t hang upside down to get at the suet.
Wrapping Up
Northern Cardinals are frequent visitors to bird feeders for several reasons:
Dietary Needs:
- Seed eaters: Cardinals primarily eat seeds throughout the year, with their strong, thick beaks perfectly adapted for cracking open sunflower seeds, peanuts, and other hard-shelled options.
- Reliable source: Bird feeders offer a readily available and consistent source of food, especially during winter when natural food sources are scarce.
- Variety: Many feeders offer a mix of seeds, attracting cardinals with their diverse preferences. Cardinals enjoy sunflower seeds, black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cracked corn, and even thistle.
Behavioral Factors:
- Flock feeders: Cardinals often forage in small groups, and feeders provide a safe and familiar place to gather and socialize.
- Easy access: Feeders offer convenient access to food compared to searching for scattered seeds on the ground or in dense vegetation.
- Observation points: Feeders serve as elevated perches, allowing cardinals to scan their surroundings for potential predators and mates.
Habitat Suitability:
- Urban adaptation: Cardinals have successfully adapted to living alongside humans and readily visit backyards with feeders, finding them suitable foraging grounds.
- Competition: Feeders can offer more predictable food sources than natural habitats, especially in areas with high bird competition.
Overall:
The combination of dietary needs, behavioral patterns, and habitat suitability makes bird feeders highly attractive to Northern Cardinals. They become reliable sources of tasty food, social interaction, and strategic observation points, contributing to the cardinals’ success and popularity among backyard birdwatchers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you identify a Northern Cardinal?
Identifying a Northern Cardinal is relatively easy thanks to their distinct appearance and readily observable behaviors. Here are some key features to help you recognize them:
Male Cardinals:
- Coloration: The most striking feature is their vibrant red plumage, covering most of their body except for the black face mask, wings, and tail.
- Crest: They have a prominent, pointed crest on their head.
- Bill: Their thick, conical bill is bright red, matching their overall color scheme.
- Size: They are medium-sized songbirds, roughly the size of a robin, with a length of 8-9 inches and a wingspan of 11-13 inches.
Female Cardinals:
- Coloration: Female cardinals are much less vibrant than males. They have a reddish-brown upper body and wings, with pale orange markings on the wings and tail. Their underparts are pale brown.
- Face mask: They also have a black face mask, just like the males.
- Crest: Similar to males, they have a smaller, but present, crest on their head.
- Bill: Their bill is red-orange, not as bright as the male’s but still noticeable.
Additional identification tips:
- Song: Male cardinals have a beautiful, clear whistle song that often includes repeated phrases like “cheer cheer” or “what-cheer.”
- Behavior: Both males and females are quite active, often seen hopping and foraging on the ground, in shrubs, or at feeders.
- Geographic range: They are found year-round throughout most of eastern and central North America, making them a common sight in many backyards.
What are some other names for the Northern Cardinal?
The Northern Cardinal, with its vibrant red plumage and beautiful song, boasts several interesting alternative names. Here are a few:
Descriptive names:
- Redbird: This straightforward name aptly describes the male cardinal’s most striking feature.
- Red-coated Grosbeak: This name highlights the bird’s thick bill and its resemblance to the larger grosbeak family.
- Crested Redbird: This name acknowledges the male’s prominent crest perched atop its head.
- Virginia Nightingale: This historical name, dating back to early settlers, compares the cardinal’s song to the European nightingale’s song.
Regional names:
- Cardinal Redbird (Southern US): Emphasizes both the color and the connection to its cardinal name.
- Red-bird (Caribbean): A simple and widely used name in the region.
- Cardenal Norteño (Spanish): The Spanish translation of “Northern Cardinal.”
- Cardinal rouge (French): The French translation of “red cardinal.”
Indigenous names:
- Tohwohsa (Cherokee): This translates to “red one.”
- Chep-a-wau-wau (Menominee): Meaning “fire bird.”
- Weeng’i (Ojibwe): Translates to “chief.”
What does it mean when a Northern Cardinal visits you?
As with many animal encounters, attributing specific meanings to a Northern Cardinal visiting you depends largely on personal beliefs and cultural interpretations. There’s no scientific basis for assigning definitive meanings to animal behavior. However, here are some common interpretations you might encounter:
Positive interpretations:
- Hope and joy: The vibrant red plumage and cheerful song of the cardinal often symbolize hope, happiness, and new beginnings. Seeing one might be interpreted as a positive omen or a reminder to embrace joy in life.
- Love and connection: Cardinals are known for their strong pair bonds and elaborate courtship displays. Some cultures associate them with love, fidelity, and strong relationships. Their visit could be seen as a symbol of love, approaching romance, or strengthening existing connections.
- Renewal and transformation: As seasonal changes occur, cardinals adapt beautifully. Their presence could symbolize personal growth, resilience, or the ability to navigate life’s transitions with grace.
- Good luck and fortune: In some cultures, cardinals are seen as lucky charms or messengers of good fortune. Their visit might be interpreted as a sign of upcoming positive events or opportunities.
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