DID YOU KNOW? Cardinals are not migratory, so residents of the eastern half of the U.S. get to enjoy them all year.
THE SUBJECT
It’s hard to resist northern cardinals—they’re lively, bright and amazing songsters. At about 9 inches, these flashy members of the finch family are easy to spot, if not by the males’ scarlet plumage, then by the long tails and crested heads of both the males and the reddish-tan, less showy females.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU
Cardinals aren’t picky about food or how you offer it. They are frequent backyard visitors, stopping at all kinds of feeders. Although they eat mostly seeds and fruit, cardinals supplement their diet with insects and will go after bugs to feed their nestlings. Feeders full of sunflower seeds and gardens with fruit-bearing plants such as sumac, hackberry and dogwood are surefire ways to keep them happy. (Read more: 6 Ways to Attract More Cardinals)
PERFECT PAIRS
If you spot a male, chances are his mate is nearby, especially in breeding season. This is one of the few species whose female sings. A pair of cardinals might even share song phrases, using them to communicate at nesting time. (Read more: Do Cardinals Mate for Life?)
Nagel Photography/Shutterstock.com Pyrrhuloxia
BIRDING BASICS TO THE CARDINAL’S COUNTERPART
The pyrrhuloxia, sometimes called the desert cardinal, can be found in the Southwest and has the same impressive crest as the northern cardinal. The coloring is a bit different, though: Male pyrrhuloxias are mostly gray with red accents.
Dee Lytle says
I’ve seen pictures of what appears to be Cardinals in Hawaii. How did they get there?
L. L. Anderson says
Most of the cardinals on Kauai are grey with a red head and were introduced by man, as were many other species.
Judy says
we live in Northern Minn. and saw a pair on our feeders late last fall… we got so excited as we have NEVER seen them up here… we took lotsof pictures to prove it to family and friends… they are beautiful birds.
Patti Gray says
I used to have cardinals at my feeders but they haven’t been here in a while. Where did they go and how do I get them back?
k. games says
Our cardianls have disappeared too! It wasn’t uncommon to have 20-25 cardinals at a time on our feeders, now we never have over 3-4. This has just happened in the past month.
Debbie Markert says
try a blend of food called fruit and nut or woodpecker blend basically the same Pennington I get at Wal mart and they like classic seed and def. black oil sunflower seeds. good luck
Joyce says
I only get a male & female in my yard and feeder. They are the same ones I am sure. They like the black sunflower seeds and will usually get them on the ground when other birds knock them out of the feeder.
Joyce says
I only get a male & female in my yard and feeder. They are the same ones I am sure. They like the black sunflower seeds and will usually get them on the ground when other birds knock them out of the feeder.
Debbie Markert says
yes they do like feeders but so right the males especially like ground feeding but I no longer do. Attracted too many squirrels, a skunk, cats, rabbits, etc. so they have adapted.
Darlene says
Me either haven’t seen them almost all summer
Christine Melby says
I buy specific food for cardinals, however, I do not see any. I live in Minnesota, and I thought maybe the temps, are too cold.
Elizabeth says
We have so many and they are just beautiful. They come to our window feeder. We had our first snow fall and it was so wet and heavy it brought the hemlock branches down like a tent. I put a brick in a pie plate so the squirrels wouldn’t take it placed it on a picnic table then heaped it with bird food and peanuts. So many birds and the jays and cardinals sitting on the hemlock branches add a beautiful splash of color to our winter picture..
Lori says
Regular peanuts for the Cardinals? I’ve never heard this:) mixed with the black sunflowers seed?
Suzie says
I put peanuts out for the squirrels all the time, and the cardinals and blue jays snatch them up as soon as I go back in the house. They love them!
Chuck says
There are loads of cardinals living in the trees a coupld blocks from our house and I am trying to attract them to my backyard feeder. Once in a while one does show, but very rarely. I hope theyall get the message to come to my house for a free lunch anytime.
jessgramkee says
I had seen a lot of cardinals in my yard this summer but since snow started falling I have not seen one at my feeders. Is it possible that the Blue Jays could be scaring them off?
Debbie Markert says
I have found my blue jays are laid back but do have a bad reputation. I have noticed however that the nuthatches are doing it.
Chaz Huffman says
We have Lovebird Parrots that was released from an aviary, and they are thriving in my backyard feeders. I have not seen my Cardinals, so I am wondering if the parrots are invading their spaces. Anyone know how to bring them back to my yard. I have noticed that are pretty private and do not like a ton of birds at the feeders. At mine, the Java Finches are taking over. Anyone have suggestions?
Gayle says
We place peanuts in the shell and a mix with sunflower seed on a flat tray hanging under cover. The blue jays and cardinals love them.
Steve Byland says
Cardinals will use many thpes of feeders, but strongly prefer some sort of platform feeder – the closer to the ground the better. They also prefer black oil sunflower seeds to most others. Cover is very important. Place feeders near trees or bushes or create a brush pile of old branches or even your old Christmas Tree.
paulamarie324 says
We have a pair of Cardinals that only come out at sundown and sunup around our feeders. They have some fledglings…? and are very good parents. We have had -0 temps here in MA this winter along with quite a few snow storms and the male one snowy eve put his body over the little one for about a min. I love watching them. In the summer, they are out quite a bit during the day with no babies in sight.
albert says
Hey guys! What is this bird?
lkalliance says
I’ve noticed something odd going on with a cardinal at my backyard feeder:
–A couple of days ago, I noticed him (though I can’t confirm it’s the same bird each time, I’m going to refer to him as such) landing on my peanut feeder instead of seed platform. This is unusual to start with: since I moved here four years ago I’ve only ever seen cardinals interested in seed.
–Yesterday, I noticed him on the peanut feeder again, this time with a second bird there (a sparrow, if memory serves). This is even more unusual, that the cardinal wouldn’t be scared off by a second aggressive bird.
–Today he was there again, and a female red-winged blackbird approached, and he fought off the blackbird! He chased her off, and she returned once he had finished. I had never seen this before.
–Still today, a little later, he landed on our small jelly feeder. I would have been really surprised if he was actually there to eat jelly…he may have just alit there. At that moment an oriole also landed on the jelly feeder. It’s just a small bowl, about three inches across. They sat on either side, hissing at each other, each trying to scare the other off. Finally the oriole flitted away. The cardinal decided he didn’t want to be there either, and the oriole returned.
That last one was the clincher. I’ve read about cardinals being aggressive when defending territory around their nest…but I’d only ever read about that against other cardinals. I did not expect this meek bird species to be getting up in the grill of blackbirds and orioles!nn1
mac says
We have a pair of Cardinals nesting right next to our deck, about Eye level,within 1′ of our Patio Table. Will they become aggressive when chick are in nest.
suz says
Our Cardinals eat Safflower seed from a feeder made especially for a Cardinals weight which keeps smaller birds and larger birds from gobbling up all the food.
james penne says
if it weren’t for junco’s, and nuthatches and doves we wouldn’t have any birds at our feeding area. We’ve purchased a peanut feeder and from time to time we have jays. We started out the season with cardinals but haven’t seen one of them in a long time.
We purchase the good bird seed from a local mill that is big into birding and they say we may have hawks in the area.
Diana Vallas says
FYI…Cardinals love cantaloupe seeds. I will scoop the seeds out, wash them off, spread them on a paper towels to dry, then set them in a dish or on edge of feeder.
Darla says
I live in northern Illinois and have cardinals at my feeder all year. You could set your clock by the time they visit my feeder. In the winter they arrive at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. In the spring they seem to be there once an hour all day till dusk. The female is always with the male, they never eat at the same time. One will sit on a branch up high and keep watch while the other one eats. The male always eats first!
BinocularsGuru says
I found this post really amazing and informative as you discuss the how to birding and basics. It’s pleasant to read ! keep your good work. Thank you!
Lori Kimble says
We had a pair of cardinals in our yard last year and they brought in their babies! It was so cute seeing them asking for food. I hope they do it again this year!
William Cox says
We’ve had cardinals nesting in our quince apples for over 25 years now. Not sure if they like the shrubs because of the red bloom, the fruit, or the thorns for protection. But they have been a welcome addition since the quince matured enough to bloom and bear fruit.
Linda S says
I have Cardinals in my yard year round. I live in Ohio right near Lake Erie. I provide a feeder with Black Oily Sunflower seed in Winter along with a heated bird bath. In summer I have plenty of flowering plants, trees, shrubs etc. Many other birds visit also.
Scott MacDonald says
I have seen a few Cardinals at my bird feeders in my backyard. Very beautiful bird. I also get a lot of bluejays, chickadees and many other birds here in Maine. Like to fill my birdfeeders with Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and a few other bird seeds. Also have a bird bath which i fill regularly in the warmer months. Love the Cardinals
Jan Keppler says
Scott, fill those birdbaths in the winter, too. Even if it is frozen over, I pour a little warm water on top so the birds have some to drink and the ice usually melts as the sun shines on it. We have always loved the Cardinals and Blue birds, neither migrate from here in the south in the winter. We feed them black seed, do not buy cheap seed by the way. It is worth it to spend a little more and really enjoy the birds!