Attracting Northern Cardinals to your yard can be a delightful experience, as they are beautiful and vibrant birds. Male Northern Cardinals are renowned for their brilliant red plumage, a color derived from carotenoids in their diet. This striking red makes them easily recognizable, especially against winter’s snowy backdrop.    

Cardinals are excellent songbirds, producing a variety of clear, whistling tunes. Both males and females sing, which is relatively uncommon among songbirds. Their cheery songs can brighten up the dullest winter day.   

Unlike many bird species, cardinals are non-migratory, remaining in their territories year-round. This makes them a constant presence in their habitats. So, how do you get them into your garden or backyard? 

Best Food to Attract Cardinals

Safflower seeds are rich in fats and proteins, providing essential energy for cardinals, especially during colder months. Cardinals have strong, thick beaks that are well-suited for cracking open the relatively hard shells of safflower seeds.   

One of the biggest advantages of safflower seeds is that squirrels generally dislike their bitter taste. This allows cardinals to feed undisturbed, which is a major benefit for bird feeders.  Similarly, birds like starlings and grackles, which can dominate feeders, tend to avoid safflower seeds. This gives cardinals a better chance to access the food.

Photo by StarkGlow

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

Birds expend a lot of energy, especially during activities like flying, foraging, and raising young. The high fat content of black oil sunflower seeds helps them replenish their energy reserves. In winter, when food sources are scarce and temperatures are low, the extra fat from these seeds helps cardinals survive the harsh conditions.

Other Foods

The diet of the Northern Cardinal shifts with the seasons. Insects are more prominent in the spring and summer, while seeds and berries become more important in the fall and winter. Here are some of the other foods they will eat:

• various weeds and grasses
• Insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, and others
• Fruits and berries like wild berries, grapes, and cherries   
• Other small creatures like snails and spiders

Therefore, while they are known for their love of seeds, Cardinals are far from picky eaters and have a diverse diet. If your garden or backyard has berry-bearing plants, areas with longer grass, and a generally more natural style, then you should attract Northern Cardinals more easily.

If, however, you have a plain backyard, all is not lost. Using feeders and a variety of the foods listed above mean that these adaptable birds may well visit you as well.

Photo by Patrice Bouchard

Feeders and Feeding Strategies

• Platform Feeders: Cardinals are bigger birds and prefer feeders that offer a stable platform so they have room to feed comfortably.   
• Hopper Feeders: These can also be suitable, especially those with wide perches for them to sit comfortably when eating.
• Ground Feeding: Cardinals often feed on the ground, so scattering seeds on the ground near shrubs can attract them.
• Feeder Placement: Place feeders near shrubs and trees to provide Cardinals with a sense of security. If a threat appears, they can disappear into the foliage quickly.    

Providing Shelter and Nesting Sites

Cardinals prefer areas with thick vegetation, such as dense shrubs, evergreens, and small trees. These provide shelter from predators and weather and also nesting locations. Planting local and native flora in your garden with a range of plants is the best way to encourage them to visit. Here are some ideas:   

• Dogwoods – Red-osier dogwood and gray dogwood offer excellent cover and berries.   
• Viburnum – These provide dense foliage and berries.   
• Holly – Evergreen hollies offer year-round shelter.
• Evergreen trees – Spruce, pines, and cedars provide crucial winter shelter.   

Photo by Rhododendrites

Create a mix of trees, shrubs, and ground cover to provide various levels of shelter. Clustering shrubs together creates a more inviting habitat. You can also include plants where these vibrant birds can forage for food. Consider serviceberry, mulberry, wild grapes, and crabapple.

Including seed-producing plants and allowing some to go to seed will provide natural food sources. Consider plants like coneflowers and native grasses.

Insects are a vital part of a cardinal’s diet, especially during breeding season. Planting herbs such as dill, fennel, parsley, and milkweed will attract insects that the Cardinals will then eat.

Water Sources

To support any birds in your garden or backyard, provide a clean bird bath with fresh water for drinking and bathing. Bathing helps keep their feathers clean and parasite-free. In the colder months, monitor your bath to make sure it doesn’t freeze over. You can even get heated bird baths now! Most birds, including Cardinals, are attracted to the sound of moving water, so consider a bird bath with a dripper or fountain. 

Additional Tips

• Minimize pesticide use as they can harm Cardinals and reduce their food supply. 
• Offer nesting materials such as twigs, pine needles, and dried grass. Placing them close to the feeder or near possible nesting sites in the bushes will work best.
• Cardinals are non-migratory, so providing food and water year-round will keep them coming back.

Photo by Ahmer Kalam

Final Thoughts

Northern Cardinals are widespread and very common across the eastern side of the continental U.S. The population has spread into southwestern America and down through Mexico. When we refer to ‘Cardinals”, we mean the Northern Cardinal, but this species is not the only one found in the U.S.A.

Additionally, there is the Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus). This species, also known as the “desert cardinal,” is found in the southwestern United States, particularly in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. It has a more grayish-brown coloration with red accents.

Photo by Vickie J Anderson

As a desert bird, they are only found in dry areas of the southwest and are, therefore, much less common. However, they will also visit gardens with bird feeders. So, follow our tips, and you may be visited by these iconic and wonderful birds!