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Northern Cardinals
1.) Attracting Cardinals
2.) About Cardinals
3.) Problem Solving
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Attracting Cardinals
Cardinals can usually be attracted to your yard with the right feeder, seed, and landscaping.
Habitat: The cardinal will be drawn to yards with spruce trees in them, as this is their favorite type of tree to nest in.
Nesting: Cardinals will nest in spruce and cedar trees.
Feeders: Keep your feeders within 10-12 ft of cover (again, ideally a spruce tree). The perfect setup for a cardinal is a low-lying platform feeder,
as this is closest to how they feed in nature. Add a roof, and you have a fly through feeder in which they are protected from attack by birds of prey. If you
prefer a feeder that stays filled for a longer period of time, a hopper feeder works well, too. Cardinals rarely visit tube feeders with perches.
Seed: Make sure you are feeding a sunflower-based mix. Avoid feeding things like milo, millet, and grains, as these can draw in birds like English
House sparrows that will scare away cardinals. The cardinal's favorite foods are the striped sunflower seed, peanut kernels, and occasionally safflower
seed. Plain black oil sunflower usually works very well, but their favorite mix is our Hopper mix, which is a blend of all their preferred seeds.
About Northern Cardinals
~~~~~The Northern Cardinal is one of the most spectacularly beautiful birds to see at a feeder. Their bright red plumage,
especially when in contrast to white winter snow, is a sight to behold. The cardinal is a shy bird, often appearing at feeders at dusk and dawn. They are
frequently seen beneath feeders, eating spilled seeds, as they are naturally a ground-feeding bird. Most of the time, one area will only have one nesting
pair, as the males are very territorial against other male cardinals. However, during the winter when breeding territories are inconsequential, more than
one pair might show up at the feeders.
Problem Solving
Cardinals won't come to my feeder.
Solution: If you only have tube feeders available, try purchasing a hopper style or fly thru feeder. Make sure your feeders are within 10 ft of
cover. If you live in a young housing development, there may not be enough trees around yet for the cardinals to feel comfortable in your yard.
The squirrels are eating my Hopper Mix.
Solution: Place a baffle on the pole of your feeder. If you have a hanging feeder, there are baffles that can hang above it. If all else fails, you
may want to switch to golden safflower.
A cardinal keeps attacking my window. Why? How do I stop him?
Solution: Male cardinals are highly territorial. The cardinal in question is likely seeing his own reflection and percieving it as a threat to his
territory. Stop by the store, we have holographic decals by Window Alerts that are especially made to stop the cardinals from attacking their own
reflection.
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