Northern Cardinals are one of the most recognized birds throughout their range and a favourite backyard visitor of many. Cardinals are often the bird homeowners most wish to attract when placing a feeder in their yard.
This winter I regularly have a dozen cardinals visiting my feeders at the same time providing an incredible sight. To entice cardinals to my yard I have implemented a few simple measures to make my landscape more enticing. Attracting cardinals is quite simple if you follow these three easy steps.
Offer Their Two Favourite Seeds
Cardinals will consume a wide variety of seeds, but they do have two favourties, sunflower, and safflower. Black oil sunflower seed is the most economical seed on the market and is consumed by all songbirds that frequent our area. If I could only have one type of seed to offer in my feeders, black oil sunflower would be my choice.
If cleaning up shells from beneath your feeder is something you wish to avoid, hulled sunflower seed is the perfect choice. Hulled sunflower is simply black oil sunflower seed out of the shell. This is more of a premium seed and costs a bit more money due to processing costs but will keep your lawn or patio much cleaner. Keep in mind that when buying a bag of hulled sunflower seed, you are only paying for seed and not the shells. A good portion of a 10-pound bag of black oil sunflower seeds is shell weight, so once this is factored in paying extra for hulled sunflower is easier to swallow, for you and the birds.
Safflower seed is another great option for attracting cardinals. This white seed is a favourite of cardinals but is also consumed by Mourning Doves, House Finches, and Black-capped Chickadees. Another benefit of safflower seed is that it is less desirable to squirrels and blackbirds. If squirrels, Common Grackles, and European Starlings are a problem in your yard, try switching to safflower seed.
Choose The Right Feeder
Northern Cardinals are ground-feeding birds by nature, so this is important to keep in mind when choosing a feeder. Cardinals prefer feeders with large perching areas.
A hanging tray feeder offers plenty of room for cardinals to land and is a great option. These feeders feature a mesh bottom made of metal which allows rain and snow to drain, keeping the seed fresh longer. These can be hung from any pole system or shepherd’s hook and using a squirrel baffle will keep the squirrels from getting to the seed.
Something to keep in mind when choosing a feeder is cardinals prefer to face forward when they feed. This is another reason tray feeders work so well. If, however, a tray feeder is not what you are after then other great options exist.
A hopper feeder that can be hung or pole-mounted will entice cardinals to feed. These feeders typically have a ledge or perch where cardinals can sit and feed or a large tray incorporated on the bottom, which makes them a great choice for cardinals.
Tube feeders are also great for attracting Northern Cardinals. Remember, cardinals like to face forward to feed so make sure the tube feeder you choose has large perches to accommodate this. Two excellent choices are Brome’s Squirrel Buster Plus and Squirrel Buster Classic. Both feeders are squirrel proof with the seed ports closing off under the weight of a squirrel.
Choose the style that is best suited for your yard and fill it with either sunflower, safflower or a mix of both. Remember to keep your feeder clean and the seed ports free of snow and ice during the winter months.
Add A Water Source
Fresh water is an excellent way to attract more birds and is an even bigger draw than food as not every yard has a water source. Water can be offered in various ways, from a simple dish to an elaborate water feature. Bird baths are one of the most common ways to provide water as birds can both drink and bathe. For the chilly winter months consider a heated bird bath to prevent the water from freezing.
Despite frigid temperatures across our region during winter months, birds still need to bathe as feather maintenance is vital to their survival. A heated bird bath will certainly attract more cardinals to your yard as this can be the unique feature that makes your yard more attractive than your neighbour’s.
At dawn, cardinals are often the first bird to arrive at a backyard feeder and the last to leave at dusk. Sometimes they can only be identified by their silhouettes and soft calls during these low-light conditions. Attracting cardinals to your yard is quite easy if you follow these three steps. If you lack cardinals in your yard, recognize which of these elements is missing and make a point of implementing them. By providing these necessities, I’m sure you will see an increase in the number of Northern Cardinals frequenting your yard.
Happy Birding!
Paul Roedding
