Cardinals are at the top of many people’s list as their favorite backyard bird. The Northern Cardinal is a year-round resident of the eastern half of the United States, as well as portions of Canada and Mexico.
They provide beautiful pops of color on gray winter days, and fill the yard with beautiful songs in the spring. If you want to know how to attract cardinals to your yard, then you’re in the right place.
Thankfully, it isn’t too difficult to attract cardinals as they will readily visit bird feeders. But there are a bunch of things you can do to make your yard an even more attractive habitat for them. Perhaps even get them to stay and nest. That’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in this article.
The males don’t lose their bright color in the winter like goldfinches, and they won’t disappear in the winter like orioles or hummingbirds. I think their consistency is part of their charm. A familiar backyard friend we know is always around.
Helpful tips to attract northern cardinals to your bird feeder
In most cases, attracting northern cardinals is pretty easy. Just like other birds, they want food, water, and shelter nearby to feel safe eating at your feeder. We put together a list of 12 tips for attracting cardinals that discusses the right types of feeders, bird seed, and water sources to put out. As well as how to provide a good habitat for them.
1. Use a cardinal-friendly bird feeder
It is true that cardinals will attempt to eat from most types of seed feeders. But they do have favorites. Their slightly larger size can make balancing on the small narrow perches of tube feeders difficult. Cardinals prefer room to maneuver.
Platform feeders are among the cardinals favorite. They are natural ground foragers and an open platform replicates that. You can incorporate a platform feeder in a number of ways. A hanging platform is great for feeder poles. You can also find dishes and trays that clamp onto feeder poles.
Cardinals also feel right at home eating from smaller feeders like window feeders, where you can get an up-close look at just how beautiful their feathers are.