How to attract Northern Cardinal

BE AWARE THAT HABITAT TYPE MORE THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR, WILL IN MOST CASES, DICTATE THE SPECIES OF BIRD THAT VISIT YOUR PROPERTY.

How to Attract Northern Cardinal

The All-American backyard favorite, the Northern Cardinal is one of the easier birds to attract to your yard (if it’s not there already). This classic bird favors black-oil sunflower seed and will become a consistent visitor as long as there is a consistent supply of it. Cardinals also eat a lot wild fruits and insects, so berry producing plants and the promotion an insect friendly yard will increase your chances of attraction. Cardinals usually nest in dense shrubs or thickets around the edges of open land – so leaving these areas in your yard to grow is advisable if you want to attract a breeding pair. Cardinals are very frequent users of birdbaths.

Top Ways to Attract Northern Cardinal

• Black-Oil Sunflower Seed
• Dense Shrubbery
• Wild Blackberry
• Red Mulberry
• Birdbath

Trees & Shrubs that Attract Northern Cardinal

• American Elderberry (Fruit)
• American Holly (Fruit, Nesting)
• Arrowwood (Fruit)
• Ash (Seed)
• Birch (Seeds)
• Common Juniper (Fruit)
• Crabapple (Fruit)      
• Eastern Red Cedar (Fruit, Nesting)
• Eastern White Pine (Seeds, Nesting)  
• Flowering Dogwood (Fruit)
• Hawthorn (Fruit, Nesting)
• Hickory (Nut)  
• Hornbeam (Nesting)
• Maple (Sap)
• Northern Hackberry (Fruit)
• Red Mulberry (Fruit)
• Red-Twig Dogwood (Fruit)
• Serviceberry (Fruit)
• Sumac (Fruit)
• Tulip-Poplar (Seeds)
• Wild Cherry (Fruit)

Flowers & Vines that Attract Northern Cardinal

• Aster (Seeds)
• Black-Eyed Susan (Seeds)
• Goldenrod (Seeds)
• Pokeweed (Fruit)
• Purple Coneflower (Seeds)
• Sunflower (Seeds)            
• Wild Blackberry (Fruit, Nesting)
• Wild Grape (Fruit)

Attracting Northern Cardinal with a Bird Feeder

• Feeder Type:    
• Ground
• Hopper
• Platform
• Tube
• Suet Feeder
• Feed:  
• Cracked Corn
• Mealworms
• Millet
• Suet
• Sunflower Seed

Northern Cardinal Information

Northern Cardinal Identification:

• Medium-sized bird
• Male: deep red overall, black face, red beak
• Female: grayish-red overall, black face, red beak

Northern Cardinal Habitat:

• Dense shrubbery in:
• Backyards
• Forest Edge
• Open Woodland
• Wetlands - especially swamp habitat

Northern Cardinal Eating Habits:

• Seeds, insects, fruit
• Will eat from bird feeders – favors Black Oil Sunflower Seed

Northern Cardinal Nesting:

• Deciduous or evergreen shrubs, thickets, vines, and small trees