Who doesn’t love a Northern Cardinal? The attraction of those plentiful, widespread songbirds is plain: They brighten drab winter days with a pop of brilliant crimson. Weeks earlier than spring, they’re among the many first birds to herald its arrival with their ray-gun songs. And all yr lengthy they’re a cheerful presence, chirping and bopping round a wide range of habitats.
Discovered throughout the East and components of the Southwest, crimson males and understated reddish-brown females alike will readily go to hen feeders for a simple meal. In actual fact, bountiful meals from yard feeders could also be one reason the species has been capable of increase its vary northward over the previous century.
So, how will you entice Northern Cardinals to your area? That’s one of many questions that Eli Haislip, supervisor of The Wood Thrush Shop in Nashville, receives typically from clients. “Luckily, cardinals are one of many best birds to draw to your feeders,” he says. “They’re not choosy in any respect.”
Cardinals will gladly eat peanuts, cracked corn, and suet, however your finest wager is to supply black oil sunflower seeds. These are usually not solely a high favourite for Northern Cardinals, but in addition provide essentially the most bang for the buck to attract a variety of birds, Haislip says. Maintain your feeders stocked with these nutrition-packed seeds and you may also anticipate to see Black-capped Chickadees, Home Finches, Tufted Titmice, White- and Crimson-breasted Nuthatches, and extra.
Cardinals will gladly eat peanuts, cracked corn, and suet, however your finest wager is to supply black oil sunflower seeds.
Whereas Northern Cardinals have a different food plan—berries, flowers, buds, and bugs are all on the menu—they appear to have an actual style for sunflower seeds. One examine discovered that, after black oil sunflower, their next-favorite feeder fare is striped sunflower seeds, adopted by sunflower chips. Cardinals can even gladly nibble on safflower seeds, that are additionally a favourite meals for the stunning Night Grosbeak.
Feeding cardinals properly is essential to protecting them round, however that’s not all they want. A water supply, resembling a fountain or birdbath, will go an extended solution to make them really feel at residence. If winters repeatedly dip under freezing the place you reside, a heated birdbath is an effective possibility.
To assist Northern Cardinals discover shelter round your house, take into account building a brush pile—a easy solution to flip downed tree limbs, pruned branches, and used Christmas timber into five-star wildlife inns. You may also assist cardinals and different birds discover nesting materials and lots to eat by leaving your yard a bit messy, together with by leaving lifeless leaves the place they fall and never chopping coneflowers, goldenrods, and different perennials whose seedheads present birds with meals all winter.
If you happen to’re fortunate sufficient to have cardinals make a house alongside yours, you’ll want to do what you can to keep them safe, together with making your home windows seen to them and cleansing your feeders and birdbaths repeatedly. That’s greater than a good tradeoff for all the enjoyment these beautiful birds convey.
