Northern Cardinals are perhaps the most rewarding visitors you can host in your backyard!
Attracting cardinals is a bit more than just hanging a feeder.
Today, I’m sharing 15 proven tips to help you transform your yard and bird feeders into a cardinal paradise.
1. Offer Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
If you only buy one type of food, make it Black Oil Sunflower Seed.
These seeds have a high fat and protein content, providing the essential energy cardinals need to maintain their high body temperature in winter. So many birds love Black Oil Sunflower Seed.
The shells are thinner and easier to crack than striped sunflower seeds. If you want to avoid a mess, look for "sunflower hearts" (seeds already out of the shell).
2. Use Safflower to Stop Bully Birds
Most pests like squirrels, starlings, and grackles find safflower seeds bitter and will leave them alone.
Cardinals, however, find them delicious. If you are struggling with squirrels, switching to 100% safflower is the most effective solution.
3. Feeding Time
Cardinals are often the first birds to arrive at dawn and the last to leave at dusk.
Ensure your feeders are topped off in the late afternoon so they can get their final meal before the sun goes down.
4. Cardinals Need a Stable Platform
Unlike chickadees, cardinals are heavy, forward-facing eaters. They can’t twist their bodies to eat from small perches on tube feeders.
Use a tray (platform) feeder or a large hopper feeder.
These provide a wide, stable surface where the bird can land comfortably and face its food.
5. Choose the Right Location
Cardinals are naturally shy and vulnerable to hawks. Place your feeder about 10 to 15 feet away from dense brush or evergreen trees.
This gives them enough distance to spot a predator but close enough to dive into safety
6. Avoid Filler Seeds
Many bird food blends are packed with red milo, wheat, and mystery grains.
Yuck.
Cardinals usually kick these to the ground. Stick to mixes that are around 70% sunflower and safflower to get the best results.
7. Plant Native Berry Bushes
Birds love natural food sources. Planting native shrubs like Serviceberry, Dogwood, or Winterberry provides them with a variety that lasts all winter.
The dense branches of these shrubs provide perfect nesting sites, too.
8. Add High-Fat Nutrients
Cardinals love shelled peanuts and suet! During the cold months, these high-fat foods are vital. Always choose roasted and unsalted nuts and seeds.
There’s debate as to whether raw peanuts are unhealthy for birds— claims about inhibiting protein digestion— but the science is inconclusive.
The main reason to use roasted peanuts is because the roasting eliminates mold and toxins that could make the birds sick.
9. Ground Bird Feeders
Cardinals are naturally ground-feeders.
If your feeders are busy, try scattering a handful of sunflower seeds or cracked corn on a clean patio or a ground tray.
You’ll often see the female cardinal foraging on the ground while the male watches from a nearby branch.
- Related: 5 Best Winter Bird Houses of 2025
10. Keep Your Feeders Clean
Dirty feeders spread diseases like finch eye disease which can affect cardinals.
Scrub your feeders with a 10% bleach solution every two weeks to keep your backyard flock healthy.
11. Create a Natural Privacy Screen
Cardinals prefer to nest in thick, tangled thickets. If your yard is well manicured, they won't stay.
Leave a corner of your yard a bit wild with some grapevines or dense shrubs to encourage them to raise their young on your property.
12. Give Birds Fresh Water
Cardinals need to drink and bathe. They also don’t migrate so they need water in the dead of winter.
Use one like this solar powered water fountain bird bath year round to make your yard the most hospitable.
A birdbath heater is a massive draw when all other water sources are frozen!
13. Add Crushed Eggshells for Calcium
During the spring nesting season, female cardinals need extra calcium to produce strong eggs.
You can help by washing, drying, and crushing your kitchen eggshells and mixing them in with their seed.
14. Minimize Reflective Surfaces
Cardinals are famously territorial. During the spring, males may "attack" their own reflection in windows, thinking it's an intruder.
If you see this happening, apply window decals or temporary film to break up the reflection.
15. Be Consistent
The biggest secret to attracting cardinals is consistency. If your feeder goes empty for three days, the cardinals will move on to the next yard.
Keep it filled every day, and they will reward you by bringing their fledglings to your yard every summer.
What’s your favorite food for Northern Cardinals?
Share it on the Sparkbird App! Available in the Apple App Store.
- Related: How to Use the Sparkbird App
