It’s weird how some bird feeders get ignored for weeks, yet another turns into a cardinal hotspot pretty easily, and you can make that happen yourself.
Start with the classic
People swear by black oil sunflower seeds. There’s a reason for that. Cardinals go crazy for them, and when you load a feeder with them, those birds are going to keep coming back. It’s because the shells are thinner than regular seeds.Â
Birds eat them far more easily. You’re better off getting black oil sunflower seeds than mixed seed bags because they’re full of filler. You’ll notice the difference pretty quickly.
Try the white seed
Safflower seeds look plain to most humans. But not to cardinals. They love it, while a lot of other birds don’t, and that’s the trick to keep cardinals coming. Grackles and squirrels will stay away. Same with blackbirds. Cardinals will stick around because they can crack the shell.
They’ve got thicker beaks, after all. You might want to get a hopper feeder for those seeds, too, because cardinals like having somewhere to sit while they’re eating. Tiny swinging feeders aren’t really their thing.
Go a little bigger
People don’t realize how much seed size matters with cardinals. They’re not tiny birds. No, they’ve got heavy bills that are perfect for cracking tougher seeds, so bigger seeds are great for them. They’ll keep the smaller birds away.
Bigger seeds can actually make feeders a little quieter for cardinals. That’s why you might want to get them. They’ll make the feeder quit seeming so busy every morning, without needing to change the actual feeder.
Remove the work
You’d be surprised at how picky cardinals actually are. They’re pretty fussy about where they choose to eat, especially during the winter. They want quick calories. They don’t want to waste energy. Sunflower hearts or chips can help with that because there’s no shell or cracking.
It’s just food. However, it’s not all good news because sunflower hearts do spoil quicker when they’re wet. Don’t stick a load of them in the feeder. Try doing smaller refills over a longer time. It’ll keep the seeds fresher.
Give them room
You might think tube feeders look nice. Cardinals don’t. They’re bigger birds, and they’re also kind of cautious, so these small perches don’t seem comfortable. They wobble around way too much. Hopper feeders, though, are a lot better.
They’ve got more space. They’re flatter. There’s generally less balancing, too, so it could be the only change you need to make. The seeds might not be the problem. It could just be what the birds are eating on.
Lower the buffet
Another big mistake people make is hanging their feeders too high out in the open. It’s too exposed. Cardinals would rather have some cover nearby. Bushes? Shrubs? Low tree branches? They’re all good.
Keep your feeder around 5 feet off the ground. The birds will feel a lot safer, and they’ll be a lot more comfortable hopping back and forth. Birds that can duck into cover relax more. Relaxed birds stay longer.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
