Bird Feeders That Attract Cardinals

Cardinals We've Surveyed Loved These Feeders! :-)

By Richard Worden


Setting up a bird feeder can be a great way to bring your feathered friends into your yard. One of the most important things to remember when choosing a feeder is to ensure it's high off the ground to keep predators from accessing it. If you want cardinals to come to your yard, you must choose bird feeders that attract cardinals.

Suet, mesh, and platform feeders are types of bird feeders that attract cardinals. The Kingsyard Double Suet Bird Feeder is the best overall feeder to attract cardinals. To attract cardinals to feeders, place them close to sheltered areas, provide food favorites, and hang them high off the ground.

There are many bird feeders on the market, but only some will attract cardinals specifically. This article will explore types of bird feeders that attract cardinals, the best feeders found on Amazon, and how to help attract cardinals to your feeder.

Bird feeders that attract Cardinals

What Kind of Bird Feeder Attracts Cardinals?

Cardinals are attracted to a wide variety of feeders but prefer those that offer an open, generous amount of food.

Bird feeders that are colored red, blue, or yellow, on raised platforms, and containing suet are the type that attracts cardinals. Cardinals like to perch and eat from an open-sided hopper or plastic birdbath.

  • Suet feeder: One of the most popular bird feeders is the suet feeder. Cardinals are very attracted to suet feeders because suet contains fat, sugar, and protein. These types of feeders also attract cardinals because they are easy to access. 
  • Red feeder: Cardinals love the colors red, blue, and yellow. They’re also attracted to feeders that are in earth-tone colors.
  • Platform feeder: Since cardinals prefer to be straight-facing while eating, they provide comfort while munching on those delicious sunflowers and other seeds. 

Best Overall

Kingsyard Double Suet Bird Feeder

Kingsyard Double Suet Bird Feeder

The Kingsyard Double Suet Bird Feeder is an excellent option to consider when choosing bird feeders that attract cardinals. This product is an earth-tone color with a durable design that holds two suet cakes and loose seeds.

Cardinals don’t typically care for twisting their body to feed, so you may not see them feeding from the tube feeding sections often. You can fix this by gluing a dowel rod to the already-positioned perches. This change will allow the cardinals to be front-facing while eating, making the feeder more attractive. 

Here is a budget-friendly pack of 10 dowel rods found on Amazon that would be perfect for this easy project: Darice Wooden Dowel Rods.

Best Mesh Feeder

Meleave Metal Mesh Bird Feeder

Meleave Metal Mesh
Bird Feeder

The Meleave Metal Mesh Bird Feeder provides resting perches and a mesh cage for comfort and easy access to food on all sides of the feeder. This product is ideal for attracting cardinals to your yard because it provides perfect feeding conditions. 

This Meleave bird feeder is made with a durable metal material and can be easily hung from a tree or post. The weather-resistant finish will protect the feeder from the elements. The design also protects the food from creatures that might chew at the feeder to get inside.

Best Unique Design

Homebird Window Bird Feeder

Homebird Window
Bird Feeder

The Homebird Window Bird Feeder is uniquely designed for the bird watcher and the birds feeding. It’s designed with strong suction for a firm hold and a great feeding tray design. The feeder also includes a lifetime guarantee on the quality of the suction cups.

And the feeder is clear, making it easy for you to observe and for the birds to keep watch for predators.

Best Durable

Kingsyard Squirrel Proof Suet Feeder

Kingsyard Squirrel Proof
Suet Feeder

There’s nothing more annoying than filling a bird feeder, hanging it up, and seeing a squirrel quickly scamper to it, spilling seed all over the yard! 

The Kingsyard Squirrel Proof Suet Feeder is designed to help prevent those pesky squirrels from sticking their grubby hands in your feeders and disturbing your birds’ feeding time. 

The metal cage surrounding the suet cake holders makes it easy for cardinals and other birds to enjoy feeding while keeping the suet cakes beyond a squirrel’s reach.

Best Classic Design

Solution4Patio Gazebo Bird Feeder

Solution4Patio Gazebo
Bird Feeder

If you’re looking for a bird feeder with a “classic” or “traditional” look, the Solution4Patio Gazebo Bird Feeder is an excellent choice. This product is a wooden gazebo design that can be hung from a tree or post in your yard. 

The product is a highly-rated bird feeder that attracts cardinals with a place to perch and easy, all-around access to food. It’s easy to fill and clean with a fill capacity of over 7 lbs (3 kgs) of feed. And there’s also a 3-year warranty included.

How To Attract Cardinals to Your Feeder

When you place a bird feeder in your yard, you may notice other birds quickly testing it out. Sometimes cardinals need a little encouragement, though. 

  • Location: The biggest attraction is hanging bird feeders from trees and posts in your yard, which offers plenty of shelter and cover for birds, such as trees and shrubs.
  • Feeder design: Food should be easily accessible, providing a wide area to feed. Ensure the bird feeder you choose gives the ability for cardinals to perch front-facing while they eat—they like being comfortable!
  • Feeder color: Buying or painting a feeder in a cardinal red color is said to help attract cardinals. Earthtones, blue, and yellow is also great choices to help attract cardinals to your bird feeder and yard.
  • Food: Besides suet, cardinals also love black-oil sunflower seeds are a favorite. Cracked corn, mealworms, and striped sunflower seeds are also excellent food choices to attract cardinals to your feeders and yard.

Cardinal in a tree

Having a great bird feeder is a good start when trying to attract Cardinals, yet there's other ways to do so as well. Read our other recommendations in our article entitled How To Attract Cardinals To Your Garden Or Yard.

Best Bird Feeders That Attract Cardinals...
Final Takeaways

Suet, platform, and mesh feeders are some of the best feeders to attract cardinals. The feeders should also include perches, provide plenty of room for feeding, and be placed high up in an area of your yard that provides shelter. 

Use feeders in colors like red, blue, and earth tones to help attract the cardinals to your yard. All of the bird feeders mentioned in this article are excellent choices, and they’re all under $50, making them easy on the wallet!

Attract Cardinals To These Areas As Well...


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About Me


About the Author...
Richard Worden, a dedicated bird lover for over 20 years, I love to share my in-depth knowledge and passion for birds. Read more About Me and my expertise in this field.

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