How To Attract Cardinals
to Your Yard or Garden

By Richard Worden

Cardinals, one of North America's most common backyard birds, are famous for their bright red plumage and beautiful songs. If you're looking to add a splash of red to your backyard, you may wonder how to attract cardinals to your yard or garden.

To attract cardinals to your yard or garden, consider adding a bird feeder filled with sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, or cracked corn. Ensure plenty of cover with native trees and shrubs for their nesting. Also, try installing a birdbath to have a readily available water source for them.

Cardinals are stunningly beautiful birds and relatively easy to attract if they are prevalent in your area. In this article, I will discuss some tips and tricks to help you bring these beautiful birds to your yard or garden in no time. 

What Plants and Flowers Attract Cardinals?

When it comes to attracting cardinals, you can make a few changes to make your yard more cardinal-friendly.

Cardinals are attracted to a variety of plants and flowers. Some of the best plants and flowers to entice cardinals to your yard or garden include ferns, crabapples, and coneflowers. You can also tempt them with hawthorn, gaillardia, and Lobelia.

You can even plant a cardinal-friendly shrub, such as elderberry or dogwood. 

Provide plenty of fresh water for your feathered friends by placing a birdbath on these plants and shrubs in your yard or garden.

Cardinals don't use birdhouses or nesting boxes like other backyard birds. They prefer thick shrubs like native plants, grapevines, and thickets for shelter and also enjoy a good meal of insects. 

So, if you want to attract and make the cardinals stay at your place year-round, make sure your yard has plenty of dense shrubs and bushes for these early nesters to hide in and nesting materials like twigs, grass clippings and pine needles present in abundance to build their nests. 

What Is a Cardinal's Favorite Food?

If you want to know how to attract cardinals to your yard or garden, then the best way's by providing them with the food they love.

A cardinal’s favorite foods are a variety of seeds and fruit. Cardinals are mostly granivorous, which means that they primarily eat seeds. This food preference is why they have robust and thick beaks. However, they will also occasionally eat insects, berries, and fruits. 

In terms of seeds, cardinals prefer the following foods:

• Sunflower seeds
• Safflower seeds
• Black oil sunflower seeds
• Crushed peanuts
• Millet

You can find these types of bird seed at your local hardware or pet store. So a good quality birdseed mix is a great place to start. 

In addition to sunflower seeds, Northern Cardinals enjoy eating white milo, cracked corn, and fruits. So, if you have fruit trees in your yard, keep them well-stocked with fresh fruits. You can also place a bowl of berries on your deck or patio; the birds will find it in no time.

During winter, it'd be great to mix some crushed suet cakes with the seeds to help the cardinals gain extra warmth through their food. 

For this purpose, you can buy the Kingsyard Hanging Feeder for Outside (available on Amazon). This bird feeder can hold two suet cakes, so you can easily keep your feathered friends fed during those chilly months.

What Kind of Bird Feeder Attracts Cardinals?

The kind of bird feeders that attracts cardinals are designed explicitly for them or the likes of them, such as robins. Cardinals are relatively large birds, requiring a feeder with a large perching area to accommodate them.

You'll also need to ensure you place the bird feeder in a location safe from predators. If you have a problem with squirrels raiding your bird feeders, you can try using a squirrel-proof feeder or placing the feeder on a pole or other structure that squirrels can't climb. 

Once you have the suitable feeder and it's in the perfect spot, you can fill it with cardinal-friendly food like sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and millet.

Best Bird Feeders To Attract Cardinals

Here's my list of 4 picks of the bunch of bird feeders for your cardinals that you can buy:

---

---

Where To Place Your Bird Feeder To Attract Cardinals?

The best place to put your bird feeder is close to some cover. Cardinals are shy birds and like to feel safe while eating. So, placing your feeder near bushes or trees is a good idea.

It would be best to place your bird feeder in an open area when it's pleasant weather, like in the spring. Cardinals like to eat in the open, where they can see and enjoy the bloom of their surroundings. If you have a lot of trees in your yard, try placing your feeder in a clearing in Springs.

Perching birds, like cardinals, will need a bird feeder pole to land and perch on the feeder itself. 

I recommend you buy the ERYTLLY Bird Feeding Station Kit (available on Amazon). This product is a pole for your cardinals to feed and take a bath on, as it comes with four large top-level hooks for hanging longer feeders, two additional adjustable hooks, a wire mesh tray, and a plastic water bowl all-in-one. how to attract cardinals to your yard or garden
Finally, ensure your bird feeder is clean and filled with fresh seeds. Cardinals are attracted to fresh birdseed and won't visit a dirty or empty feeder. 

You can attract cardinals to your yard and get one to eat from your hand. However, it will take your time, patience, and persistence. 

What Kind of Bird Baths Do Cardinals Like?

Cardinals are among the most popular backyard birds, and adding a birdbath is a great way to attract them to your yard or garden. But what kind of birdbath do cardinals enjoy?

The best bird baths for attracting cardinals are 2-3 inches (5.08-7.6cm) deep and have a wide rim. Cardinals like to bathe by splashing water on their heads and wings, so a shallow bird bath with plenty of room for them to move around is ideal.

If you're looking for a specific type of bird bath that cardinals will love, consider one with a built-in fountain or mister. 

Misters create a light spray of water that's perfect for bathing, and not only cardinals but robins also love it!

You can even decorate the edges of the bath with pebbles and stones to attract robins and cardinals.

Best Birdbaths for Your Garden To Attract Cardinals

Here are my recommended picks for the four best birdbaths for your cardinals.

---

---

---

---

---

---

How To Set Up a Birdbath in Your Yard or Garden

Not only will a birdbath provide a place for birds to drink and bathe, but it will also give you a front-row seat to all the action. Here's everything you need to know about how to set up a birdbath in your yard or garden.

1. First, choose a location for your birdbath. Finding a spot that is relatively level and not too close to trees or bushes is essential, as this can deter birds from using it. 
2. Once you've found the perfect spot, clean the area where the birdbath will go so no leaves or debris can get in the way.
3. Next, it's time to prep the birdbath itself. Start using a level to ensure your birdbath is straight in the ground. Then, use a trowel or shovel to dig out a hole for the birdbath, which should be about 2 inches (5.08cm) deep and large enough to fit the birdbath. 
4. Once you have dug the hole for the birdbath—add a layer of sand and set your birdbath on top. You can also use a bucket to scoop some sand and make a nice border around the bottom edge of the birdbath. 
5. Once the birdbath is in place, you can fill it with water. 

If you want to add some plants or flowers around the birdbath, ensure they are native to your area and never use pesticides or disinfectants on these spots, as it could potentially choke out the birds and plants in your yard.

Watch this 6-min YouTube video on cleaning and location of bird feeders and birdbaths to get an idea of how to keep the cardinals fit as a fiddle:

Cardinals are naturally shy birds, so they're not likely to take the first step to meet you. Instead, your goal is to create an environment where cardinals feel comfortable. 

So you must know precisely why and how to attract cardinals to your yard or garden by following these simple tips and tricks discussed above.

How To Attract Cardinals to Your Yard or Garden...Final Thoughts

Cardinals are relatively easy to attract and provide hours of enjoyment for birdwatchers of all ages. 

To attract cardinals in your garden, you must provide them with a suitable habitat. This process means creating a safe space from predators, with plenty of food and water and some areas for shelter and nesting. 

You can plant native shrubs and trees, put out bird feeders with seeds or berries, create a brush pile, and place a birdbath.

Following these simple steps, you can attract cardinals to your yard or garden and enjoy watching them year-round.

Back To the TOP Of How to Attract Cardinals to Your Yard or Garden Page

---

---

---

1. We Know Birds HOME
›
2. Cardinal Facts and Information
›
3. How To Attract Cardinals to Your Yard or Garden

Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

Read More...

We Know Birds is an Amazon Associate. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.