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How to Attract Cardinals with the Perfect Feeder

How to Attract Cardinals with the Perfect Feeder

I love watching birds flying and playing around in my backyard. We get mostly robins, but in the winter, we see quite a few cardinals. Oh, how pretty they are! So, in order to keep them coming, I decided to look for the best bird feeders for cardinals.

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A male cardinal sitting on top of a picnic table-shaped feeder with seeds.
Image credit: Depositphotos.

If you feed them they will come 😉

Features Of  The Best Bird Feeders For Cardinals

a bright red, male cardinal at my feeder.
Image credit: Backyard Garden Lover.

Since cardinals are bigger birds, when choosing a bird feeder for cardinals, you need to remember their size. It’s hard for cardinals to maneuver around a tube-type bird feeder, small bird feeders or if the feeder doesn’t have the right perch.

 To encourage cardinals to stick around in your backyard, create the right environment for them:

  • initially, you may want to throw some seed on the ground
  • if you have smaller bird feeders, attach a large plate underneath your feeders, so cardinals can feel safe
  • create a cardinal feeding station on a solid/stable place. You can use a tree stump, a storage shed’s windowsill, or create a stand just for the cardinal bird feeder

What should you put in the cardinal bird feeder?

cardinal eating sunflower seeds.
Image credit: Backyard Garden Lover.

Cardinals love large seeds. Offer them any of the following and they’ll be happy.

  • Sunflower
  • Rapeseed
  • Safflower
  • Millet (red, golden)
  • Cracked corn
  • Peanuts
  • Flax seeds
  • Canary seeds

Of course, if you have berries and fruits in your garden, they might feast on those too, as well as insects from your vegetable garden.

Make sure to squirrel-proof your cardinal bird feeders

A squirrel is at my window, and another is in the distance at the bird feeder.
Image credit: Backyard Garden Lover.

Squirrels have a way to get into just about any bird feeder in our backyard.

I have to admit: sometimes I love watching them do their thing. They are a lot of fun, but they are also destructive both in the garden and in my feeders.

Here’s some help keeping squirrels away from your feeders.

I looked around and found several cardinal feeders that seemed squirrel-proof, all with some kind of baffle or a squirrel buster.

Squirrel Buster Standard 5Squirrel Buster Standard 5Amazon buy buttonHopper Bird Feeder, Copper FinishHopper Bird Feeder, Copper FinishAmazon buy buttonWindow Bird Feeder, Sliding Feed Tray,  Weatherproof Design,Window Bird Feeder, Sliding Feed Tray,  Weatherproof Design,Amazon buy button

Best Cardinal Bird Feeder

In my opinion, the best cardinal bird feeder is one that’s large, with a platform where the birds can sit comfortably and a way to keep squirrels at bay.

Some of the companies that make these feeders are:

  • Perky-Pet
  • Duncraft
  • Nature’s Way Bird Products
  • Kingsyard
  • Brome Bird Care (Squirrel Buster)
  • Audubon
  • Woodlink
  • Heath Outdoor Products
  • Wild Birds Unlimited
  • Stokes Select

Perky-Pet 312R Red Sparkle Panorama Bird Feeder

Perky-Pet 312R Red Sparkle Panorama Bird Feeder

This is, hands down, one of the best cardinal feeders there are. It’s big, sturdy and holds about 2.5 pounds of seed.

With over 400 reviews on Amazon, this cardinal feeder it’s worth looking at. Want to see what people think about it? Check out the reviews here.

Brome 1024 squirrel buster plus wild bird feeder with cardinal perch ring

Another favorite cardinal bird feeder, the Brome 1024 squirrel buster plus wild bird feeder with cardinal perch ring comes with a lifetime warranty. If something breaks, just call the company and they’ll send a replacement at no cost to you.

Squirrel Buster Standard 5Squirrel Buster Standard 5Amazon buy button

With over 2700 reviews, it might be the one for you.

As you can see, there are several bird feeders that are great for cardinals. Get one that suits your needs the best, and enjoy watching thee beautiful birds in your backyard.

Related: Hanging bird feeders that you and your birds will LOVE!

Stop Birds From Running Into Windows

A male cardinal resting in a woman's hands after he flu into the window.
Image credit: Gardens All.

Oh, I noticed many birds just run into our windows and some get hurt.

My friend LeAura rescued a baby cardinal that collided with their back porch window. See more pictures and a video of the rescue here. That baby cardinal is so adorable!

More Bird Feeder Guides

a male bluebird at the feeder.
Image credit: Depositphotos.

If you love birds, check out these other bird feeder guides:

How to attract cardinals with the perfect feeder.

 

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