The Northern Cardinal is a familiar, non-migratory songbird recognized by its striking plumage and distinctive crest. As a resident species, the cardinal must adapt its foraging strategy to seasonal changes in food availability. Understanding the cardinal’s diet involves examining the specific foods it consumes and the behaviors it uses to obtain them.
Primary Diet: Seeds and Grains
The bulk of the Northern Cardinal’s year-round diet consists of plant-based materials, primarily seeds and grains. These foods provide the high-energy content necessary to sustain a non-migratory bird through varying weather conditions. Cardinals strongly prefer oil-rich seeds, such as black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds.
The cardinal possesses a thick, cone-shaped beak, which is a specialized tool for granivory. This powerful structure allows the cardinal to efficiently crush the hard shells of large seeds. They also consume wild grains and the seeds of various plants, including buckwheat, sedges, and grasses.
Essential Supplements: Insects and Fruits
While seeds form the core of the diet, the cardinal supplements its intake with protein-rich sources, particularly during the breeding season. Insects are a major component, supplying the high protein required for muscle development in growing young. Nestlings are fed a diet consisting almost exclusively of soft-bodied invertebrates like caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, and spiders.
The cardinal also seeks out wild fruits and berries, which serve as sources of water, sugar, and vitamins. They consume the fruits of plants such as dogwood, sumac, and wild grapes. These fleshy foods become important in the winter months when insect availability drops, providing energy and hydration.
Feeding Behavior and Foraging Techniques
The Northern Cardinal is a ground forager, spending most of its feeding time hopping along the forest floor or beneath dense shrubbery. This behavior offers protection from aerial predators and allows the bird to easily access fallen seeds and ground-dwelling insects.
When handling large, shelled seeds, the cardinal uses its strong beak to manipulate the seed, cracking the shell open before extracting the kernel. Cardinals usually feed alone or in pairs during the breeding season. They may form larger, loose flocks in the winter to forage more successfully, preferring to hop and scratch near the base of cover.
Attracting Cardinals to Your Yard
Cardinals require a stable, open surface for comfortable feeding due to their medium size and weight. They strongly prefer platform, tray, or hopper feeders that provide ample perching space, unlike smaller, swaying tube feeders.
Effective commercial foods include black oil sunflower seeds and safflower, but offering suet, cracked corn, or crushed peanuts can also entice them. Cardinals will readily eat food scattered directly on the ground beneath a feeder.
The placement of the feeding station must cater to the cardinal’s need for security. Feeders should be situated within a few feet of dense foliage, such as trees or thick shrubs. This close proximity to cover allows the wary birds a quick escape route from predators.