It’s also become very popular for my local Chickadees and House Finches. That’s the best value I’ve seen! I almost always have a bag of it on hand.

This 30-pound bag of Cardinal and Songbird Blend is typically around $20-$30 (I’ve seen it on sale too). This Wagner’s Cardinal blend was the first I ever bought and I’ve had a lot of luck with it (a ton of other birds also love it!)Ĭlick here to purchase Wagner’s Cardinals BlendĪn economical option for birdseed is at Costco. You can buy a Cardinal birdseed blend that offers an 80/20 mix of sunflower and safflower seeds too. It’s a little pricey, but I’ve seen Cardinals go especially bananas for golden safflower seed, which has slightly higher oil, fat, and protein content compared to white-shelled safflower. It also has a thick shell, making it hard for annoying birds like House Sparrows, Starlings and Grackles to get into. Safflower has a bitter taste and squirrels tend to leave it alone. Related: Read My Ultimate Bird Seed and Bird Food GuideĬardinals also enjoy safflower seed, a great alternative if you’re having issues with squirrels. Meadow Ridge Farms Black Oil Sunflower Bird Seed I’m also biased because it’s locally sourced from Minnesota, my home state. It’s popular with a ton of my feeder birds and comes with no filler seeds or sticks. I buy the 40-pound bag and it lasts me months. My top Amazon bird seed choice for Cardinals is Meadow Ridge Farms Black Oil Sunflower seed. This is one of my favorite sights in the winter! Want proof? Here’s a video of a female Northern Cardinal eating sunflower seeds from my apartment balcony in the winter! Here’s a list of other common feeder birds that love sunflower seed: Perfect for sunflower seeds!Īn added bonus: Sunflower seeds will attract the largest variety of birds to your yard compared to anything else. Cardinals have thick bills that they use to pry open seeds. This is my top pick from personal experience, which is also backed by the Cornell Bird Lab and Audubon. The best bird seed for Cardinals is black oil sunflower seed. CARDINAL FACT: Cardinals are the state bird of seven states – Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia. While they are a common bird, there are a few things you can do to have a high chance of drawing in these awe-inspiring birds to your yard. I was surprised to hear their familiar calls during my honeymoon there! They’re often found in woodland edges, the suburbs, swamps, city parks and even some deserts.

Image source: WikipediaĬardinals are common at bird feeders in their range. First Things First – Get to Know the Range of Northern Cardinals The range of the Northern Cardinal. As long as you live in their range! I started bird feeding during the pandemic in 2020 and now regularly have male and female Northern Cardinals stopping by my feeders year-round. Thankfully, Northern Cardinals are actually easy to draw into your yard with a few steps. They’re a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style: a shade of red you can’t take your eyes off.” The Cornell Bird Lab puts it best: “The male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird. When my Grandpa passed, I still remember seeing a bright red Cardinal in my backyard that reminded me of him. Cardinals are stunning birds and hold a special place in my heart. My top goal was to attract a Cardinal when I started my bird feeding hobby.

Cardinal bird feeder at menards