Attract this bird

How to attract cardinals to your yard

Northern Cardinals respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 44 states and provinces.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

First: is it in your area, and when?

You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Northern Cardinal is a year-round resident in 44 states and provinces, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida and 38 more — there, a yard can host it in every season.

See the Northern Cardinal in your state →

Plant what cardinals use

These native plants are tied to the Northern Cardinal in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.

Plant	Type	States	Why it helps
Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	39	Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	38	Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Winterberry Ilex verticillata	Shrub	33	Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	32	Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Shrub	32	Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
American elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Shrub	31	Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30	Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Shrub	25	Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum	Shrub	10	Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	9	Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.

Your list covers 3 plant layers (tree, shrub, vine). Layering matters: mixing tree, shrub, vine gives cardinals food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.

Offer the food it actually eats

Mostly seeds and fruit, with insects fed heavily to nestlings in spring and summer.

Warm months: Beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers and cicadas; Wild grape, dogwood and blackberry fruit
Cold months: Weed and grass seeds; Sumac, hackberry and other persistent winter fruit; Sunflower and safflower at feeders
At feeders: Black-oil sunflower, Safflower, Hulled sunflower chips, Cracked corn (sparingly)

Feeder style matters as much as food: platform / tray feeder is the first choice for this bird. Cardinals feed most actively at dawn and dusk and rarely use small-perch tube feeders. Place feeders within 10–15 ft of dense shrub cover they can retreat to. Feeder guide →

Full seasonal diet →

Give it a place to nest

Natural site: Open cup built by the female in dense shrubs, vine tangles or saplings, usually 1–15 ft up.

It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.

Clutch: 2–5 eggs
Incubation: 11–13 days
Nestling period: 7–13 days
Broods per year: 1–3 per season

Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Alabama but not until May in Wisconsin. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.

Water, safety and patience

A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.

Frequently asked

What attracts cardinals to a yard?

Food they actually eat (black-oil sunflower, safflower, hulled sunflower chips), native plants such as Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: open cup built by the female in dense shrubs, vine tangles or saplings, usually 1–15 ft up.

What plants attract cardinals?

Across the Northern Cardinal's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra). Choose the ones native to your state.

When should I set up my yard for nesting cardinals?

Nesting starts around March in Alabama and as late as May in Wisconsin. Have cover, water ready a month before.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.