Northern Cardinals in Pennsylvania

Northern Cardinals live in Pennsylvania all year. Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward weed and grass seeds; sumac, hackberry and other persistent winter fruit; sunflower and safflower at feeders.

Humid continental; cold, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.

Across Pennsylvania, cardinals typically nest from April–August. Nest site: open cup built by the female in dense shrubs, vine tangles or saplings, usually 1–15 ft up. Females lay 2–5 eggs, incubate for 11–13 days, and young leave the nest after 7–13 days.

Warm summers; bluebirds typically raise two broods.

• Northern Cardinals don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as serviceberry, winterberry, gray dogwood for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover cardinals use:

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.

• Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Safflower, Hulled sunflower chips, Cracked corn (sparingly).
• In Pennsylvania's winter: Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state.

Full diet breakdown for cardinals · Best feeder for cardinals