Northern Cardinals in South Dakota

Northern Cardinals live in South Dakota all year. Cold, windy winters. 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.

Continental, with prairie east of the Missouri River and the forested Black Hills in the west.

Across South Dakota, 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 with thunderstorms; the Black Hills host western mountain birds.

• Northern Cardinals don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern red cedar, smooth sumac, black cherry for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Of the regional native plants we track for South Dakota, 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 South Dakota's winter: Cold, windy winters.

Full diet breakdown for cardinals · Best feeder for cardinals