Wisconsin · Year-round resident

Northern Cardinals in Wisconsin

When cardinals are present in Wisconsin, when they nest, which native Wisconsin plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–6a yard.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

Status in Wisconsin: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–August
Broods: 1–3 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–6a

When to expect cardinals in Wisconsin

Northern Cardinals live in Wisconsin all year. Cold, snowy winters; boreal finches visit the north. 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, with two Great Lakes shorelines, northern forest and southern prairie-oak savanna.

Nesting in Wisconsin

Across Wisconsin, cardinals typically nest from May–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, humid summers.

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

Native Wisconsin plants that attract cardinals

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

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Feeding cardinals through the Wisconsin year

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 Wisconsin's winter: Cold, snowy winters; boreal finches visit the north.

Full diet breakdown for cardinals · Best feeder for cardinals

Frequently asked

Are cardinals in Wisconsin year-round?

Yes. Northern Cardinals are year-round residents in Wisconsin.

When do cardinals nest in Wisconsin?

Nesting in Wisconsin typically runs May–August, with 1–3 per season. Clutches are 2–5 eggs, incubated for 11–13 days.

What native plants attract cardinals in Wisconsin?

Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, Black cherry, American elderberry, Spicebush are native plants in Wisconsin that provide food or cover for cardinals.

Other backyard birds in Wisconsin

Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Eurasian Collared-Dove

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.