Trying to attract cardinals to our bird feeders, comments welcome.

[jumphigher]

IMG_6721.jpg

So Grace and I put out a couple of bird feeders on our apt's balcony a few weeks ago, after we took down the (winter) suet feeders. We both love cardinals and our hope is to get lots of them. One feeder contains a mix of seeds and the other one (dark in pic) has nothing but those black oil sunflower seeds that supposedly cardinals are crazy about. We figured one feeder for all the other birds, and one exclusively for the cardinals. Oh and we also read that cardinals don't like to perch, and prefer to just stand, so the feeders we got allow for that.

So far we have 1 cardinal couple we see regularily, a gray female and a red male - and a ton of other types of birds. but I was hoping to get some suggestions here on how to attract them in general as I know some of you guys are knowledgeable in this area. Thanks!

[guido]

Safflower seeds are favored by cardinals and generally ignored by other birds. They also tend to like platform feeders more than other types of feeders.

Being somewhat shy, they tend to like to have a bush or shrub near the feeder to allow them to check things out before going to an exposed feeder...

[Blue Jays]

”...Being somewhat shy, they tend to like to have a bush or shrub near the feeder to allow them to check things out before going to an exposed feeder...”

YES!

Cardinals also enjoy the seeds simply sprinkled on the ground near perimeter bushes. Works like a charm.
It really is important to have that bush/shrub nearby so they can make their observations first before eating.

[Mabouya]

I'm not sure what the VA cardinals like, but I can assure you that the St Louis Cardinals absolutely love black-oil sunflower seeds. There have been times where I've had more than ten at a time at my feeders.

I take cylindrical feeders (the kind with an inner plastic tube and an outer ~1' wire mess) and remove the inner tube, then place an 0.25" wire mesh inside, against the 1" mesh. It increases the total volume so I don't have to fill them as often. The birds that like to perch on the sides drop enough to the ground below that the cardinals find plenty too. (Not necessarily a good option of there are lots of marauding cats around.)

Good Luck

[thollandpe]

Being somewhat shy, they tend to like to have a bush or shrub near the feeder to allow them to check things out before going to an exposed feeder...

We have a blue spruce across the driveway from the feeder that the cardinals adore. We seem to have two pairs now.

The safflower seeds just seemed to really pare down the other birds on the feeders, although the few that really liked them were adorable. We're done with those.

Airsoft gun for the squirrels. 8 feet above ground for the bears. There's no keeping squirrels off the suet cakes, even the threat of non-lethal firepower. Dogs keep the bears at bay too.

[jumphigher]

As I read the replies I realize I should've mentioned we live on the 2nd floor. And that post about the birds making a mess is right on target, they throw seeds EVERYWHERE, some of them digging through the food and flinging whatever they dont like aside. It's definitely made me wonder if the people under us are getting inundated with seeds and shells. Oh and yeah, we have one squirrel that comes every day to see what he can pick up on the balcony floor. He's ok, I dont mind if he gets a few seeds here and there. Plus our 3 rescue cats enjoy watching him.

So far so good though, today while Grace was staring outside a bright red cardinal we hadnt seen before suddenly flew up to do a recon on one of the feeders, she (Grace) was pretty stoked. I appreciate all the recommendatiosn for feeders, books, and other related items and will give careful consideration to all comments.

I see many cardinals in our future. :)

[11.4]

I've birded all over the world and have a garden filled with bird feeders, ponds, plants for birds, birdhouses, you name it.

I'd recommend getting an app for phone and tablet called iBird. It's stronger than the Sibley or NGS apps and links to all kinds of resources.

J44's comment about cardinal territoriality is key here. It's like trying to watch hummingbirds in the spring. They all stake out territory and don't allow other bird pairs within sight.

After that, it's mostly about time. It can take a full resident season for cardinals to come preferentially to your feeders, and you'll see much better performance next spring.

It's hard for cardinals with their short wide beaks to get into many suet feeders, but they do like fruit, suet, whole unshelled peanuts, and similar foods. Some variety can get their attention and bring them right to your kitchen window. You may have the advantage of feeder locations that squirrels can't get to easily.

[jclay]

They're calming down a bit, what with it being the hottest part of the day, but as it relates to cardinal activity in our backyard it's oscillating between looking like the battle of Britain and one big happy family around the birdbath. They are digging the birdbath.

[thollandpe]

Witnessed a face-off yesterday between a male Cardinal and a Blue Jay. Quite the sight among the white blossoms of a dogwood.

We also have a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks that have returned.

[Haircutqueen]

Holy bird

[j44ke]

This feeder is definitely the best for birds smaller than a Blue Jay. The teeter-totter set up tips and blocks heavier birds and squirrels from access to the seed. There are techniques for heavier birds and squirrels to defeat this, but it requires mad skills and agility and it is often annoyingly (to the B's and S's) slow. However, cardinals (see pic) are perfect matches for this feeder by size and weight. In my experience, cardinals prefer something with some stability, which this pole mounted feeder has. There are ways to pole mount a feeder on a balcony. Pleasants Hardware can set you up (if Pleasants is still in business.) Or Lowe's.

One thing you are working against is spring. That's when birds are max territorial, and if you have a mated pair (i.e. with a nest &/or eggs/young to feed) that include your feeder in their territory, they will be chasing most if not all of the other cardinals away from your feeders. All about competition. Later in the summer and then fall & winter, the walls go down a bit and there is more of a free-for-all. In winter, snow is your friend as it will drive the area birds to your feeder. That's when you are more likely to see multiple cardinals at your feeder.

Don't forget to supply water. A shallow bird bath dish about the diameter of a metal trash can lid is about the right size. I am sure there are railing mounts available for just such an arrangement. Fresh water is very often harder for birds to find than food, especially in high summer and the middle of winter. Keeping out water will often attract birds first and then only afterwards will they find the feeder. Adding some sort of bubbler or similar water-noise maker will increase the attractiveness as birds listen for water more than they look for it.

One thing you might do in order to compensate for the lack of a yard is string the smaller feeders up high in a tree facing your apartment. Feeders sitting on your balcony are an easily defended citadel, so moving some other feeders out a ways from the apartment would give interlopers more of a chance to make an appearance without being subjected to the pecking order. Tie a string to a rock and toss it up and over a high branch. Then use that string to pull a heftier string over the branch. Attach one end to the feeder and use the other end to hoist it up until you can see it from your apartment. Then tie off the end somewhere inconspicuous so you can lower the feeder for refilling.

This feeder is a Duncraft. Very high quality US-made feeder. You may be able to find them locally at a Wild Birds Unlimited store if you have one in your area. Or check the Duncraft site to see who sells them locally.

[ides1056]

^^^great tip

[Too Tall]

We have that fancy pants feeder and yeah it is all that and a bag of chips. After maybe 5 years of successful deployment some RANDOM squirrel, might be Pucci's nemesis, figured out how to hang on one side and reach around to the other. I give.

PS - yes it attracted cardinals

[rwsaunders]

We have two of these suspended from an iron hanger along with two suet baskets for the woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees. Like Jorn said the cardinals are ground feeders but they will sit on the ring and the weight of a squirrel drops the ring and closes the openings. We put the feeders up in the late Fall and keep them filled through the late Spring.

On a couple of really cold days this past Winter, I've counted over two dozen cardinals at the feeders and they can eat quite a bit of sunflower seed when they're hungry. I think that we went through alomost a dozen suet squares too, as we have a few flickers, some downys and a pileated woodpecker that go for suet like crack. The combination of the feeders and my .177 cal air rifle do help to keep the squirrels at bay.