All About Northern Cardinals and How to Attract Them

They're sociable. They have bright orange-red beaks. And the males sport fire-engine red feathers. Even if you're new to bird watching, you've likely spotted a flashy Northern cardinal on a visit to a park or when observing your backyard bird feeder.

Northern cardinals commonly inhabit suburban landscapes and the edges of forests, making them a popular wild bird friend to see.

We spoke with Maren Gimpel, associate director of Foreman's Branch Bird Observatory at Washington College, to learn more about these eye-catching birds.

Note: For this article, we focus on the Northern cardinal, or Cardinalis cardinalis, found in North America. It's worth mentioning that the Pyrrhuloxia is in the same genus, also lives in North America, and looks much like a female Northern cardinal, but is a different species. With a little observation, it is possible to tell the two apart, especially when observing the Pyrrhuloxia's yellow (not orange-red) beak.

You can recognize cardinals by their song — both males and females sing.

How to Identify a Northern Cardinal

If you're looking for Northern cardinals, know that the males and females appear different.

You're likely familiar with the male's mostly all-red plumage, black feathers circling the beak and chin, orange-red beak, and chunky build. Females, on the other hand, have brown feathers with hints of red in their feathery head crowns, wings, and tails — along with the bold orange-red beak. They can also have the black face markings, but usually appear somewhat lighter in tone.

"Young Northern cardinals of both sexes are brown, resembling adult females, but do not develop an orange-red bill until they are about two months old," Gimpel added.

You might just hear a cardinal before you see it. Both males and females sing. She might even share a tune while tucked away tending to her nest. Interestingly, females often sing longer songs than males. Audubon shares several recordings of Northern cardinal vocalizations, including a duet between a male and female pair.

Northern cardinals don't migrate, so you can find them year-round.

Where to Find Northern Cardinals in Nature

Northern cardinals do not migrate, which means they call the Central, Eastern, and Southern United States, as well as Mexico, home year-round.

"Northern cardinals are found from Florida north to all but northernmost New England in the east. In the Midwest, they occur just up to or just across the Canadian border. Though they can be found in most of Texas, they are mostly absent west of the Rockies," Gimpel shared.

To spot a Northern cardinal, look to shrubs and dense bushes in suburban landscapes, including schoolyards, backyards, parks, and at the edges of forests. These birds enjoy snacking on berries, so look to your blueberry bushes, wild grapes, dogwood berries, and raspberry bushes for feathered visitors. Eating fruits rich in carotenoids (a natural pigment) helps Northern cardinals retain the coloring in their bright red feathers.

And if you see one cardinal, keep looking. You'll likely see another close by. Northern cardinals practice monogamy, so it's not uncommon to see a female and male visiting your yard at the same time.

Northern cardinals eat a wide range of seeds and suet.

How to Bring Northern Cardinals to Your Backyard

Northern cardinals enjoy taking a peek at your backyard feeder to see what's on the menu. They prefer a platform-style feeder or a feeder with larger perches to handle their sturdy size. You might also notice Northern cardinals foraging through the spilled seeds under your feeder.

When it comes to filling your feeder in hopes of attracting your red-feathered friends, know that Northern cardinals aren't picky.

"Northern cardinals will eat a variety of seeds. You can provide black oil sunflower seeds (hulled or not) or a mix that includes millet and cracked corn," Gimpel advised. "Mixed seeds are often more budget-friendly than bags of just sunflower seeds."

As you shop for seeds for your backyard feeder, consider these options to bring Northern cardinals to your property:

• Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower: The high oil content in these seeds provides much-needed energy (especially during colder winter months) for many types of birds, including blue jays, woodpeckers, doves, grosbeaks, nuthatches, and cardinals.

• Kaytee Cardinal Blend: Northern cardinals love the combination of black oil sunflower and safflower seeds in this simple blend designed just for them. You'll also discover that chickadees, nuthatches, and grosbeaks find this mix appetizing.

• Kaytee Birders' Paradise Blend: This blend features sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, milo, peanuts, safflower seed, and more delicious ingredients. You'll find that Northern cardinals as well as goldfinches, buntings, blue jays, mourning doves, woodpeckers, sparrows, and so many more bird friends flock to this seed.

As your bird-watching hobby grows, you may want to spoil your favorite species. When it comes to Northern cardinals, a Kaytee Sunflower Treat Bell hung near a sturdy fence post for perching or a tray of Kaytee Mealworms for snacking would be appreciated.

Brighten up your yard by offering different foods to Northern cardinals.

Northern Cardinals Are Simply Amazing

It's not surprising that birdwatchers — new and seasoned — find the colorful, friendly Northern cardinal a joy to observe. They readily flock to backyard feeders, often show up at parks, and share beautiful melodies.

In their honor, the cardinal proudly serves as the official state bird for Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Love colorful birds? Learn more about orange and yellow songbirds in Types Of Orioles or where to see blue jays in All About Blue Jays and How to Attract Them.