Cardinals are omnivores with a diet heavy on seeds. Their thick, powerful beaks are built for cracking tough seed shells - a tool that gives them access to foods many songbirds cannot handle.
Cardinal Diet Overview
| Food type | Proportion | Examples |
|---|
| Seeds | ~60% of diet | Sunflower, safflower, millet, weed seeds |
| Fruits and berries | ~20% | Dogwood, mulberry, hackberry, elderberry, grape |
| Insects | ~15% | Beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, spiders, ants |
| Grains | ~5% | Corn, rice, oats |
Favourite Feeder Foods
| Food | Why cardinals love it |
|---|
| Black oil sunflower seeds | High oil content, easy to crack, top choice |
| Safflower seeds | Cardinals love them, squirrels mostly ignore them |
| Cracked corn | Energy-rich, attracts cardinals to ground feeders |
| Peanut pieces | Protein and fat, especially valued in winter |
| Mealworms | Protein boost during breeding season |
| Suet | High-energy fat source in cold weather |
Diet by Season
| Season | Primary foods |
|---|
| Spring | Insects increase for breeding protein, buds, early seeds |
| Summer | Heavy insect diet for feeding nestlings, soft fruits |
| Autumn | Seeds and fruits dominate as insects decline |
| Winter | Seeds, dried berries, suet, feeder foods |
Baby Cardinal Diet
| Stage | Food |
|---|
| Nestlings (0-10 days) | Insects only - caterpillars, beetles, spiders, regurgitated by parents |
| Fledglings (10-30 days) | Insects plus soft seeds, fed by male while female starts next brood |
| Independent juveniles | Full adult diet - seeds, fruits, insects |
Feeder Setup for Cardinals
| Element | Best practice |
|---|
| Feeder type | Platform or hopper feeder with sturdy perches |
| Placement | Near dense shrubs for quick escape from predators |
| Height | Ground level to 5 feet - cardinals are ground feeders |
| Water | Birdbath nearby, kept clean and fresh |
| Timing | Cardinals are early morning and late evening feeders |
| Avoid | Cheap seed mixes with red milo filler |
Cardinals do not migrate. They visit the same feeders year-round, which means a consistent food supply builds loyalty. Black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds in a platform feeder near dense shrubs is the simplest, most effective cardinal setup.
