The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is one of North America’s most recognizable songbirds, famous for the male’s brilliant red plumage and the female’s striking reddish-brown coloring. These non-migratory birds are year-round residents across a wide range. Their ability to thrive comes from an adaptable, omnivorous diet that changes based on local availability. This diet is the source of the carotenoid pigments that color their feathers, making a healthy diet paramount to their appearance and well-being.
The Core Natural Diet of the Cardinal
The cardinal’s natural diet is primarily composed of plant matter, specifically seeds and fruits, which make up about 65% to 90% of their annual food intake. Their thick, cone-shaped bill is adapted to crack open the tough hulls of large seeds and grains with ease, a trait that sets them apart from many other songbirds. This allows them to access high-calorie food sources that smaller-billed birds cannot utilize.
In the wild, they consume a variety of seeds from weeds and grasses, along with grains like corn, which they often find while foraging low to the ground or in dense shrubbery. They also actively seek out wild fruits and berries, such as those from dogwood, sumac, wild grape, and hackberry plants. The carotenoids found in these fruits are directly responsible for the male cardinal’s iconic red coloration.
The remaining portion of their diet consists of insects and other small arthropods, providing an essential source of protein. Cardinals consume a wide array of invertebrates, including beetles, grasshoppers, moths, cutworms, and spiders. This protein-rich food is necessary for growth and feather maintenance, making their diet a crucial blend of plant material and animal matter.
How Cardinal Diets Shift with the Seasons
The cardinal’s omnivorous diet allows for significant seasonal shifts that directly correspond to the availability of natural resources. During the spring and summer breeding seasons, the intake of insects and arthropods increases dramatically to meet reproductive energy demands. This high-protein diet supports egg production, incubation, and the intense effort of raising their young.
Conversely, during the fall and winter months, when insects become scarce, the cardinal’s focus shifts almost entirely to high-fat and high-carbohydrate sources. Seeds, grains, and persistent wild fruits become the main sustenance for maintaining body temperature and energy reserves. The ability to crush large seeds with their robust bill is particularly useful in winter, allowing them to access food sources unavailable to other birds.
Preferred Foods for Backyard Feeders
Cardinals are frequent visitors to backyard feeding stations, often being the first birds to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the evening. The most preferred food offered at feeders is Black Oil Sunflower (BOS) seed, which is rich in fat and oil and has a relatively thin shell that their powerful beaks can easily crack. This seed is a highly efficient source of energy, making it a favorite year-round.
Another highly recommended option is Safflower seed, which cardinals enjoy but many nuisance birds, like grackles, and squirrels tend to avoid. The hard, white shell of the safflower seed poses no challenge to the cardinal’s bill, giving them exclusive access to this high-value food. Cardinals also readily consume other supplementary foods, including crushed peanuts, which provide fat and protein, and cracked corn.
Due to their large size and preference for secure footing, cardinals prefer to feed from platform feeders, hopper feeders, or large, sturdy tray feeders rather than smaller, swinging tube feeders.
Diet for Nestlings and Foods to Avoid
The diet of newly hatched cardinal nestlings is fundamentally different from that of adult birds and is nearly 100% insect-based. Parent cardinals feed their young exclusively on soft-bodied, protein-rich invertebrates, such as caterpillars, spiders, and soft insects, for the first few weeks of life. This high-protein intake is necessary for rapid growth and development of muscle and feathers before they fledge from the nest, typically around 9 to 11 days after hatching.
When offering supplemental food, certain common household items should never be given to cardinals or other wild birds. These foods offer little nutritional value and can cause digestive issues or malnutrition. Salted items are particularly hazardous, as birds have a low tolerance for high sodium levels. Providing clean, fresh water is also important, as cardinals require constant access to water for drinking and bathing.
Foods to Avoid
- Bread.
- Chips.
- Heavily salted nuts.
- Cooked rice.