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Cardinal Bird Feeder"I would like a cardinal bird feeder!"I get this statement a lot in my brick and mortar store. This bird, of course, is probably the single most popular bird out there. However, what I have to explain to people is that there really is no such feeder per se. BUT, the bird certainly has preferences about where he feeds. Let's take a look!
First, let's talk about what doesn't work that well.
He has virtually no neck and is forced to turn his whole body sideways to eat from a tube. In addition, he's just a smidgen too big for most perches. Some people will advise you to add a tray to the bottom. Granted, you will see the bird more often if you do this. Just keepin mind that Droll Yankees trays fit Droll Yankees tube feeders; Aspects trays fit Aspects tube feeders; Bird quest's trays fit Bird Quest tube feeders. Do you know which brand you have? Also, keep in mind that trays attract lots of other birds like grackles, starlings and doves. If these birds hit your tube feeder, you won't see many cardinals. Remember, tube feeders are great for feeding small birds like the tufted titmouse . Add a tray and you defeat the purpose of the tube. So what does work? A proper cardinal bird feeder is any feeder whose design accommodate the cardinal's preference to "bend at the hip" or not at all when feeding. You want a feeder that doesn't force him to turn his body to eat. A basic hopper feeder is a great choice for a cardinal bird feeder. So is any fly-thru bird feeder (a fly-thru feeder is open on all sides and has ample space). Also, platform feeders are ideal cardinal feeders. There are manufacturers of feeders who describe their product as "cardinal feeder." The no-no is one such example. Though this feeder does accommodate the cardinal, be careful! Many bird feeders do not do what the manufacturer says they will. The Droll Yankees squirrel proof feeder called the whipper is designed to be a cardinal feeder. The curved perch is a fantastic innovation that accommodates the bird perfectly. The Brome Care "squirrel buster" squirrel proof feeder, with its detachable ring, also serves the bird, though the bird does not appear as comfortable on this feeder as he does on the whipper (make no mistake, though, the Brome Care Product is equal and even superior to the Droll Yankees product in many ways). SEED What seed should you feed the cardinal? Hands down, safflower. This is a bitter tasting seed that squirrels, grackles and starlings tend not to eat. If you don't have these pests floating around, any quality bird seed Black oil sunflower seed, sunflower hearts (chips) are favorites of the cardinal. He'll eat most blends (don't use big box blends--they're full of filler that birds don't eat). He'll also eat shelled peanuts and fruit--you'll need a fruit feeder for this. So, what is my favorite cardinal bird feeder? You know, I often advise folks who come into my store to get back to basics. I recommend either a wooden hopper feeder or a fly-thru platform feeder serve as their cardinal bird feeder.
If you follow this advise and are patient, I promise that you'll be visited by this beautiful bird year round!
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