Written by Oliver Freedman, Roamwild USA. Published September 16, 2026.
Short answer: northern cardinals feed most readily from a feeder with a solid perch or tray at chest height, stocked with sunflower hearts, black oil sunflower or safflower, hung near cover. Tube feeders with a perch and hopper feeders both work; caged feeders usually do not, because a cardinal is too big for the openings. A weight-activated squirrel proof feeder set for songbirds admits cardinals: at 1.5 to 1.7 oz a cardinal is roughly a tenth of a squirrel's weight.
What a cardinal needs from a feeder
- Somewhere to stand. Cardinals are about 8 to 9 inches long and do not cling like finches. They want a perch or a tray they can face the port from.
- The right seed. Sunflower hearts, black oil sunflower and safflower. Cardinals crack seed with a heavy bill and pick sunflower out of a mix, throwing the rest on the ground.
- Cover close by. A shrub or small tree within 10 to 15 feet. Cardinals feed early and late in the day and retreat to cover between visits.
- Room for two. Pairs feed together, and males feed females during courtship.
Feeder styles, ranked for cardinals
| Style | Cardinal-friendly? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hopper or platform | Yes | Easy access; open to squirrels, grackles and rain unless baffled and covered. |
| Tube feeder with perches | Yes | Works when the perch gives the bird a stable footing facing the port. |
| Weight-activated squirrel proof tube (per-port or single-spring) | Yes | Set for songbirds, the port stays open for a cardinal; BWD Magazine's 2019 test found the Roamwild PestOff admitted cardinals and red-bellied woodpeckers and excluded grackles and doves. |
| Caged tube feeder | Usually not | Openings around 1.5 inches suit finches and chickadees; most cardinals cannot get through. |
| Mesh or sock feeder | No | Made for clinging birds and nyjer seed. |
Will a squirrel proof feeder shut out cardinals?
Not if it is set for songbirds and hangs freely. Weight-activated feeders rely on the gap between a cardinal (1.5 to 1.7 oz) and an eastern gray squirrel (14 to 21 oz). On the Roamwild PestOff 2.0 the two ports each sit on their own spring and are factory-set so cardinals feed; on adjustable single-spring feeders, set the trigger weight to admit cardinals. If a port ever closes under a cardinal, the perch is resting on something: check that the feeder hangs clear of poles and branches.
Keeping grackles and starlings off a cardinal feeder
Common grackles (2.6 to 5 oz) and European starlings (2 to 3.6 oz) crowd cardinals off open feeders. Three things help: a weight-activated feeder whose ports close for grackles but not cardinals; safflower seed, which cardinals eat and many grackles and starlings avoid; and dropping mixes that contain suet or dried mealworms, which starlings seek out. In the US, starlings are an introduced species not protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so excluding them is allowed.
Where to hang it
Chest height or higher (the ports at least 5 feet up), 18 inches from any vertical surface a squirrel could cling to, 8 to 10 feet from anything it could jump from, and within sight of cover. Give a new feeder one to three weeks; cardinals are cautious and often arrive at dawn and dusk first.
Roamwild's cardinal setup
The PestOff 2.0 with sunflower hearts, hung on a shepherd's hook or the PestOff Bird Feeding Station, with a PestOff Bird Seed Catcher underneath to keep shovelled seed off the ground. Customers who want cardinals feeding side by side add a second feeder 18 inches from the first, or choose the 8 lb Mega.
Frequently asked questions
What seed attracts cardinals most?
Sunflower hearts and black oil sunflower first, then safflower. Cardinals pick sunflower out of mixed seed and discard the rest, so plain sunflower is cheaper per bird and cleaner underneath.
Do cardinals use tube feeders?
Yes, when the tube has a solid perch they can face the port from. They avoid clinging-style mesh feeders and most caged feeders.
Why are cardinals not coming to my feeder?
Usually cover and patience: hang it within 10 to 15 feet of a shrub or small tree, use sunflower hearts, and allow one to three weeks. Cardinals often feed first at dawn and dusk.
Sources
- Northern cardinal, common grackle and European starling weights and sizes: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds, and standard references.
- Dawn Hewitt, "The Well-Equipped Birder: Squirrel-Proof Feeders," BWD Magazine, Nov/Dec 2019.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, list of bird species to which the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not apply (European starling, house sparrow).
