10 Best Winter Foods To Attract Cardinals Today

Cardinals thrive in winter with the right food offerings. Stock your feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, suet cakes, cracked corn, and shelled peanuts. Cardinal-specific seed blends, mealworms, Nyjer seeds, and white millet provide essential nutrition during cold months. Complete your feeding strategy with dried berries and fruits for variety. These ten high-energy options will turn your yard into a cardinal haven throughout the season.

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds: The Cardinal’s Winter Favorite

When winter’s chill sets in, black oil sunflower seeds become invaluable to northern cardinals. These nutrient-dense seeds offer high oil content that provides essential energy during cold months, helping cardinals maintain their strength when food sources are scarce.

Black oil sunflower seeds provide cardinals with crucial winter energy when natural food becomes scarce.

You’ll find that cardinals particularly favor these seeds because their thin shells are easy to crack with their strong, thick beaks.

By consistently offering black oil sunflower seeds in your feeders, you’re creating a reliable food source that will attract cardinals throughout the winter season.

As an added bonus, you won’t just draw cardinals to your yard. These seeds appeal to various bird species, enhancing your backyard birdwatching experience.

For the best results, keep feeders stocked regularly so these vibrant visitors know they can count on your hospitality.

Safflower Seeds: High-Energy Nutrition Without Squirrel Problems

You’ll find safflower seeds offer cardinals essential fiber, protein, and carbohydrates while naturally deterring pesky squirrels from your feeders.

These white seeds create a peaceful dining experience where cardinals can feed without competing against common backyard pests.

Squirrel-Proof Cardinal Feeding

While many bird enthusiasts struggle with squirrels raiding their feeders, safflower seeds offer a perfect solution for cardinal lovers. Cardinals love these high-energy seeds that squirrels typically avoid, creating a natural barrier without extra equipment.

When you pair safflower seeds with squirrel-proof feeders, you’ll maximize your chances to attract cardinals all winter long.

• Use tube feeders with weight-activated perches that close when heavier squirrels land
• Position feeders at least 10 feet from trees or structures squirrels could jump from
• Add baffles above and below pole-mounted feeders for additional protection
• Consider cage-style feeders that allow cardinal access while blocking larger animals
• Regularly clean your feeders to maintain seed freshness and continued cardinal interest

Nutritional Powerhouse Benefits

Safflower seeds stand as winter’s nutritional champion for cardinals, packing a powerful combination of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates that fuel these vibrant birds through harsh weather.

This nutritional powerhouse helps cardinals maintain their energy reserves when other food sources disappear beneath snow and ice.

You’ll appreciate that cardinals prefer to eat these seeds because their strong beaks easily crack the hard shells, accessing the nutrient-rich kernels inside.

Unlike many other seed options, safflower seeds resist spoilage, ensuring your feathered visitors receive fresh nutrition throughout the season.

Hearty Suet Cakes: Essential Fat Sources for Cold Weather

When temperatures plummet and natural food sources become scarce, hearty suet cakes emerge as an essential winter lifeline for cardinals. These calorie-dense offerings provide the critical fat reserves your backyard visitors need to survive frigid nights.

As winter’s grip tightens, suet cakes become cardinals’ salvation—packed with energy to power through long, freezing nights.

You’ll attract cardinals consistently by placing suet feeders in sheltered locations where these brilliant red birds feel safe.

• Choose suet cakes containing seeds, nuts, and berries to match cardinals’ natural preferences
• Consider both store-bought and homemade options for variety
• Position feeders near evergreen branches to provide shelter during feeding
• Replenish suet regularly to establish your yard as a reliable food source
• Use specialized suet feeders that prevent the cakes from falling during active feeding sessions

In cold weather, these fat-rich offerings become particularly attractive to cardinals searching for efficient energy sources.

Cracked Corn: Budget-Friendly Cardinal Attraction

Cracked corn offers an economical way to attract cardinals to your winter garden while providing them with essential protein and carbohydrates.

You’ll want to store it in airtight containers to prevent moisture and mold, then serve it on platform feeders or scattered on the ground away from bushes where predators might hide.

Mixing cracked corn with black oil sunflower seeds creates an irresistible blend that’ll keep these vibrant red visitors returning throughout the coldest months.

Affordable Winter Cardinal Staple

Many budget-conscious bird enthusiasts turn to cracked corn as their go-to option for attracting cardinals throughout winter. This high-protein food provides essential nutrition for these vibrant red visitors during the coldest winter months.

You’ll find cracked corn at most feed stores, making it an accessible option for maintaining your cardinal population.

• Scatter directly on the ground where cardinals prefer to feed
• Mix with sunflower seeds in platform bird feeders for variety
• Combine with suet to provide multiple nutritional sources
• Place near heated bird baths to create a complete cardinal station
• Replenish regularly, especially after snow or rainfall

Your cardinals will appreciate this inexpensive food source when natural options become scarce.

Storage and Serving Tips

Proper storage techniques make all the difference in keeping your cracked corn fresh and appealing to cardinals throughout winter.

Store your cracked corn in airtight containers in a cool, dry location to prevent mold growth that could harm visiting birds.

Platform feeders are best for serving cracked corn to cardinals, though you can also scatter it directly on the ground where these beautiful red birds prefer to feed.

During harsh winter months when natural food sources disappear, accessible feeding locations become essential for cardinal survival.

Regularly refill your feeders to establish a reliable food source that builds trust with local cardinals.

For maximum attraction, consider mixing cracked corn with sunflower seeds and peanuts to create a premium winter blend that will keep cardinals returning to your yard all season long.

Corn-Based Feeding Strategies

Three compelling reasons make cracked corn an excellent winter feeding option for cardinals.

It’s a high-energy food source when natural options become scarce. It’s budget-friendly for year-round feeding, and cardinals are naturally attracted to its larger size that suits their strong beaks.

You’ll find this economical option helps draw these vibrant birds to your yard throughout the cold season.

• Scatter cracked corn on the ground or use platform feeders for easy cardinal access
• Combine with sunflower seeds in a mixed seed blend to increase feeding variety
• Offer consistently alongside suet to help cardinals build essential energy reserves
• Use cracked corn as your base feed and supplement with pricier options
• Increase portions during extreme cold when cardinals need maximum caloric intake

Shelled Peanuts: Protein-Rich Treats Cardinals Love

Cardinals face significant challenges during winter, when their natural food sources dwindle beneath snow and ice. Offering shelled peanuts provides these beautiful birds with essential nutrition during these harsh months.

These protein-rich treats are particularly valuable because they deliver both healthy fats and protein in one convenient package. Cardinals prefer raw, unsalted varieties that supply vital nutrients for maintaining energy and warmth.

You’ll find success by presenting shelled peanuts on platform feeders or directly on the ground, making them easily accessible while reducing competition from smaller birds.

For best results, incorporate them into your mixed seed offerings to create a nutritional powerhouse that attracts cardinals consistently.

Regular peanut feeding throughout winter helps support cardinal populations when they need it most, ensuring their vibrant presence in your yard.

Dried Berries and Fruit: Natural Winter Supplements

While seeds and nuts form the backbone of a cardinal’s winter diet, dried berries and fruits offer essential variety that these vibrant birds enthusiastically seek.

You’ll find cardinals particularly drawn to dried elderberries and blueberries, which provide vital nutrients when fresh fruit becomes scarce in winter months.

• Cardinals prefer fruits with larger seeds, often eating the seeds while leaving the pulp behind
• Plant sumac and winterberry bushes to naturally supplement cardinals’ winter diets
• Mix dried berries with seed offerings to create a more attractive feeding station
• Elderberries are especially nutritious for cardinals facing harsh winter conditions
• Rotating different dried fruit options helps attract cardinals consistently throughout the season

Cardinal-Specific Seed Blends: Optimized Winter Nutrition

Commercial cardinal-specific seed blends offer a convenient way to attract these vibrant birds with their carefully formulated mix of black oil sunflower seeds, safflower, and peanuts.

You’ll find premium options that include dried berries and suet chunks, delivering complete nutrition during the harshest winter months.

If you prefer a hands-on approach, you can create your own cardinal mix by combining these ingredients in proper proportions for a personalized feeding experience.

Premium Blends Worth Buying

Serious bird enthusiasts know that not all seed mixes deliver equal value when it comes to attracting cardinals during winter.

Premium blends specifically formulated for cardinals contain large seeds these vibrant visitors prefer, eliminating the filler seeds that often go uneaten. When selecting nutrient-dense seeds for your feeders, you’ll want options that provide maximum energy during cold months.

• Wagner’s Cardinal Blend combines black oil sunflower with safflower seeds that cardinals love
• Lyric Cardinal Premium features dried berries for added vitamins and variety
• Pennington Select includes high-protein crushed peanuts for extra winter nourishment
• Cole’s Special Feeder blend avoids fillers while maximizing nutritional content
• Wild Delight Cardinal Mix incorporates energy-rich ingredients that sustain cardinals through frigid temperatures

DIY Cardinal Mix Recipes

Creating your own cardinal food blend allows you to customize nutrition while saving money compared to premium store-bought options.

Your DIY cardinal mix should start with a base of black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, and shelled peanuts—ingredients that provide high calories and essential fats cardinals need during winter months.

Enhance your blend by adding dried cranberries or raisins, which not only attract these vibrant birds but also supply additional nutrients.

For an energy boost, incorporate small amounts of suet or peanut butter to help cardinals maintain warmth in freezing temperatures.

Store your homemade mix in an airtight container to preserve freshness, and serve it in platform feeders for easy access.

This winter-specific blend will keep cardinals returning to your yard throughout the coldest months.

Mealworms: High-Protein Winter Boosters

When winter’s grip tightens and natural food sources dwindle, mealworms become a nutritional powerhouse for cardinals visiting your feeders.

These high-protein treats provide essential nutrients cardinals need to maintain energy during cold months. You’ll notice more vibrant visitors when you incorporate these winter foods into your feeding routine.

• Dried mealworms are convenient and last longer in feeders while still attracting cardinals
• Live mealworms offer maximum nutritional benefit and are particularly enticing
• Serve mealworms in a shallow dish or mix them with seed in platform feeders
• Offer mealworms at dawn and dusk when cardinals are most active
• Consistent supply helps cardinals maintain strength for upcoming breeding season

Nyjer Seeds: Small Seeds With Big Energy Benefits

Though cardinals typically favor larger seeds, nyjer seeds offer exceptional winter nutrition in a tiny package. These oil-rich thistle seeds provide essential energy for redbirds during harsh winter months when natural food becomes scarce.

While cardinals prefer bigger seeds, the tiny nyjer seed packs a powerful nutritional punch that helps them thrive during winter’s harshest days.

You’ll attract more backyard birds by incorporating nyjer seeds into your feeding station. Use specialized tube feeders with small openings that prevent larger birds from accessing them while giving cardinals easy access. This strategy guarantees your favorite redbirds can feed without competition.

For best results, keep your nyjer seed supply fresh and regularly replenished. Cardinals appreciate reliable food sources and will become frequent visitors when they know they can count on your feeders.

Consider mixing nyjer with other cardinal favorites for a complete winter diet that keeps these stunning birds returning day after day.

White Millet: Ground Feeding Options for Cardinals

Cardinals display a natural preference for ground foraging, making white millet an excellent addition to your winter feeding strategy.

These bright red visitors will readily search your yard for these small, easily-cracked seeds that provide essential nutrition during cold months. You’ll notice shy cardinals are more likely to visit when you scatter white millet directly on the ground or in low platform feeders.

• White millet’s small size perfectly matches cardinals’ strong beaks for efficient feeding
• Scattering millet creates natural foraging opportunities that mimic cardinals’ wild feeding behaviors
• Ground feeding options attract cardinals that might avoid elevated feeders
• Combining white millet with other seed types increases nutritional variety in winter
• Regular ground offerings of white millet can establish your yard as a reliable cardinal feeding station

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Cardinals Favorite Food in the Winter?

Cardinals’ favorite winter foods include black oil sunflower seeds for their high oil content, safflower seeds, suet for calorie-rich fat, unsalted peanuts, and dried berries. You’ll attract more cardinals by offering these energy-rich options.

What to Feed to Attract Cardinals?

To attract cardinals, you’ll want to offer black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, suet, peanuts, and dried berries. These high-calorie foods provide the essential nutrients they need, especially during winter months.

What Food Makes Cardinals Red?

Carotenoid-rich foods make cardinals red. You’ll help maintain their vibrant plumage by offering safflower seeds, sunflower seeds, and berries like mulberries and elderberries. These foods contain the essential pigments cardinals need for their distinctive coloration.

What Is the Best Thing to Put Out for Birds in the Winter?

For winter bird feeding, you’ll want to offer high-energy foods like black oil sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts, and safflower seeds. These provide essential fats and nutrients birds need to maintain warmth during cold months.

In Summary

Providing your backyard cardinals with these nutritious foods will keep them returning all winter long. You’re not just feeding them—you’re helping them survive the harshest months of the year. Remember to keep feeders clean and full, especially before storms. With these cardinal favorites in your feeding station, you’ll enjoy the brilliant flash of red against winter’s white backdrop right outside your window.