Cardinals are known for a beautiful appearance with male birds almost wholly covered with red feathers. For bird watchers, they are among the top birds. For cardinals to find a home in your yard, you need to furnish appropriate bird feed. We will discuss the appropriate food for cardinals and why it is crucial.
What Do Cardinals Eat?
Typically cardinals will consume seeds, fruits and animal matter for example insects. Their diet is balanced in nutrients since it contains protein. They also feast on safflower seeds, sunflower seeds, and cracked corn.
Why are sunflower seeds so popular?
One food that most cardinals can’t resist is sunflower seeds. They are high in oil and supply important vitamins. Black oil sunflower seeds are the most appropriate. They are inside a thin shell, which is convenient to break for the cardinals.
Safflower seeds
Safflower seeds are another wonderful choice for cardinals feeding. These seeds are even more than enough in calories. The most beneficial aspect is that they will not encourage certain pests such as squirrels.
Cracked corn for cardinals
Cracked corn should not be absent in a cardinal’s diet. It helps in the provision of energy due to high carbohydrate content. This however should not be to the extreme as it may attract tolerant birds of the other animals.
Importance of Fruits in Cardinal’s Food
Fruits are an integral element of the cardinal’s diet. They like to make a feast of berries, apple, and grapes. These fruits are important to provide the vitamins as well as the water content that helps in summer season.
Insects: Source of Protein
Insects are known to form a small section of the cardinal’s diet. They do contain proteins all right and help in growth. Mealworms provide a simple and effective way to feed the cardinals. These can be offered in fresh or dried variety or in live format.
Selection of Bird Feeder Regarding the Cardinals
Availability of an appropriate bird feeder becomes paramount if one is to attract cardinals. Cardina;’s make use of the perches on feeders and they are of such a design. Flat surfaced meal feeders and cylindrical feeders with extended perches come in handy.
Where You Should Put the Bird Feeder
Your bird feeder must be placed at a calm and safe place. Area with a lot of shrubs and trees is favorable for cardinals. This allows them privacy and makes them comfortable feeding.
The Maintenance of the Bird Feeder
Bio-collared feeders should be disinfected on a timely basis to control the spread of food associated microbial diseases. Illnesses can also be caused by the mold and bacteria which exist in a dirty bird feeder. Wash it in warm water and light soap from time to time.
Meeting Cardinal’s Water’s needs
Every living organism out there demands some water to perform daily activities and cardinals are no exceptions. Every garden should include at least one bird bath. Make sure the water is cleaned and preferably changed on a daily basis.
Providing a rich selection of food
Food variety is one of the surest strategies of luring more cardinals to your compound. The diet should be composed of seeds, fresh fruits and insects. This variation will make them want to come back for more.
Restricting Dangerous Foods
One of the foods that you ought to avoid as a cardinal pet owner includes some that can be dangerous to the cardinals. Reckless giving of certain foods to them such as bread and junk foods should be discouraged. These may lead to some health conditions and thus are best left untreated feeding the birds.
Getting Cardinals through all the seasons
In the warm months it is possible to entice cardinals to stay in your garden with succulent food all the times. In winter season animals do require a higher amount of food than other seasons in order to withstand the conditions. Provide more seeds and nuts at this period.
Why feeding Cardinal’s brings satisfaction
Satisfaction is the work cardinal pet lovers get when feeding cardinals themselves. Department of Recreation and Parks of the State puts that such watching can be a delightful way to relieve stress by looking at coral beaks. It also prevents birds from loss in berry season.
Encouraging Natural Foraging
This is also beneficial for cardinals as it encourages them to forage for food on their own. Drop the grains and seeds on the grass or in the bushes. This helps feed them in a way that they use their natural response.
Crucial Insights on Cardinal Behavior
This makes it easy to understand why people wish to attract them. Cardinals are strickly remarkable and are calm. They also frequent feeders that are in less populated positions.
Providing Shelter
It is also advisable to include shelter within the feeding area. Cardinals are birds which require places to rest or stay and nest. If the area was planted with dense shrubs or trees, such birds would be sheltered.
Watching for Predators
Thus, being cautious of danger would involve observing those predators which threaten cardinals. Risks also include: cats, hawks, and squirrels. Making sure that you position the feeder so that it is the most bird safe could assist in removing such forms of risks.
Cardinals Presence in the Yard or Garden
Cardinals are some of the birds that enhance a garden and bring colors as well. If the appropriate food and environment is sustained, then these beautiful birds can be appreciated through all the climatological seasons. They are a delight and the beauty of nature.
