December 29, 2000

     Cardinals

The northern cardinals are usually the first birds at the feeders in the morning and the last to leave at dusk, sometimes feeding so late during winter days that we have trouble seeing them.  They never tire of sunflower seeds, but they will also eat cracked corn, wheat, suet mixtures, sorghum, barley, millet, peanuts, melon seeds, raisins, cornbread and even white bread.

This bird, more than any other, has come to symbolize bird feeding.  The availability of feeding stations has made its northward expansion possible.

In the 19th century the cardinal was only a visitor, entering Minnesota from the southeast along the Mississippi River.  It was not until the mid-1930s that it was established as a permanent resident of the Twin Cities.

Lately this species has been seen along the North Shore of Lake Superior, where planted and native evergreens help provide shelter.  This, along with several warmer-than-normal winters and plentiful food supplies from feeders, might encourage range expansion.

Cardinals are generally nonmigratory, and banding records have shown that adults rarely go more than a few miles from their birthplace.  In the wild they feed on the seeds of ash and pine trees and seeds in the fruits of wild grape, sumac and dogwood, to name just a few.

Actually, cardinals will eat seeds and fruits from nearly every kind of tree, shrub or other plant that is available to them.  But it's interesting to note that in summer they are highly insectivorous.