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Why Using
A Birdhouse
To Attract Cardinals
May Be A
Big Mistake
By ROSE OKEKE
Setting up feeders and houses can entice a variety of birds to your yard. However, cardinals won’t respond to your birdhouse and instead will seek out other natural places to nest.
Northern cardinals, recognizable by their brilliant red color and head tufts, reject man-made birdhouses and prefer natural options, such as trees with heavy foliage and shrubbery.
Cardinals like to build nests with open sides that allow them to spot predators. Cardinals also build new nests multiple times a year and never reuse old nests.
Some of their favorite trees and shrubs to nest in include mulberry, dogwood, pines, honeysuckle, elms, rose bushes, and box elders.
They tend to build nests 3 to 15 feet above ground, using organic scraps such as twigs, tree bark, pine needles, and grass to construct them.
If nurturing a tree is too much to handle, try planting their favorite food shrubs. Cardinals will flock to your yard for berries, seeds, and fruit and may decide to stay there.