Thanks for your interest in our blog.

Cardinals certainly are among the most beautiful of all birds, glad to see you appreciate them. They have been bred in captivity in Europe; I had a pair at the Bronx Zoo that nested several times as well. Unfortunately, it is not legal to keep northern cardinals in the USA but the South American species, such as the red-capped cardinal, are legal to own and are captive bred here in small numbers.

Free living cardinals will not usually accept a nest box, preferring to build their own in densely leafed trees; thorn bearing species and evergreens are favored. You can, however, keep them nearby by feeding them, especially as the weather cools and food becomes less available. They do not migrate, and are very territorial, so you will most likely see the same pair for quite some time…occasionally some of the young stay nearby for a few months as well.

Cardinals favor safflower seeds and sunflower seeds, but accept a wide variety of foods. Freeze dried mealworms can be used as a special treat. They actually become quite bold and, with patience, can be induced to feed from the hand. A neighbor of mine has been hand-feeding a pair for several years now. To learn more about this interesting hobby, please see my article Hand Feeding Wild Birds…if you can locate a copy, the book I mention there is very useful.`

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Also, I see at times cardinals visiting my backyard. How can I make a nest for them to breed locally and keep them revisiting my house? Or perhaps what type of food can I use to keep them coming back? They are so beautiful that it will be nice seeing them always visiting my house.