Make sure Rollerfeeder is hung high enough (5′-6″-8′ min.) so the flying approach is adequate. Cardinals need much more room than smaller birds to fly in and land on feeders. Avoid plant yard hooks that are low to the ground, use yard hooks designed for birds feeder which are much taller with wider hooks.
Use mostly sunflower hearts (50%) mixed with black oil sunflower (25%) and safflower seed (25%), OR 100% sunflower hearts. Customer’s that use this seed mix have the best results with Cardinals.
Cardinals usually acclimate to the Rollerfeeder in due time, if they are having trouble, tie a small helper stick (twig/small branch) on the perch with thin wire or string – this should help assist a Cardinal land and acclimate to the feeder. Be aware it might also assist larger nuisance birds land and possibly feed. Don’t allow the twig to interfere with the rolling housing.
Cardinal Helper Perch Ideas
Many customers get visiting cardinals without helper perches, for some the feedback for helper perches is that they seem to make it a little easier for the larger cardinal to land and access the seed.
Tie a twig on or stick with blunt ends, nothing with sharp or pointy ends or sticking straight out, at an angle or to the side is best. It could be as simple as a popsicle stick with rounded edges or a tree stick with rounded edges, try to use something natural first.
Use a commercial 18″ “gear tie and loop from one perch to the other as shown in below photo links. Gear ties can be found in many stores including home depot > Home Depot Gear Tie
Based on Customer photos, 100s of testimonials, and our own testing, Rollerfeeder will accommodate bird sizes Chickadee up to Cardinals. Cardinals can often take a while because they are at the high end of the bird size RollerFeeder will accomodate, and also because of their skittish personality and natural feeding habits. Cardinals are ground feeders by nature and will typically always feed from the ground first if seed has dropped below feeders. read more below.
A Cardinals personality is more skittish and nervous than smaller bird feeder visitors. Cardinals tend to be more leery and cautious when flying around, perching, and trying out new feeders. The slightest movement will send them flying away compared to a fearless chickadee that will eat from your hand.
RollerFeeder has been tested by a nation-wide bird feeder supply store and it past their testing for birds sizes Chickadee – Cardinals.
We also receive customer e-mails often about Cardinals using their feeder. .
Cardinals visit our test feeders on a regular basis. They may be more prevalent during certain times of the year like winter or late fall. Natural food supplies can affect how often Cardinals visit – if natural food sources are abundant in your area they will typically feed from natural food sources first.
Keep in mind, Rollerfeeder is also designed to help prevent larger nuisance birds like Blackbirds which are very close in size (slightly larger) to a Cardinal.
It may take more time for Cardinals to adjust to the design compared to small-medium size birds like a chickadee, nuthatch, finch, tufted titmouse, or other smaller birds.
Cardinals have a wider flying pattern/approach whereas small birds can zip in & out of a feeder location. Make sure it is high enough and some room to maneuver and approach the feeder.
Cardinals are considered “ground feeders” which means their natural method of feeding in the wild is hopping around the ground looking for berries and seeds. Read more about feeding habits and diet of Cardinals on Wikipedia > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Cardinal#Diet
If there is seed on the ground, Cardinals will almost always feed from the ground first before going to feeders.
Some customers get Cardinals coming to their feeder early and often and others have more waiting time – we are not sure why but think the existing food source, regional sizes, type of seed, height of feeder and location of feeder play a role in customer’s success with Cardinals.
Make sure Rollerfeeder is hung high enough (5′-6″-8′ min.) so the flying approach is adequate. Cardinals need much more room than smaller birds to fly in and land on feeders. Avoid plant yard hooks that are low to the ground, use yard hooks designed for birds feeder which are much taller with wider hooks.