Northern cardinals have a varied diet that includes both plant and animal matter. Their main food sources are:
- Seeds: Cardinals particularly favor sunflower seeds (black oil and striped), safflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn. Their strong beaks allow them to crack open larger seeds that many other birds cannot
- Fruits and berries: They eat many types of berries and wild fruits such as dogwood, sumac, hackberry, winterberry, hawthorn, and serviceberry. Cardinals often eat the seeds inside the fruit, sometimes discarding the pulp
- Insects and other small invertebrates: During the breeding season, cardinals eat a larger proportion of insects like beetles, caterpillars, ants, flies, spiders, and snails. Insects provide essential protein, especially for feeding their young
- Nuts: Shelled peanuts are also enjoyed by cardinals and provide protein and fat
- Suet: In winter, cardinals benefit from suet cakes or pellets, which offer high energy to help them survive cold weather
In summary, cardinals eat a mix of seeds, berries, insects, nuts, and suet, with their diet shifting seasonally to meet nutritional needs. Seeds and berries make up most of their diet year-round, while insects are important during breeding season for protein
