Housing a Family of Cardinals In Your Cardinal Bird House
You don't have to be a professional birdwatcher in order to recognize a male Northern Cardinal bird as it flies past your living room window. The Cardinal got its name because its brilliant red feathers were nearly the same shade as the robes the Cardinal wore during his tenure in the Catholic Church. There is no denying the popularity of the Cardinal. St. Louis adopted the bird as their mascot for their major league baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinal, and no less than seven states have named the Cardinal as their state bird. Considering the amount of people who are attracted to the Cardinal, it isn't any surprise that many people are interested in cardinal bird houses.
Where to Put Your Cardinal Bird House
The key to a successful Cardinal bird house is to place it in a spot where Cardinals feel comfortable. When you are looking for a spot to mount your Cardinal bird house you need to remember that the Northern Cardinal is a forest dwelling bird. They are happiest in a spot that not only has trees they can perch on but they also like to have a place that has some dense vegetation where they can hide from predators and search for food. If possible, try to mount your Cardinal bird house in a spot that has a few trees with some brambly underbrush.
Attracting Cardinals
If you live in an area that has a few trees growing close together and some bushes, chances are good that you already have a few Cardinals flying around, but that doesn't mean that there aren't things you can do to attract them. The first thing you should do to attract nesting Cardinals is to think about your water situations. Cardinals like to be close to a ready water supply. Setting up a birdbath near your Cardinal bird house will encourage the birds to stick around. Filling a birdfeeder with seeds will also help you attract Cardinals to your yard.
Things To Think About Before Mounting A Cardinal Bird House
It is important to make sure you resist the urge to mount your Cardinal bird house beside your kitchen window. Although the activity inside your house won't disturb the cardinals, the males are notoriously defensive when they are breeding. A male cardinal who sees his reflection in the window pain could mistake it for another Cardinal and launch an attack. These battles can go on for hours and exhaust or injure the bird. You should content yourself with using a pair of binoculars to watch the activity around your Cardinal bird house.