At the end of summer and beginning of fall there are a lot of transitions going on at the feeders. Some birds leave us, some birds join us, some birds will just pass through and some birds gather in large flocks and determine their new winter territories.
By late summer, nesting is over and Northern Cardinals relax their defense of their territory boundaries. The birds sing less and flocks of cardinals begin to form. The Cardinals don’t migrate but can expand their range while foraging for food. Right now they are determining which yard to spend the winter. If you continue to offer fresh food in clean feeders, they will return. These ever changing flocks can consist of about four to twenty birds depending on the area, time of year, weather, and available resources.
I like to call in the cardinals with the no-mess blend of sunflower chips and peanut pieces and a Safflower cylinder. There are also a wide variety of other cardinal friendly feeders and food.
About 40% of adult cardinals die each year. Most die during the winter in February and March when food supplies are low. Death may not be due to starvation but a weakened immune system or being forced to search for food in more open areas where birds of prey and other predators can kill them.
The Northern Cardinal is often the first bird to visit a feeder in the morning and the last to stop by and grab a bite at night. The populations with access to a feeding station may be in better condition and more likely to survive the winter than cardinals without access.
