A little color at my feeder today. (Cardinal)

[Jim Jensen]

I haven't seen one of these guys in my neighborhood since May. I wonder where he has been. I have a question for the birders out there. My bird book tells me these birds are found here all year round. Does that mean these birds do not migrate or is something like the birds here go south and the birds to the north of us come here?

[Jim Almquist]

We have a pair that have been with us for close to 2 years now. We are at the north end of how far they will live but they can still be found even further north. They seem like to want to be close to there food source and like the low light times to feed and when there is less competition for the food. As long as you keep the feeder full they will keep comimg back.

[Steve Foss]

Nice image, Jim. As far as I know, cardinals don't migrate at all, but I guess it wouldn't surprise me to learn some of them bump a bit farther south in winter. We've had winter cardinals up in Ely to our feeders before.

[wishing for walleyes]

Great shot of a very nice looking bird.

[Jim Jensen]

Thanks for the information. I did do a little research online, of course you never know how accurate that is, but I read they do pretty much stay in the same area unless food gets scarce. I just thought it was a little strange that I can go months without seeing one. Maybe they prefer to stay out of the suburbs. I like to watch them in the spring when they are courting. The male picks up the seeds and feeds them to the female. It looks a little like they are kissing.

[Steve Foss]

Your hit-or-miss cardinal visits may have more to do with feeder location than overall range. Cardinals will come to wide-open feeders but prefer the ones in/near thick low cover. If your feeder is in marginal cardinal habitat, that could explain their long absences.

[Jim Jensen]

Well that is probably the case. My front yard is just a little larger than a postage stamp. I have a couple bushes for birds to hide in but when I see Carnials not at my feeder they are usually high in the trees.

[Steve Foss]

The males will sing from the top or near the top of tall trees, but they nest in that low thick stuff, and the cardinals we've had up here haven't been really fond of coming out into the open to hit the bird feeder. We moved one right up against the brush and they were on it all the time. I know other folks down your way who have better luck attracting cardinals to open setups.