But the possessive male cardinal will inevitably relent and allow other birds to feed. It is interesting that as the breeding season approaches in March, the domineering mood of the male cardinal changes toward its mate as far as feeding goes. In fact, you may see the male cardinal in the late winter shuck seeds out of sunflower shells for its mate, and then feed her as she lowers her head back to receive the seed, much like baby birds do when they are fed by their parents. As for feeding strategies, cardinals prefer to be fed from feeders that are slightly raised from the ground. They like to have their feet on something sturdy when they eat, and they do not like hanging feeders because of their unsteadiness.
Cardinals love sunflower seeds, especially the black, oil-type seeds.
They will sometimes scratch their way through an entire seed mix to get every sunflower seed before eating other seeds. Cardinals will also eat safflower seeds and white proso millet when sunflower seeds are not available. Cardinals do not migrate. Although they tend to wander in the winter, seldom do they fly more than a few miles from their nest. Since cardinals do not migrate, the planting of an inviting landscape can attract a cardinal family to your yard for many years.