Best bird feeders for cardinals

Almost every "why won't cardinals come to my feeder" problem is the same problem, and it is not the seed. A narrow tube feeder with short perches is a feeder a cardinal physically cannot settle on, so it takes a beakful from the ground under it and leaves. The feeder-by-species guide explains the reasoning across every backyard bird; this page is the shortlist of models that solve it for this one. Every figure below is the maker's own, read on the dates in the sources — we have not handled these feeders.

What we judged on

1. Somewhere to stand. The deciding criterion and the only one that matters before price. A ledge, a tray or an open platform — anything a robin-sized bird can settle on with both feet and stay on while it eats.
2. How many birds can feed at once. Cardinals often arrive as a pair and frequently with company. A feeder with one perch turns a visit into a queue; the makers that publish a figure for this earn credit for it.
3. Whether the seed stays dry. Open feeders hold seed in the open. A roof, an overhang or a drainage screen is what separates a feeder that works in April from one that grows mold in it.
4. Whether the floor comes out. Wet seed and hulls collect on any surface a bird stands on. A removable screen is the difference between a feeder you clean and a feeder you eventually throw away.
5. What it is made of. Recycled poly lumber does not crack, split or fade and costs the most. All-metal resists chewing and costs least. Both are honest trades; painted softwood is not on this page for a reason.
6. What the maker actually publishes. Two of these four publish dimensions, weight, capacity and a species list. Two publish a capacity and nothing else. We have marked that down where it applies, even on picks we otherwise rate.

The picks

Ranked picks with what each is best for, our score out of ten, the budget band it falls in, and a link to check its current price on Amazon.

#	Pick	Best for	Score	Price
01	Birds Choice Two-Sided Medium Hopper Feeder (SN200)Recycled poly lumber, a drainage screen and two wide feeding ledges — the hopper most cardinal problems are actually solved by.Under $100	The default cardinal feeder, in a material that outlives you	8.1out of 10	$69.99 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded
02	Perky-Pet Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (C00322)A diamond-mesh cylinder over a circular tray that the maker says feeds up to fifteen birds at once — and cardinals head its own species list.Under $50	Feeding a crowd, from the one feeder actually named for the bird	7.7out of 10	$24.99 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded
03	Perky-Pet Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (B00303-2)All-metal mesh on four sides with two open feeding stations under a roof — the cheapest way to give big birds somewhere to stand and keep the seed dry.Under $50	An open feeder with a roof on it, for the least money	7.5out of 10	$24.99 · View on Amazon $39.2936% off #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded
04	Birds Choice Small Hanging Platform Feeder (GSHPF100)A 10 in square of recycled poly lumber with a stainless mesh floor — no roof, no ports, nothing to go wrong, and every bird in the yard can stand on it.Under $50	The simplest possible open tray, done properly	7.4out of 10	$29.99 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Ranked for the common case — a yard that already has cardinals passing through and a feeder they will not use. If the problem is a crowd rather than a pair, skip to the pick with the largest feeding surface.

Pick 01

The default cardinal feeder, in a material that outlives you

Birds Choice Two-Sided Medium Hopper Feeder (SN200)

Recycled poly lumber, a drainage screen and two wide feeding ledges — the hopper most cardinal problems are actually solved by.

Score

8.1

Perch room

9.0

Durability

10.0

Capacity

7.0

Value

6.5

Budget band

Under $100

$69.99 · View on Amazon

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Seed capacity

Approximately 3 lbSource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Dimensions

10.625 in L x 10.625 in W x 8.85 in H, 7 lbSource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

Recycled poly lumber, which the maker guarantees will never crack, split or fadeSource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Drainage

Removable polyester powder-coated screen, to keep seed drySource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Fasteners

Stainless steelSource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Mounting

1 in pole via the maker's #1202 flange, or hung from its #C15 15 in cable — neither is includedSource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Birds the maker lists

Cardinals, chickadees, purple finches, titmice, jays, nuthatches, bluebirds, woodpeckers, house finches, towheesSource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Made in

USASource: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Maker's list price and stock

$74.99, in stock and ready to ship on 2026-09-20Source: Birds Choice, Medium Hopper Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic (SKU SN200) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• Two feeding ledges with real standing room, which is the whole reason a cardinal uses a hopper and not a tube
• Recycled poly lumber does not crack, split or fade — this is a feeder you buy once
• The drainage screen lifts out, so wet seed can actually be dealt with rather than scraped
• Cardinals are the second species on the maker's own list for it

What it does not

• Neither the pole flange nor the hanging cable is in the box — budget for one before it can go up
• 7 lb empty is heavy for a shepherd's hook; this wants a real pole
• No squirrel exclusion whatsoever — a hopper is an open invitation without a baffle
• Roughly three times the price of the budget picks here for the same job

Who it is for

Anyone who has watched cardinals ignore a tube feeder and wants to fix it once, with a feeder that will still be there in fifteen years.

Skip this if

You are hanging it from a thin decorative hook. At 7 lb empty plus 3 lb of seed this needs a proper pole, and the mounting hardware is a separate purchase on top of the feeder.

Pick 02

Feeding a crowd, from the one feeder actually named for the bird

Perky-Pet Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (C00322)

A diamond-mesh cylinder over a circular tray that the maker says feeds up to fifteen birds at once — and cardinals head its own species list.

Score

7.7

Perch room

8.0

Birds at once

9.5

Weather protection

4.0

Value

8.5

Budget band

Under $50

$24.99 · View on Amazon

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Seed capacity

Up to 2.5 lb of black-oil sunflower seedSource: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Feeding area

Diamond-shaped mesh surface plus a circular seed tray; the maker states it feeds up to 15 birds at onceSource: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

All metal — the maker states no plastic, no wood — with a zinc-plated rust-resistant finishSource: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Weather

Large overhang, which the maker says shelters birds and shades the seedSource: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Storage

Collapsible for off-season storageSource: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Hanging

Built-in hookSource: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Birds the maker lists

Cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, titmiceSource: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Dimensions and weight

Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify on the maker's product page

Maker's list price

$29.99 on 2026-09-20Source: Perky-Pet, Red Cardinal Wild Bird Feeder (model C00322) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• A continuous circular tray, so a cardinal can land on any side and stand properly
• The maker's own figure of 15 birds at once is the largest feeding capacity on this page
• All metal with a zinc-plated finish, at a price where most feeders are plastic
• Collapses flat, which is genuinely useful if you take feeders down in summer

What it does not

• Being named after cardinals is marketing, not a specification — the tray is what does the work
• Mesh sides suit clinging birds; a cardinal uses the tray, so the useful area is smaller than it looks
• No dimensions or weight published at all
• An open tray under mesh collects wet seed in sustained rain despite the overhang

Who it is for

A yard with a crowd rather than a pair — several cardinals, plus the finches and chickadees that will use the mesh at the same time.

Skip this if

You want the seed to stay dry through a wet week. The overhang shades more than it shelters, and the roofed Fly-Thru or a hopper is the better answer in a rainy yard.

Pick 03

An open feeder with a roof on it, for the least money

Perky-Pet Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (B00303-2)

All-metal mesh on four sides with two open feeding stations under a roof — the cheapest way to give big birds somewhere to stand and keep the seed dry.

Score

7.5

Perch room

7.5

Value

9.5

Capacity

4.0

Durability

7.5

Budget band

Under $50

$24.99 · View on Amazon

$39.2936% off

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Seed capacity

Up to 2 lb of black-oil sunflower seedSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Feeding stations

2 fly-through stations, with mesh on all four sidesSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Seed it takes

Sunflower seed or peanutsSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

All metal — the maker states no plastic and no woodSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Weather

Protective roof to help keep seed drySource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Lid

Sure-Lock cap system to lock the lid in placeSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Warranty

1 year from date of purchaseSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Dimensions and weight

Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify on the maker's product page

Maker's list price

$39.29 list, shown at a special price of $27.49 on 2026-09-20Source: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• A roof over an open feeder, which is the combination large birds want and most trays do not offer
• All metal, so there is no plastic port for a squirrel to chew into
• Mesh on four sides means the birds are visible from wherever you happen to be sitting
• Takes peanuts as well as sunflower, which widens the species list at no extra cost

What it does not

• 2 lb is the smallest capacity here; a busy yard empties it in a day or two
• The maker publishes no dimensions and no weight at all
• Mesh sides mean seed gets wet from driving rain regardless of the roof
• Nothing about it excludes squirrels or large flocking birds

Who it is for

Someone testing whether an open feeder changes which birds show up, without spending hopper money to find out.

Skip this if

You want to fill a feeder once a week. At 2 lb this is a feeder for watching rather than for walking away from, and the bigger platform feeders here hold several times as much.

Pick 04

The simplest possible open tray, done properly

Birds Choice Small Hanging Platform Feeder (GSHPF100)

A 10 in square of recycled poly lumber with a stainless mesh floor — no roof, no ports, nothing to go wrong, and every bird in the yard can stand on it.

Score

7.4

Perch room

8.5

Simplicity

10.0

Weather protection

2.0

Value

8.0

Budget band

Under $50

$29.99 · View on Amazon

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Dimensions

10 in L x 10 in W x 2.125 in H, 1.25 lbSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

Recycled poly lumber, which the maker guarantees will never crack, split or fadeSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Floor

Patented expanded stainless steel mesh screen, for drainageSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Hardware

Stainless steel hanging rods and fasteners, plus a stainless S-hook the maker says keeps it hanging straightSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Seed capacity

Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify — an open tray has no fixed capacitySource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Made in

USASource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Maker's list price and stock

$31.99, in stock and ready to ship on 2026-09-20Source: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• There is no wrong way for a bird to use it — no port size, no perch length, no learning curve
• A stainless mesh floor drains, which is the single thing that separates a usable tray from a seed-mold tray
• 1.25 lb, so an ordinary hook holds it — unusual for a poly lumber feeder
• Takes anything: sunflower, mixed seed, mealworms, fruit, leftovers from another feeder

What it does not

• No roof at all, so seed is exposed to every rain shower
• An open tray feeds squirrels, jays and doves exactly as well as it feeds cardinals
• Small — 10 in square is a two or three bird feeder, not a flock feeder
• Holds no reserve, so it needs topping up daily rather than filling weekly

Who it is for

Anyone who wants to find out what their yard will actually eat, or who needs a second feeder that the birds excluded by a tube can use.

Skip this if

You want to fill a feeder and leave it. A tray holds only what is on it, so this is a daily-handful feeder rather than a reservoir.

Hopper, tray or fly-thru: which shape suits your yard

The published figures, side by side

Why the tube feeder in your yard is not working

A tube feeder is a cylinder with small ports and short perches, and it is designed around birds that weigh a fraction of an ounce. A cardinal cannot get a grip on a two-inch peg with its body hanging in free air, so what you usually see is a bird making one awkward grab and retreating to the ground. Nothing about that is fussiness or seed preference. It is a furniture problem.

That is why every pick on this page is a horizontal surface rather than a vertical one, and why the cheapest fix is often not a new feeder at all — a tray hung beneath the tube you already own catches the spill and gives the cardinals somewhere to stand on it. The 10 in Birds Choice platform is on this page partly for that job. If you would rather understand the whole picture before buying anything, which feeder brings which bird covers every species at once.

What an open feeder costs you

Everything that makes these feeders work for cardinals also makes them work for everyone else. There is no port small enough to exclude a grackle, no perch short enough to stop a squirrel, and no mechanism at all on three of the four. That is the honest trade, and it is worth knowing before you buy rather than after.

• Squirrels feed from all of these. None is squirrel-resistant and none claims to be. The fix is a baffled pole underneath, not a different feeder on top.
• Doves and jays will find them. A tray is a dove's ideal feeder. Some people count that as a win; if you do not, a hopper with ledges is more selective than an open platform.
• Spill goes on the ground. Hulls under a busy feeder kill grass and attract rodents. A seed-catcher tray on the pole beneath solves it, and doubles as a feeder for juncos and towhees.
• Wet seed is the real enemy. Sunflower left damp in a tray goes moldy fast. Buy the roof, buy the drainage screen, or commit to tipping the tray out after rain.

What not to buy

• A narrow tube feeder, again. If cardinals are ignoring the one you own, a better brand of the same shape changes nothing. The shape is the problem.
• A "cardinal" feeder chosen on the name. Several feeders carry the bird's name. Only the tray or ledge on them does any work, so read the feeding surface rather than the label.
• An open tray with a solid floor. Without drainage, an open feeder becomes a dish of wet seed after the first heavy rain. Mesh or screen, every time.
• A big platform with nowhere to mount it. The largest feeders here weigh 8 to 12 lb empty and are pole-mount only. Check what you are hanging it on before you order.