(WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Our grey skies might have you climbing the walls this week, but there’s one way to get more color in your life, or at least in your yard.
The northern cardinal is the state bird and lives in Illinois year-round.
Clark Hudmon, owner of Barn Owl Garden Center in Carol Stream, says you will often see them in your yard at this time of year.
“Especially when you have a lot of snow, birds have a hard time foraging for food, so they tend to come into your yard more frequently, looking for food or water, just to get through these long winter days,” Hudmon says.
He says you can encourage that by putting out a feeder with their favorite high-protein foods: sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and peanuts.
“Safflower is a unique seed, it’s almost formulated for cardinals, just based on its shape, and it’s also a good way to deter squirrels and what not because of its bitter taste,” Hudmon says.
The bright red males catch the attention of predators too, so Hudmon encourages you to set up any feeders near trees or other covered areas.
Hudmon tells WBBM he thinks cardinals are popular because they’re passive.
“They do stay in pairs, you will tend to find a male with a female, and they are one of few species of birds that both male and female can sing,” Hudmon says.
He noticed customers’ interest in birding soar during the early part of the pandemic.
“It’s a nice thing. It just allows you to slow down your day a little bit more. It breaks up that monotony, especially if you’re working from home,” says Hudmon.
His Carol Stream store sells feed for cardinals. That includes grit or small bits of rock that help them digest seeds and other food.
Hudmon says a well-stocked feeder and not frozen water will help bring all the birds to your yard.
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