How to Build a Cardinal House

Arguably the most recognizable backyard bird in eastern North America, the bright red Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a regular visitor to city parks, suburbs, forests, swamps, and brushy meadows. With the males' striking color (females are a reddish-brown), appealing crest, and thick seed-busting bill, cardinals will readily eat at feeders set near low, dense cover. Cardinals do not nest in traditional, closed-wall birdhouses; they prefer to build nests out of sticks, grass, and bark on a branch or in the crook of a tree. Birders can encourage cardinals to build nests by offering homemade nest baskets in trees next to dense shrubbery or bushes.

Things You'll Need

  • 12 inch x 12 inch square of metal mesh hardware cloth
  • Large dinner plate
  • Wire-cutting scissors
  • Heavy-duty stapler
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut the hardware cloth square into a circle (lay a large dinner plate over the mesh to use as a guide).

    • 2

      Cut out a narrow pie-shaped piece from the circle with the point of the "pie" at the center of the circle.

    • 3

      Bend the circular mesh into a wide cone by joining the two sides of the cut-out piece.

    • 4

      Staple the two sides together with the heavy-duty stapler.

    • 5

      Locate a suitable place for the nesting basket. The fork of a small tree or shrub between one and 15 feet off the ground is ideal. Make sure there is plenty of dense shrubbery and groundcover nearby.

    • 6

      Staple the nest basket into the fork of the tree.