How to Spot Cardinals

If you saw a beautiful bright red bird about eight to nine inches long flying around your backyard, then you probably have seen a cardinal.

These well-loved melodious songbirds attract the eye of many people when they are flying around, but have you ever seen one sleep at night? It is quite rare to see them sleeping in a nest. This is because they sleep in spots that are away from activity and noise and they keep changing their sleeping spots.

As they are hard to spot while sleeping, many people wonder where cardinals sleep at night. It might be out of curiosity that you are wondering, or perhaps you might want to help the cardinals find a perfect spot.

To know about their possible sleeping spots, it’s best to understand what cardinals look for when choosing a sleeping spot.

Top Reasons for Choosing a Particular Sleeping Spot

There are various factors that cardinals consider when opting for a place to sleep at night. The bright red flying beauties go for high places that are not frequently disturbed, which makes them feel safe.

Let’s look at the main reasons that cardinals take into account when choosing a particular sleeping spot.

1. Safety

Like every other living thing, cardinals look for a place that is safe for them to sleep in – someplace where they are hidden from predators. This is the most fundamental deciding factor for the best location for sleeping as it’s hard to rest with a feeling of being unsafe. Cardinals fall prey to animals such as cats, snakes, dogs, rodents, and so on. Many birds also like to prey on the little red beauties, including hawks, crows, eagles, falcons, and so on.

To avoid meeting with any of their predators, cardinals build their sleeping spots away from the ground. They prefer places that are high and are covered with things such as branches and dense shrubs that can hide them well from predators. They can even be found in birdhouses and large tree cavities.

2. Quietness for a Goodnight’s Sleep

How do you feel when unexpected noises wake you up in the middle of the night? Shocked? Disturbed? Anxious? Cardinals, too, feel the same and do not like to be disturbed when resting at night in the wild. Hence, they always look for quiet spots and are away from all the hustling and bustling. They achieve this by going as high up in the trees as possible to find the peace they are looking for.

3. A Wide Viewing Angle

Another deciding factor for where do cardinals sleep at night is the viewing angle. These intelligent little birds look for spots with good viewing angles to make their nests. This helps them to identify the danger before it can reach them, so there are no surprises.

They can keep an eye out and remain conscious of the possible predators approaching them. It is one of their survival skills and a way to protect themselves and their little ones.

4. Places That Allow for a Quick Reaction

When living in the wild, any animal or bird is faced with many threats, and all of them have their particular ways of protecting themselves. One of the ways that cardinals adopt to remain safe in the face of a threat is choosing a sleeping spot that allows them to make a quick escape.

They make sure that the place they choose will allow them to fly away in different directions in case of a threat. They also ensure their sleeping spots are not wide open and covered with branches so that the predator finds it hard to reach them. This way, they can quickly fly away in the opposite direction even before a predator can get to them.

Common Sleeping Spots for Cardinals

Considering all the factors that influence their choice for a sleeping spot, the most common places that they nest are:

• Dense shrubs
• High on a tall tree
• Suitable birdhouses
• Branches that are covered by leaves
• Large tree cavities

However, their sleeping spots may frequently change depending on the season, weather, and place. For example, in the case of frequent rainfall, they might prefer finding shelter inside the tree cavity instead of a high spot on a tree. Some cardinals are territorial and like to stay in one place, while others keep changing their resting spots.

Ways to Help Cardinals Find the Perfect Spot to Sleep Near You

All you need to do is provide them with favorable resting conditions. With the help of a few tips and guidelines given below, you will be able to assist the melodious songbirds in finding a safe and peaceful sleeping spot for the night.

1. Allow Cardinals to Sleep in Your Backyard

To make your backyard one of the places where cardinals sleep at night, you need to make it attractive for the cardinal birds. Provide them with places that they prefer to sleep in by planting high trees and making sure that a few dense shrubs are around to make them feel safe and secure.

You can even build a cardinal-friendly birdhouse where they can nest and lay eggs. One thing that you need to take care of is the height you place these birdhouses at. Ensure they are high enough to protect the delicate birds from predators lurking on the ground. Also, provide them with more than one hole to fly in and out of for a quick reaction if needed.

2. Provide Them with Food

Cardinals like to eat insects, fruits, seeds, and saps. So, planting trees that give fruit might attract them to your yard. This factor, combined with growing high trees and dense shrubs, will make your yard quite attractive for them to stay in for good. Place some sunflowers seeds around, too, as an invitation as cardinals like to snack on those.

3. Turn Off Extra Lights at Night

Cardinals don’t have a watch attached to their wings to check the time. They plan their activities based on natural daylight. As the sun sets, the darkness signals them to stop their activities and get some rest. If you turn on too many lights at night, it might confuse them and disrupt their routine. So, make sure that it is dark enough for them in your backyard.

Final Thoughts

To answer the question of where do cardinals sleep at night, we need to understand what they look for in a sleeping spot. These songbirds prefer high, well-covered places that have different escape routes in case of any predator movement. Such locations make them feel safe, peaceful, and allow them to have a goodnight’s sleep. By ensuring that they find all the favorable factors, you can even attract them to your backyard for a goodnight’s rest.

Also, there is no single location where you will find them resting. It depends on the situation and where they feel most safe. Some cardinals prefer high trees, some opt for covered branches, some go for tree cavities, and some for dense shrubs.