Male Northern Cardinals are easily identified by their bright red feathers and reddish bill with only a little black around the base of the bill and the female Northern Cardinals with their reddish bills, and grayish brown above and buffy below. Expect to see Northern Cardinals year-round throughout the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and into Texas and Mexico. Northern Cardinals, a favorite at bird feeders, eat a variety of seeds including Black Oil Sunflower, Striped Sunflower, Sunflower Hearts, Nuts, Fruits, Safflower, Milo, Millet and Cracked Corn.