Northern cardinals typically build their nests in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees, usually placed about 3 to 10 feet above the ground, though nests can be found as low as 1 foot or as high as 15 feet in some cases

. The nests are cup-shaped and made of twigs, grass, bark strips, and leaves, lined with fine grass or hair for softness

. Cardinals prefer well-hidden spots in dense foliage to conceal their nests, often wedged into the forks of small branches in saplings, shrubs, or vine tangles

. Common nesting sites include dogwood, hawthorn, spruce, rose bushes, elm, blackberry brambles, honeysuckle, grapevine, redcedar, sugar maples, and box elders

. Cardinals tend to choose nesting locations at the edges of woods, fields, suburbs, and backyards rather than open grasslands or deep forests

. They do not use birdhouses for nesting

. In summary, cardinals nest in well-hidden, dense shrubs or low trees, typically 3 to 10 feet above the ground, building a cup-shaped nest from natural materials such as twigs and grass in a secure, leafy spot