Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Alaska

The birds that visit feeders in Alaska, when they come and what they eat – counted from 3.9 million bird sightings reported across Alaska from 2019 to 2024.

  • 21year-round residents
  • 3winter visitors
  • 2summer visitors
Black-capped Chickadee – the most common of the backyard birds in Alaska
Photo Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Alaska

These birds are reported in every season. Most of them will use a seed or suet feeder in any month.

  1. Black-capped Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-capped Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Dark-eyed Junco, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Everyday visitor · most common in November

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Redpoll, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Redpoll

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: nyjer

    Photo: egorbirder / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Red-breasted Nuthatch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. American Robin, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in May

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. Song Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Song Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. Steller's Jay, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Steller's Jay

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  8. Chestnut-backed Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Chestnut-backed Chickadee

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Garth Harwood / iNaturalist, CC BY

  9. Boreal Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Boreal Chickadee

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: seeds, suet

    Photo: Cassidy Best / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. Pine Siskin, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pine Siskin

    Regular visitor · most common in March

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: fishhawk / iNaturalist, CC BY

  11. Varied Thrush, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Varied Thrush

    Regular visitor · most common in April

    Eats:

    Photo: Don Loarie / iNaturalist, CC BY

  12. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Oct – Mar

Winter birds of Alaska

They arrive from the north in autumn and leave again in spring. Millet and sunflower hearts on a tray or on the ground bring most of them in.

  1. Pine Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pine Grosbeak

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: black oil sunflower

    Photo: Richard Littauer / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. European Starling, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    European Starling

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Anna's Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Anna's Hummingbird

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: sugar water (1:4)

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Apr – Aug

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in Alaska and winter further south.

  1. Yellow-rumped Warbler, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Rufous Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Rufous Hummingbird

    Occasional visitor · most common in July

    Eats: nectar

    Photo: highsinger / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Alaska

3 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Alaska. Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker are the ones most often seen. All of them come for suet – a suet cage with a tail-prop panel also works for the larger species.

Which suet to use and when →

  1. Downy Woodpecker0.9%
  2. Hairy Woodpecker0.8%
  3. Northern Flicker0.3%
  1. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  2. Hairy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    Occasional visitor · most common in November

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Alaska

The rufous hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Alaska. Sightings start in April, peak in July and fade out in August.

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-April so the first arrivals find it, and keep it up until two weeks after you see the last bird – late migrants from further north still pass through.

Nectar: one part white sugar to four parts water, no red dye. Hummingbird feeders compared →

Rufous Hummingbird sightings per month in Alaska, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Alaska

Pine Grosbeak – a large, plump finch of the North; males are rosy red with grey flanks.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in Alaska

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Black-capped Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
Redpoll
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Steller's Jay
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Pine Siskin
Varied Thrush
Rock Pigeon
Downy Woodpecker
White-crowned Sparrow
Pine Grosbeak
Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
European Starling

Want the list for your own garden? Enter your ZIP code – the birds within 30 km, month by month.

Questions

Backyard birds in Alaska: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Alaska?

The black-capped chickadee. It makes up about 2.7% of all bird sightings reported in Alaska, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Alaska in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, redpoll, winter brings pine grosbeak, European starling, Anna's hummingbird.

What woodpeckers live in Alaska?

3 species are reported regularly: downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker.

When do hummingbirds leave Alaska?

Rufous Hummingbird sightings fade out in August. They arrive in April. Keep your feeder up for about two weeks after the last visit.

More states

Backyard birds in other states