Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Arkansas

The birds that visit feeders in Arkansas, when they come and what they eat – counted from 3.3 million bird sightings reported across Arkansas from 2019 to 2024.

  • 30year-round residents
  • 11winter visitors
  • 5summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Arkansas
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Arkansas

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

  1. Northern Cardinal, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Cardinal

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Blue Jay, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Blue Jay

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Carolina Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Carolina Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  4. Tufted Titmouse, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Tufted Titmouse

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower, peanuts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. Carolina Wren, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Carolina Wren

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  6. Red-bellied Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. Mourning Dove, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. Northern Mockingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Mockingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: fruit, mealworms, suet

    Photo: Morgan Caygill / iNaturalist, CC BY

  11. Eastern Bluebird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Eastern Bluebird

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: mealworms, berries

    Photo: Dan Vickers / iNaturalist, CC BY

  12. House Finch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Finch

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: black oil sunflower, nyjer

    Photo: MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Arkansas

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. White-throated Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-throated Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Song Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. Cedar Waxwing, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Cedar Waxwing

    Occasional visitor · most common in March

    Eats: berries, dried fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  6. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, tree sap

    Photo: Martin Tremblay / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. White-crowned Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

Apr – Sep

Summer visitors

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

  1. Indigo Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Indigo Bunting

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: nyjer, millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  2. Ruby-throated Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: sugar water (1:4)

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Gray Catbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Gray Catbird

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Baltimore Oriole, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Baltimore Oriole

    Occasional visitor · most common in May

    Eats: oranges, grape jelly, sugar water

    Photo: Dmitry Mozzherin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Painted Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Painted Bunting

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Andrew Cannizzaro / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Arkansas

7 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Arkansas. Red-bellied Woodpecker and Downy 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. Red-bellied Woodpecker2.9%
  2. Downy Woodpecker2.2%
  3. Northern Flicker1.2%
  4. Pileated Woodpecker1.0%
  5. Red-headed Woodpecker0.5%
  6. Hairy Woodpecker0.4%
  7. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.3%
  1. Red-bellied Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  4. Pileated Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pileated Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet

    Photo: tsaiproject / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Red-headed Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-headed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, sunflower, peanuts

    Photo: Matthew Gerke / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, tree sap

    Photo: Martin Tremblay / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Arkansas

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Arkansas. Sightings start in April, peak in September and fade out in October.

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 →

Ruby-throated Hummingbird sightings per month in Arkansas, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Arkansas

Northern Cardinal – the male is red all over with a black face; the female is tan with red on wings, tail and crest.
House Finch – males have a red head, breast and rump over brown streaks; common at seed feeders all year.
Purple Finch – males look dipped in raspberry juice, with less streaking on the flanks than a house finch.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – despite the name, the red is on the back of the head; the belly shows only a faint blush.
Red-headed Woodpecker – the whole head is deep red, the body black and white.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in Arkansas

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
Blue Jay
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
White-throated Sparrow
Eastern Bluebird
House Finch
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Arkansas: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Arkansas?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 4.3% of all bird sightings reported in Arkansas, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Arkansas in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, blue jay, Carolina chickadee, winter brings white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed junco, yellow-rumped warbler.

What woodpeckers live in Arkansas?

7 species are reported regularly: red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker.

When do hummingbirds leave Arkansas?

Ruby-throated Hummingbird sightings fade out in October. They arrive in April. Keep your feeder up for about two weeks after the last visit.

More states

Backyard birds in other states