Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of California

The birds that visit feeders in California, when they come and what they eat – counted from 71.2 million bird sightings reported across California from 2019 to 2024.

  • 37year-round residents
  • 4winter visitors
  • 5summer visitors
House Finch – the most common of the backyard birds in California
Photo MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in California

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

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

    House Finch

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: black oil sunflower, nyjer

    Photo: MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Anna's Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: sugar water (1:4)

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Mourning Dove

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. California Scrub-Jay, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    California Scrub-Jay

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: nuts, seeds, acorns

    Photo: Dawn Beattie / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. California Towhee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    California Towhee

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, seeds

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  6. Lesser Goldfinch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Lesser Goldfinch

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Song Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

  9. Bushtit, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Bushtit

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: suet

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. Spotted Towhee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Spotted Towhee

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Nigel Voaden / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    European Starling

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  12. Bewick's Wren, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Bewick's Wren

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: dloarie / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of California

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Golden-crowned Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Golden-crowned Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Kevin Krebs / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Cedar Waxwing

    Occasional visitor · most common in April

    Eats: berries, dried fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Apr – Aug

Summer visitors

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

  1. Hooded Oriole, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Hooded Oriole

    Occasional visitor · most common in July

    Eats: sugar water, fruit, seeds

    Photo: Guy Babineau / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Black-headed Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-headed Grosbeak

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: black oil sunflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Brown-headed Cowbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Brown-headed Cowbird

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: cello caruso-turiello / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Bullock's Oriole, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Bullock's Oriole

    Occasional visitor · most common in May

    Eats: sugar water, fruit, grape jelly

    Photo: Millie Basden / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Lazuli Bunting

    Occasional visitor · most common in May

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Pat Farris / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in California

5 woodpecker species are reported regularly in California. Nuttall's Woodpecker and Acorn 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. Nuttall's Woodpecker1.1%
  2. Acorn Woodpecker1.0%
  3. Northern Flicker0.9%
  4. Downy Woodpecker0.4%
  5. Hairy Woodpecker0.3%
  1. Nuttall's Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Nuttall's Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats:

    Photo: Jonathan Eisen / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Acorn Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats:

    Photo: Dmitry Mozzherin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds in California: all year

The Anna's hummingbird is the main hummingbird in California – and it stays all year. Sightings peak in September, but you can see it at a feeder in any month.

Keep a nectar feeder up through the winter; on frosty nights bring it in or use a heated feeder so the nectar does not freeze.

Also reported: Allen's hummingbird.

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

Anna's Hummingbird sightings per month in California, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in California

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.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in California

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
House Finch
Anna's Hummingbird
Mourning Dove
California Scrub-Jay
California Towhee
Lesser Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
Bushtit
Spotted Towhee
European Starling
Bewick's Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Nuttall's Woodpecker
American Robin
Acorn Woodpecker

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

Questions

Backyard birds in California: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in California?

The house finch. It makes up about 2.7% of all bird sightings reported in California, and it stays all year.

What birds are in California in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the house finch, Anna's hummingbird, mourning dove, winter brings white-crowned sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler, golden-crowned sparrow.

What woodpeckers live in California?

5 species are reported regularly: Nuttall's woodpecker, acorn woodpecker, northern flicker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker.

When do hummingbirds leave California?

In California the Anna's hummingbird stays all year.

More states

Backyard birds in other states