Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Florida

The birds that visit feeders in Florida, when they come and what they eat – counted from 36.6 million bird sightings reported across Florida from 2019 to 2024.

  • 29year-round residents
  • 8winter visitors
  • 0summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Florida
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Florida

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 July

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Mockingbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: fruit, mealworms, suet

    Photo: Morgan Caygill / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. 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

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

    Carolina Wren

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. Boat-tailed Grackle, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Boat-tailed Grackle

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: seeds, grain

    Photo: Seth Wollney / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. Common Grackle, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Common Grackle

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Shaun Coleman / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Tufted Titmouse

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: sunflower, peanuts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  11. Red-winged Blackbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-winged Blackbird

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: sunflower, cracked corn

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  12. 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

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Florida

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

    Gray Catbird

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Robin

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. 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

  5. Chipping Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Chipping Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  6. 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

  7. American Goldfinch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Goldfinch

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: lwolfartist / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Florida

6 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Florida. 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 Woodpecker1.4%
  3. Pileated Woodpecker1.0%
  4. Northern Flicker0.2%
  5. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.2%
  6. Red-headed Woodpecker0.1%
  1. Red-bellied Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. 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

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

    Northern Flicker

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. 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

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

    Red-headed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats: suet, sunflower, peanuts

    Photo: Matthew Gerke / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds in Florida: all year

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Florida – and it stays all year. Sightings peak in July, 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.

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

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

Identification

Red birds in Florida

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.
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 Florida

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
Northern Mockingbird
Blue Jay
Carolina Wren
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
Tufted Titmouse
Downy Woodpecker
Red-winged Blackbird
Gray Catbird
Pileated Woodpecker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Carolina Chickadee
Common Ground Dove
European Starling
Eastern Bluebird

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Florida: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Florida?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 3.3% of all bird sightings reported in Florida, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Florida in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, red-bellied woodpecker, mourning dove, winter brings gray catbird, yellow-rumped warbler, American robin.

What woodpeckers live in Florida?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Florida?

In Florida the ruby-throated hummingbird stays all year.

More states

Backyard birds in other states