Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Illinois

The birds that visit feeders in Illinois, when they come and what they eat – counted from 19.3 million bird sightings reported across Illinois from 2019 to 2024.

  • 26year-round residents
  • 11winter visitors
  • 8summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Illinois
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Illinois

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

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. House Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    American Goldfinch

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: lwolfartist / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Blue Jay

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / 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. Black-capped Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-capped Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    European Starling

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-winged Blackbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: sunflower, cracked corn

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  12. White-breasted Nuthatch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-breasted Nuthatch

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: sunflower, suet, peanuts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Illinois

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

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-throated Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Tree Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mary Krieger / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Fox Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in November

    Eats: millet, seed mixes, black oil sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Pine Siskin

    Occasional visitor · most common in November

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: fishhawk / iNaturalist, CC BY

May – Sep

Summer visitors

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

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

    Gray Catbird

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Cedar Waxwing

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: berries, dried fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Indigo Bunting

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: nyjer, millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: sugar water (1:4)

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Chipping Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in April

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Baltimore Oriole

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: oranges, grape jelly, sugar water

    Photo: Dmitry Mozzherin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  8. Brown Thrasher, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Brown Thrasher

    Occasional visitor · most common in April

    Eats: suet, cracked corn

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Illinois

7 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Illinois. Downy Woodpecker and Red-bellied 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 Woodpecker2.8%
  2. Red-bellied Woodpecker2.4%
  3. Northern Flicker1.3%
  4. Hairy Woodpecker0.9%
  5. Red-headed Woodpecker0.4%
  6. Pileated Woodpecker0.3%
  7. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.2%
  1. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-headed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in August

    Eats: suet, sunflower, peanuts

    Photo: Matthew Gerke / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Pileated Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet

    Photo: tsaiproject / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

    Occasional visitor · most common in April

    Eats: suet, tree sap

    Photo: Martin Tremblay / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Illinois

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Illinois. Sightings start in April, peak in August 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 Illinois, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Illinois

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 Illinois

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
American Robin
House Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
Blue Jay
Mourning Dove
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-bellied Woodpecker
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
Dark-eyed Junco
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Finch
Song Sparrow
Northern Flicker
Common Grackle
White-throated Sparrow

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Illinois: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Illinois?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 3.9% of all bird sightings reported in Illinois, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Illinois in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, American robin, house sparrow, winter brings dark-eyed junco, white-throated sparrow, American tree sparrow.

What woodpeckers live in Illinois?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Illinois?

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