Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Iowa

The birds that visit feeders in Iowa, when they come and what they eat – counted from 3.8 million bird sightings reported across Iowa from 2019 to 2024.

  • 24year-round residents
  • 10winter visitors
  • 11summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Iowa
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Iowa

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. 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

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

    Blue Jay

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / 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 Robin, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-breasted Nuthatch

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower, suet, peanuts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. 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

  9. 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

  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. 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

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

    House Finch

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: black oil sunflower, nyjer

    Photo: MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Iowa

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

    American Tree Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mary Krieger / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. 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

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. Harris's Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Harris's Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: seeds

    Photo: Jonathan Eisen / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Pine Siskin

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: fishhawk / iNaturalist, CC BY

Mar – Oct

Summer visitors

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

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

    Red-winged Blackbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: sunflower, cracked corn

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Gray Catbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Common Grackle

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Shaun Coleman / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Brown-headed Cowbird

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: cello caruso-turiello / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. 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

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

    Chipping Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. 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

  8. 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

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Iowa

7 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Iowa. 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 Woodpecker3.0%
  2. Red-bellied Woodpecker2.7%
  3. Northern Flicker1.3%
  4. Hairy Woodpecker1.2%
  5. Red-headed Woodpecker0.8%
  6. Pileated Woodpecker0.3%
  7. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.1%
  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 January

    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

    Regular 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 October

    Eats: suet, tree sap

    Photo: Martin Tremblay / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Iowa

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Iowa. Sightings start in May, peak in August and fade out in October.

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-May 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 Iowa, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Iowa

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 Iowa

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

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

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Iowa: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Iowa?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 3.6% of all bird sightings reported in Iowa, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Iowa in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, winter brings dark-eyed junco, American tree sparrow, white-throated sparrow.

What woodpeckers live in Iowa?

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 Iowa?

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

More states

Backyard birds in other states