Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Louisiana

The birds that visit feeders in Louisiana, when they come and what they eat – counted from 5.4 million bird sightings reported across Louisiana from 2019 to 2024.

  • 31year-round residents
  • 12winter visitors
  • 3summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Louisiana
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Louisiana

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. 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. 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

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

    Carolina Wren

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. 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

  6. 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

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-winged Blackbird

    Regular visitor · most common in March

    Eats: sunflower, cracked corn

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Tufted Titmouse

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: sunflower, peanuts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    House Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

Nov – Mar

Winter birds of Louisiana

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-throated Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Goldfinch

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: lwolfartist / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. 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

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

    Song Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

Apr – Oct

Summer visitors

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

  1. 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

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

    Indigo Bunting

    Regular visitor · most common in April

    Eats: nyjer, millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. 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 Louisiana

6 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Louisiana. 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 Woodpecker2.0%
  2. Downy Woodpecker1.7%
  3. Pileated Woodpecker0.6%
  4. Northern Flicker0.5%
  5. Red-headed Woodpecker0.3%
  6. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.3%
  1. Red-bellied Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    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

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

    Red-headed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in July

    Eats: suet, sunflower, peanuts

    Photo: Matthew Gerke / iNaturalist, CC BY

  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

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Louisiana

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Louisiana. Sightings start in March, peak in September and fade out in October. A few are reported through the winter.

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-March 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 Louisiana, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Louisiana

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 Louisiana

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
Blue Jay
Northern Mockingbird
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-winged Blackbird
Downy Woodpecker
Tufted Titmouse
European Starling
House Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Bluebird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
House Finch
Brown Thrasher
Common Grackle

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Louisiana: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Louisiana?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 3.7% of all bird sightings reported in Louisiana, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Louisiana in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, blue jay, northern mockingbird, winter brings yellow-rumped warbler, white-throated sparrow, American goldfinch.

What woodpeckers live in Louisiana?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Louisiana?

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

More states

Backyard birds in other states