Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Massachusetts

The birds that visit feeders in Massachusetts, when they come and what they eat – counted from 23.3 million bird sightings reported across Massachusetts from 2019 to 2024.

  • 25year-round residents
  • 6winter visitors
  • 11summer visitors
Blue Jay – the most common of the backyard birds in Massachusetts
Photo Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Massachusetts

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

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

    Blue Jay

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / 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. Northern Cardinal, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Cardinal

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in April

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Song Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. 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

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

    Tufted Titmouse

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower, peanuts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  10. 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

  11. 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

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

    Carolina Wren

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Massachusetts

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 February

    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

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. 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

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

    American Tree Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mary Krieger / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. 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

  6. 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

Mar – Oct

Summer visitors

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

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

    Common Grackle

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Shaun Coleman / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Gray Catbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Chipping Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Cedar Waxwing

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: berries, dried fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Eastern Towhee

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Brown-headed Cowbird

    Regular visitor · most common in April

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: cello caruso-turiello / iNaturalist, CC BY

  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. Pine Warbler, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pine Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in April

    Eats: suet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Dan Vickers / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Massachusetts

6 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Massachusetts. 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 Woodpecker2.4%
  2. Red-bellied Woodpecker1.7%
  3. Northern Flicker1.2%
  4. Hairy Woodpecker0.8%
  5. Pileated Woodpecker0.2%
  6. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.2%
  1. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    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 April

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Pileated Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in April

    Eats: suet

    Photo: tsaiproject / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. 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 Massachusetts

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

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 Massachusetts, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Massachusetts

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.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in Massachusetts

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

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

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Massachusetts: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Massachusetts?

The blue jay. It makes up about 3.5% of all bird sightings reported in Massachusetts, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Massachusetts in winter?

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

What woodpeckers live in Massachusetts?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Massachusetts?

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

More states

Backyard birds in other states