Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of New Hampshire

The birds that visit feeders in New Hampshire, when they come and what they eat – counted from 5.2 million bird sightings reported across New Hampshire from 2019 to 2024.

  • 28year-round residents
  • 7winter visitors
  • 11summer visitors
Black-capped Chickadee – the most common of the backyard birds in New Hampshire
Photo Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in New Hampshire

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

  1. 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

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

    Blue Jay

    Everyday visitor · most common in November

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

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

    Song Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in April

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of New Hampshire

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

    Pine Siskin

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: fishhawk / 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. Evening Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Evening Grosbeak

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: sunflower seeds

    Photo: Nigel Voaden / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Redpoll, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Redpoll

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: nyjer

    Photo: egorbirder / 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

  7. Pine Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pine Grosbeak

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    Eats: black oil sunflower

    Photo: Richard Littauer / iNaturalist, CC BY

Mar – Oct

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in New Hampshire and winter further south.

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

    Gray Catbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. 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

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

    Common Grackle

    Regular visitor · most common in April

    Eats: cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Shaun Coleman / 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. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

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

    Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    Occasional visitor · most common in May

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in New Hampshire

6 woodpecker species are reported regularly in New Hampshire. Downy Woodpecker and Hairy 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 Woodpecker2.9%
  2. Hairy Woodpecker1.8%
  3. Red-bellied Woodpecker1.4%
  4. Northern Flicker0.8%
  5. Pileated Woodpecker0.8%
  6. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.4%
  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. Hairy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. 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

  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 New Hampshire

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in New Hampshire. 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 New Hampshire, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in New Hampshire

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.
Pine Grosbeak – a large, plump finch of the North; males are rosy red with grey flanks.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in New Hampshire

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
American Goldfinch
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Cardinal
American Robin
Mourning Dove
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Eastern Bluebird
House Finch
Red-bellied Woodpecker
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird

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

Questions

Backyard birds in New Hampshire: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in New Hampshire?

The black-capped chickadee. It makes up about 5.1% of all bird sightings reported in New Hampshire, and it stays all year.

What birds are in New Hampshire in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the black-capped chickadee, blue jay, American goldfinch, winter brings dark-eyed junco, pine siskin, American tree sparrow.

What woodpeckers live in New Hampshire?

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

When do hummingbirds leave New Hampshire?

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