Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of New Mexico

The birds that visit feeders in New Mexico, when they come and what they eat – counted from 7.2 million bird sightings reported across New Mexico from 2019 to 2024.

  • 41year-round residents
  • 4winter visitors
  • 8summer visitors
House Finch – the most common of the backyard birds in New Mexico
Photo MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in New Mexico

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

  1. 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

  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. White-winged Dove, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-winged Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower, millet

    Photo: MarvalPhotography19 / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Spotted Towhee

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Nigel Voaden / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. Lesser Goldfinch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Lesser Goldfinch

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    House Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-breasted Nuthatch

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower, suet, peanuts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. Eurasian Collared-Dove, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Eurasian Collared-Dove

    Regular visitor · most common in March

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Radu Teodoreanu / iNaturalist, CC BY

  11. 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

  12. 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

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of New Mexico

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in November

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Song Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    White-throated Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

Apr – Sep

Summer visitors

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

  1. Black-chinned Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-chinned Hummingbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: nectar (sugar water)

    Photo: Shiva Shenoy / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Chipping Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Broad-tailed Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Broad-tailed Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nectar

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Black-headed Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-headed Grosbeak

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: black oil sunflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. Rufous Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Rufous Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nectar

    Photo: highsinger / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. 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

  7. Bullock's Oriole, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Bullock's Oriole

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: sugar water, fruit, grape jelly

    Photo: Millie Basden / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. Lazuli Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Lazuli Bunting

    Occasional visitor · most common in August

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Pat Farris / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in New Mexico

5 woodpecker species are reported regularly in New Mexico. Northern Flicker and Ladder-backed 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. Northern Flicker2.0%
  2. Ladder-backed Woodpecker1.0%
  3. Hairy Woodpecker0.6%
  4. Downy Woodpecker0.4%
  5. Acorn Woodpecker0.3%
  1. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  2. Ladder-backed Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Ladder-backed Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats:

    Photo: John Rosford / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Acorn Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats:

    Photo: Dmitry Mozzherin / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave New Mexico

The black-chinned hummingbird is the main hummingbird in New Mexico. Sightings start in April, peak in July 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.

Also reported: broad-tailed hummingbird, rufous hummingbird.

Nectar: one part white sugar to four parts water, no red dye. Hummingbird feeders compared →

Black-chinned Hummingbird sightings per month in New Mexico, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in New Mexico

House Finch – males have a red head, breast and rump over brown streaks; common at seed feeders all year.
Cassin's Finch – a mountain finch of the West; the male has a bright red crown that stands out from the pinker body.
Pyrrhuloxia – the desert cousin of the cardinal: grey with red face, crest and breast, and a yellow bill.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in New Mexico

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
House Finch
American Robin
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Spotted Towhee
Northern Flicker
Dark-eyed Junco
Lesser Goldfinch
White-crowned Sparrow
House Sparrow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Rock Pigeon
Ladder-backed Woodpecker

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

Questions

Backyard birds in New Mexico: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in New Mexico?

The house finch. It makes up about 3.8% of all bird sightings reported in New Mexico, and it stays all year.

What birds are in New Mexico in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the house finch, American robin, white-winged dove, winter brings dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, song sparrow.

What woodpeckers live in New Mexico?

5 species are reported regularly: northern flicker, ladder-backed woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, acorn woodpecker.

When do hummingbirds leave New Mexico?

Black-chinned 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