Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of North Carolina

The birds that visit feeders in North Carolina, when they come and what they eat – counted from 19.7 million bird sightings reported across North Carolina from 2019 to 2024.

  • 35year-round residents
  • 5winter visitors
  • 3summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in North Carolina
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in North Carolina

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

    Carolina Wren

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Carolina Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Carolina Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. 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

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. Eastern Bluebird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Eastern Bluebird

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: mealworms, berries

    Photo: Dan Vickers / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  10. 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

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

    Eastern Towhee

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  12. Northern Mockingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Mockingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: fruit, mealworms, suet

    Photo: Morgan Caygill / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of North Carolina

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

    White-throated Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, tree sap

    Photo: Martin Tremblay / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Pine Siskin

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: fishhawk / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Purple Finch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Purple Finch

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    Eats: seeds

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Apr – Sep

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in North Carolina and winter further south.

  1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    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 June

    Eats: nyjer, millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in North Carolina

7 woodpecker species are reported regularly in North Carolina. 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 Woodpecker2.4%
  2. Downy Woodpecker2.1%
  3. Northern Flicker0.9%
  4. Pileated Woodpecker0.8%
  5. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.5%
  6. Hairy Woodpecker0.4%
  7. Red-headed Woodpecker0.3%
  1. Red-bellied Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Northern Flicker

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Pileated Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet

    Photo: tsaiproject / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, tree sap

    Photo: Martin Tremblay / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-headed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, sunflower, peanuts

    Photo: Matthew Gerke / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave North Carolina

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in North Carolina. Sightings start in April, peak in August and fade out in October. A few are reported through the winter.

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.

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

Ruby-throated Hummingbird sightings per month in North Carolina, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in North Carolina

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 North Carolina

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Mourning Dove
Blue Jay
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Downy Woodpecker
American Robin
Eastern Towhee
Northern Mockingbird
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Song Sparrow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow

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

Questions

Backyard birds in North Carolina: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in North Carolina?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 3.9% of all bird sightings reported in North Carolina, and it stays all year.

What birds are in North Carolina in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, Carolina wren, Carolina chickadee, winter brings white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler, yellow-bellied sapsucker.

What woodpeckers live in North Carolina?

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

When do hummingbirds leave North Carolina?

Ruby-throated 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