Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Oklahoma

The birds that visit feeders in Oklahoma, when they come and what they eat – counted from 3.0 million bird sightings reported across Oklahoma from 2019 to 2024.

  • 29year-round residents
  • 14winter visitors
  • 5summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Oklahoma
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Oklahoma

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 February

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

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

    Carolina Wren

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  6. European Starling, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    European Starling

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. 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

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

    House Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Tufted Titmouse

    Regular visitor · most common in March

    Eats: sunflower, peanuts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Northern Mockingbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: fruit, mealworms, suet

    Photo: Morgan Caygill / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Oklahoma

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

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-throated Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. 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

  6. Harris's Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Harris's Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: seeds

    Photo: Jonathan Eisen / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Cedar Waxwing

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: berries, dried fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in November

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

May – Sep

Summer visitors

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

  1. 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

  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. Painted Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Painted Bunting

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Andrew Cannizzaro / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Baltimore Oriole, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Baltimore Oriole

    Occasional visitor · most common in May

    Eats: oranges, grape jelly, sugar water

    Photo: Dmitry Mozzherin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Gray Catbird

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Oklahoma

7 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Oklahoma. 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 Woodpecker1.9%
  2. Downy Woodpecker1.8%
  3. Northern Flicker1.1%
  4. Pileated Woodpecker0.5%
  5. Red-headed Woodpecker0.4%
  6. Hairy Woodpecker0.3%
  7. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.2%
  1. 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

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  4. 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

  5. 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

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. 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 Oklahoma

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Oklahoma. Sightings start in April, peak in August 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.

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

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

Identification

Red birds in Oklahoma

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 Oklahoma

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
Blue Jay
Mourning Dove
Carolina Wren
European Starling
American Robin
Red-bellied Woodpecker
House Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Mockingbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Northern Flicker
American Goldfinch
Eurasian Collared-Dove

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Oklahoma: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Oklahoma?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 4.0% of all bird sightings reported in Oklahoma, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Oklahoma in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, Carolina chickadee, blue jay, winter brings dark-eyed junco, northern flicker, yellow-rumped warbler.

What woodpeckers live in Oklahoma?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Oklahoma?

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