Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of South Carolina

The birds that visit feeders in South Carolina, when they come and what they eat – counted from 9.0 million bird sightings reported across South Carolina from 2019 to 2024.

  • 29year-round residents
  • 9winter visitors
  • 3summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in South Carolina
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in South 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 September

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  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. 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

  6. 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

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

    Northern Mockingbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: fruit, mealworms, suet

    Photo: Morgan Caygill / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. 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

  9. 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

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  11. House Finch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Finch

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: black oil sunflower, nyjer

    Photo: MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Pine Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Dan Vickers / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of South 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. 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

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

    White-throated Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  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. 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

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

    Cedar Waxwing

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: berries, dried fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. Dark-eyed Junco, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Purple Finch

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: seeds

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Apr – Sep

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in South Carolina 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. Painted Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Painted Bunting

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Andrew Cannizzaro / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Indigo Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Indigo Bunting

    Occasional visitor · most common in July

    Eats: nyjer, millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in South Carolina

6 woodpecker species are reported regularly in South 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 Woodpecker1.9%
  3. Pileated Woodpecker0.9%
  4. Northern Flicker0.7%
  5. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.5%
  6. Red-headed Woodpecker0.4%
  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

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. 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

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

    Northern Flicker

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Red-headed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats: suet, sunflower, peanuts

    Photo: Matthew Gerke / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave South Carolina

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

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-March 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 South Carolina, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in South 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 South Carolina

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Mourning Dove
Tufted Titmouse
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Mockingbird
Blue Jay
Eastern Bluebird
Downy Woodpecker
House Finch
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown Thrasher
American Robin
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow

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

Questions

Backyard birds in South Carolina: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in South Carolina?

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

What birds are in South Carolina in winter?

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

What woodpeckers live in South Carolina?

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

When do hummingbirds leave South Carolina?

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

More states

Backyard birds in other states