Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Tennessee

The birds that visit feeders in Tennessee, when they come and what they eat – counted from 9.7 million bird sightings reported across Tennessee from 2019 to 2024.

  • 30year-round residents
  • 8winter visitors
  • 5summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Tennessee
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Tennessee

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 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. 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

  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. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  12. 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

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Tennessee

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

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. 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

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

    Purple Finch

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: seeds

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  6. 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

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

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Fox Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, seed mixes, black oil sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

Apr – Oct

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in Tennessee 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 July

    Eats: nyjer, millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Gray Catbird

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. 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

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Tennessee

7 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Tennessee. 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 Woodpecker2.5%
  2. Downy Woodpecker2.3%
  3. Northern Flicker1.1%
  4. Pileated Woodpecker0.9%
  5. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.4%
  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 January

    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 Tennessee

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

Identification

Red birds in Tennessee

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 Tennessee

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

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

What is the most common backyard bird in Tennessee?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 4.1% of all bird sightings reported in Tennessee, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Tennessee in winter?

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

What woodpeckers live in Tennessee?

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 Tennessee?

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