Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Texas

The birds that visit feeders in Texas, when they come and what they eat – counted from 40.5 million bird sightings reported across Texas from 2019 to 2024.

  • 35year-round residents
  • 11winter visitors
  • 5summer visitors
Northern Cardinal – the most common of the backyard birds in Texas
Photo Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Texas

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

    Northern Mockingbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: fruit, mealworms, suet

    Photo: Morgan Caygill / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-winged Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: sunflower, millet

    Photo: MarvalPhotography19 / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Great-tailed Grackle, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Great-tailed Grackle

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: seeds, grain, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Carolina Wren

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Carolina Chickadee

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  8. Blue Jay, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Blue Jay

    Everyday visitor · most common in September

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    House Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. 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

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

    European Starling

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

Nov – Apr

Winter birds of Texas

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

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. American Goldfinch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Goldfinch

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: lwolfartist / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Cedar Waxwing

    Occasional visitor · most common in March

    Eats: berries, dried fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    White-throated Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Song Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  8. 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

Apr – Oct

Summer visitors

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

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

    Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    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 June

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Andrew Cannizzaro / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Black-chinned Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: nectar (sugar water)

    Photo: Shiva Shenoy / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Indigo Bunting

    Occasional visitor · most common in April

    Eats: nyjer, millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Baltimore Oriole

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: oranges, grape jelly, sugar water

    Photo: Dmitry Mozzherin / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Texas

6 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Texas. 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 Woodpecker1.1%
  2. Downy Woodpecker0.8%
  3. Ladder-backed Woodpecker0.7%
  4. Northern Flicker0.2%
  5. Pileated Woodpecker0.2%
  6. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.1%
  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 September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Ladder-backed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in November

    Eats:

    Photo: John Rosford / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. 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

  6. 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 Texas

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Texas. Sightings start in March, peak in September and fade out in November. 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.

Also reported: black-chinned hummingbird.

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

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

Identification

Red birds in Texas

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.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – despite the name, the red is on the back of the head; the belly shows only a faint blush.
Painted Bunting – the male is blue, green and red – unmistakable, but shy and mostly seen in the South.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in Texas

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
White-winged Dove
Great-tailed Grackle
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Blue Jay
House Sparrow
House Finch
Red-winged Blackbird
European Starling
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Black-crested Titmouse
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Downy Woodpecker
American Robin
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 Texas: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Texas?

The northern cardinal. It makes up about 3.4% of all bird sightings reported in Texas, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Texas in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, mourning dove, winter brings yellow-rumped warbler, American goldfinch, cedar waxwing.

What woodpeckers live in Texas?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Texas?

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

More states

Backyard birds in other states