Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Wisconsin

The birds that visit feeders in Wisconsin, when they come and what they eat – counted from 17.9 million bird sightings reported across Wisconsin from 2019 to 2024.

  • 23year-round residents
  • 6winter visitors
  • 15summer visitors
Black-capped Chickadee – the most common of the backyard birds in Wisconsin
Photo Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Wisconsin

These birds are reported in every season. Most of them will use a seed or suet feeder in any month.

  1. Black-capped Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-capped Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. 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

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

    Blue Jay

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Goldfinch

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: lwolfartist / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-breasted Nuthatch

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower, suet, peanuts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in April

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    House Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

  11. 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

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Apr

Winter birds of Wisconsin

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 January

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    American Tree Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in January

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mary Krieger / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. 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

  4. Redpoll, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Redpoll

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: nyjer

    Photo: egorbirder / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Fox Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, seed mixes, black oil sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

Mar – Oct

Summer visitors

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

  1. Red-winged Blackbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-winged Blackbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: sunflower, cracked corn

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Song Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Common Grackle, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Common Grackle

    Regular visitor · most common in April

    Eats: cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Shaun Coleman / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. 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

  5. Brown-headed Cowbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Brown-headed Cowbird

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: cello caruso-turiello / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. Chipping Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Chipping Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. 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

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Wisconsin

7 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Wisconsin. Downy Woodpecker and Red-bellied 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. Downy Woodpecker3.1%
  2. Red-bellied Woodpecker2.5%
  3. Hairy Woodpecker1.8%
  4. Northern Flicker0.9%
  5. Pileated Woodpecker0.6%
  6. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0.2%
  7. Red-headed Woodpecker0.2%
  1. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

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

    Pileated Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    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 April

    Eats: suet, tree sap

    Photo: Martin Tremblay / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Red-headed Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in August

    Eats: suet, sunflower, peanuts

    Photo: Matthew Gerke / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Wisconsin

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Wisconsin. Sightings start in May, peak in August and fade out in September.

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-May 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 Wisconsin, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Black-capped Chickadee
Northern Cardinal
Blue Jay
American Goldfinch
Downy Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Dark-eyed Junco
House Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Hairy Woodpecker
European Starling
Song Sparrow
Common Grackle
Red-breasted Nuthatch

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Wisconsin: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Wisconsin?

The black-capped chickadee. It makes up about 4.3% of all bird sightings reported in Wisconsin, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Wisconsin in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the black-capped chickadee, northern cardinal, blue jay, winter brings dark-eyed junco, American tree sparrow, pine siskin.

What woodpeckers live in Wisconsin?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Wisconsin?

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

More states

Backyard birds in other states