Northern Cardinals may be the most popular bird in the United States.
They are year-round residents throughout their range. They live in the eastern United States, the Southeast, and the South as far west as Arizona.
How do you attract Northern Cardinals to your feeder? Continue reading to learn how to attract Northern Cardinals to your yard.
Northern Cardinal. Greg Gillson.
Why attract Northern Cardinals to your bird feeder?
Male Northern Cardinals are strikingly beautiful. They are a shocking red. And they are a good-sized bird, larger than the sparrows and finches that visit your feeder. So they are easy to spot when they show up.
Unlike the shy chickadees and nuthatches, Northern Cardinals will sit in your feeder and eat seeds. They don't dash in and out as those other birds. So you can spend more time watching them.
The spring song of the Northern Cardinal is a series of loud, pleasant, short whistles. If Northern Cardinals visit your feeder, that probably means they nest in your neighborhood, too.
Guess what? Female Northern Cardinals also sing! How wonderful!
What foods will attract Northern Cardinals to your feeder?
Northern Cardinals are fond of all types of sunflower seeds, especially black oil sunflower.
Northern Cardinals will eat safflower seeds. These are often fed at feeders where squirrels are a problem. Most squirrels don't like safflower seeds. But I always hear of someone who has a squirrel that does like safflower seeds after all!
They will also eat peanut hearts, other mixed bird seeds. They may eat fruit and berries.
If you choose to feed a bird seed mix, make sure not to feed seed with red milo.
The best mixed bird seed that I have found is Wagner's Songbird Supreme (Amazon affiliate link). It is 50% sunflower seeds and doesn't have any cheap filler seed that birds won't eat. This seed attracts the largest variety of birds to your feeder.
In winter, Northern Cardinals will eat suet.
For my home feeders, I always purchase St Albans Bay Suet blocks (Amazon affiliate link). It comes in several flavors, including peanut and berry. They fit in required special suet cages, which are a type of bird feeder.
They will also feed from larger hopper feeders and larger tube feeders if they have a wide tray. They don't like small perches or any feeder where they have to hang from it to feed.
Often, though, you may see Northern Cardinals feeding on the ground below feeders.
You may scatter sunflower seed on the ground for them.
I created this YouTube video to accompany this article. My channel features birds, bird watching, and bird identification. Check it out!
Where to place your bird feeder for Northern Cardinals
In more natural settings, Northern Cardinals spend much time in low dense tangled bushes. They often feed on the ground, venturing out cautiously from the bushes.
Thus, to attract Northern Cardinals, place your bird feeder near cover, so they have dense bushes into which to escape.
They like to feed low, so place their feeder low to the ground, if possible.
However, if cats are a problem, a large hanging feeder will work too.
The closer the feeder is to the edge of the yard, the safer birds will feel, and the more they will use it. Avoid placing a feeder all by itself out in the middle of the lawn. Birds will feel too vulnerable there.
When placing your feeder, be sure you can see it out the window from your favorite chair!
How else can you attract Northern Cardinals to your yard?
Northern Cardinals will use bird baths. They will be attracted to any water feature--especially where there is moving water that makes any kind of splashing sound. Birds really love that!
These birds will appreciate thick low bushes and hedges. They like thorny scrubby bushes, too. The unkempt edges of woods will attract them. If the bushes have any type of berries, they will likely eat them.
They also may nest in thick hedges.
They don't nest in enclosed bird houses. But they may use a nesting shelf. These have a roof and are open on the front. Other birds that like this nesting shelf include American Robins, Eastern Phoebes, and Mourning Doves. So if you find a shelf for them, Cardinals may also use it. Here's an example of a cardinal nesting shelf on the Amazon web site (affiliate link).
Need binoculars?
I want to tell you about these Best Value Birding Binoculars
Greg Gillson's Personal Endorsement: I've been watching birds for over 50 years. I've owned a dozen pair of binoculars. For the last 3 years (since June 2020) I've been enjoying the lowest priced binocular suitable for bird watching. It has image quality equal or better than binoculars costing over $450. Yet you can often purchase them online for less than $150. Don't spend less, but why spend more?
Problems with Northern Cardinals: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
I can't imagine that anyone wouldn't want to attract Northern Cardinals to their home.
However, the following may keep cardinals from visiting.
Cardinals have trouble eating from tube feeders with small perches and no trays.
I really love the way my iBorn tube feeder (Amazon affiliate link) looks, with it's copper top. A screwdriver takes off the lower perch and opens it up for cleaning. This feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds attracts all types of finches, chickadees, and nuthatches. The smaller perches and lack of tray mean that you'll have fewer House Sparrows, Starlings, Doves, and Jays at this feeder.
While cardinals will eat suet in winter, they don't like to hang from suet feeders as some other birds do.
I bought a Nature's Way Upside-down suet feeder (Amazon affiliate link) a couple years ago and have been very happy with it. Chickadees, nuthatches, bushtits, and woodpeckers eat from it easily. But starlings, blackbirds, and jays can't hang upside down to get at the suet.
Northern Cardinal FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding Northern Cardinals and I'll add the answer here!
This article and accompanying videos discuss the most common birds at bird feeders in Nebraska throughout the year. Other feeder birds may be more common seasonally, but these should be present most of the year.
I start with a quick list of Nebraska feeder birds and then provide more information if you are so interested.
Feeding birds in Nebraska can bring much joy!
Here are 10 birds that you are most likely to see at your bird feeder in Nebraska:
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Downy Woodpecker
House Sparrow
Blue Jay
Northern Flicker
European Starling
Common Grackle
The most common feeder bird in Nebraska is the Mourning Dove. Read more about it, below.
Mourning Dove. Greg Gillson
Two videos showing feeder birds of Nebraska
I have created two videos on feeder birds in Nebraska.
The first video is a brief overview of the Top 10 Birds that come to feeders in Nebraska.
The second video is more in-depth, covering the same species in more detail.
Here's the first brief video:
Just a quick couple of sentences and some photos. This video will give you the names of birds that are visiting your feeder in Nebraska.
Top 10 Feeder Birds of Nebraska [Brief]
Here's the longer, in-depth video:
It includes several videos and photos along with information on range, habitat, behavior, identification, and what they like to eat at feeders. This longer video gives an in-depth look at the birds visiting your feeder in Nebraska. The text for this video is reproduced below.
10 Most Common Feeder Birds of Nebraska [In-Depth]
Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinal. Greg Gillson
Northern Cardinals are one of the most popular birds in the United States. Even people who haven't seen one in life have seen their image on logos and advertisements.
These birds are year-round residents from the northeastern United States south to Florida, west to the Midwest, southern Great Plains to Arizona.
They are found in woodlands, hedgerows, and dense backyard shrubs.
Both males and females sing, a series of repeated whistles.
These birds are less bulky than European Starlings, but just as long. The have a very long tail and big head with tall crest.
The bill is very thick at the base, short, with curved edges. It is usually obviously orange.
Males are bright red throughout, with hints of blue on the wings, tail, and back. They have a black throat patch that reaches to the eye and over the bill.
Females are dull brown or buffy yellow in coloration with red highlights on the edges of the wings and tail. Their crest isn't quite as pronounced as the males. They still show the black around the bill.
Northern Cardinals eat larger seeds at your feeder, including black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds.
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird. Greg Gillson
Red-winged Blackbirds are common birds across North America.
In summer they are found from Alaska, across Canada, south into Mexico. In winter they abandon much of Canada and the northern Great Plains and Midwest.
They nest in marshes in summer, where there are cattails and similar plants. In winter they spread out into fields, cattle lots, and residential neighborhoods. These birds are colonial nesters in cattail marshes.
In fall and winter, they form very large flocks composed of many young-of-the-year, starlings, grackles, cowbirds, and other blackbirds. Such flocks can number in the hundreds of thousands, especially in the East.
These birds are about the size of American Robins, perhaps a bit smaller. They are stocky with a fairly long tail. They have rather flat foreheads that accentuate the long bill. The bill is fairly stout at the base, long, pointed, and straight on the upper and lower edges.
Males are glossy black with yellow-edged red shoulders that can be hidden in the scapular feathers when the wings are at rest.
Females are a bit smaller than males. They are pale with heavy brown streaks on the under parts. Some populations show buff on the face. They may confuse beginners into thinking they are some kind of streaky sparrow. The flat crown and very straight and sharply pointed bill point to their identification as blackbirds.
At your feeder they will eat black oil sunflower seeds and suet.
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch. Greg Gillson
The American Goldfinches are favorite backyard birds across North America. Many people call them “wild canaries.”
These active birds are year-round residents coast-to-coast across northern and mid-latitudes of the United States.
In summer birds move into southern Canada. In winter birds are found throughout the United States.
They are found in weedy pastures and brushy clearings. In town, they favor parks and residential areas with lawns and scattered trees. They often feed on thistles or dandelion seeds on the ground. But they also fly over open spaces between trees with a bounding roller-coaster flight and a lilting “potato chip” call.
These are small birds, smaller than House Finches. They are rather plump birds with small round heads and short tails. The bill is small but it is conical for eating seeds. It is colored pink.
Summer males are striking with their brilliant yellow and black plumage. The body is yellow and they have a black crown. The wings and tail feathers are black and white.
Females are duller olive-green without the black crown. They have thin white wing bars.
Juvenile birds in fall show striking tan wing bars on the black wing.
In winter both genders are pale gray and tan with brown wings and tail. They may only show a hint of yellow on the head and throat.
At your feeder, American Goldfinches love black oil sunflower seeds and Niger seed. They are especially common at feeders in summer and fall.
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove. Greg Gillson
The mournful summer song of Mourning Doves is familiar to most, even if they don't know what bird makes the sound.
They are found across the United States as year-round residents. Birds summer in the northern Great Plains and south central Canada, but withdraw in winter.
These birds are found in towns and farms, and open country with scattered trees, often along rivers.
In spring they sing from power lines in residential areas. They may puff out their chests while cooing from the peak of your roof.
These birds are much larger than European Starlings, but also much smaller than American Crows. These birds have large powerful breasts, a tiny round head on thin neck, and long pointed tail. Their wings are somewhat pointed in flight. The bill is small as typical for all pigeons. Genders are identical.
These birds are warm tan or brown colored. The breast has a pinkish hue. The wings are gray. They have a few large black spots on the wing coverts. They have a black spot on the side of the neck below the cheek that sometimes shows some iridescent green feathers. The tail has white edges, best seen in flight.
At your bird feeder Mourning Doves eat all types of seeds. They are also attracted to water for drinking and bathing.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker. Greg Gillson
Downy Woodpeckers are tiny and common visitors to backyards across the United States.
These woodpeckers inhabit nearly all of North America south of the tundra and away from the driest deserts.
Often found near water, they like small deciduous trees, willows, and brush. Common in backyards.
Like other woodpeckers, these birds hitch up small trees. However, they often cling to the small outer branches. They even hang on twigs and small bushes such as wild rose and teasel.
They are bigger than House Finches, smaller than Red-winged Blackbirds, but shaped differently than either. These birds have stocky bodies and big heads. They have short, stiff, pointed tails. The legs are short. The feet are large with strong claws. The bills of these woodpeckers are chisel shaped but especially short and petite.
The overall pattern of these birds is black-and-white stripes. The wings are black with numerous white spots and bars. The back is white. The underparts are white or tinged with buff. The face is white; the crown and nape is black, the ear covert black, and there is a black malar stripe. The tail is black with white outer tail feathers. Males have a red spot on the nape that females lack.
Downy Woodpeckers eat suet at your feeder.
House Sparrow
House Sparrow. Greg Gillson
House Sparrows were first introduced into the United States in 1851 and quickly became common coast-to-coast.
These birds are year-round residents from Canada south through Mexico. They originally were birds of Europe and Asia, but have colonized basically every human-occupied city in the world.
Towns and cities are the primary habitats of these birds. Wherever there are permanent human settlements, these birds are there. They choose to nest in houses, buildings, and other human-made structures, but also in nest boxes provided for other birds. They also thrive in farms and ranches, especially stables and grain storehouses.
These are social birds, often found in large flocks. They tend to squabble and have a complex hierarchy. Males are dominant in fall and winter, but females dominate in spring and summer. They also tend to be aggressive toward other birds at the feeder.
These sparrows are not related to New World Sparrows. Thus they are differently shaped. They have a short body and full breast, large head, and short tail. The bill is triangular: short pointed but thick at the base. The bill of female and fall males is dull yellowish. The bill of spring males is black.
In fresh fall plumage males are dingy brown above, with dark stripes on the back, dusty brown on wings and tail, with a gray rump. They have one large white upper wing bar. They have a bit of black on the chin. As their pale feather tips wear off during winter and spring, the black bib on the male reveals itself. The crown becomes grayer, the face whiter, and chestnut patches on the nape and shoulder become more obvious.
Females remain in a dull plumage all year. The under parts are dingy gray. Upper parts dull brown with dark lines on the back. They also show a small white upper wing bar. The face shows a brown crown and stripe behind the eye, offset by a wide buffy eyebrow.
At the feeder House Sparrows eat a wide variety of seeds, but they like cracked corn and red milo (ingredients found in cheaper bird seed) that many native sparrows and finches do not like. They also have rather weak feet. So to reduce the number of House Sparrows at your feeder, switch to black oil sunflower seeds in a tube feeder.
Blue Jay
Blue Jay. skeeze Pixabay
Blue Jays are one of the most well-known birds in the United States.
Birds are found year-round east of the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Texas and eastward. There is a noticeable migration of some of their population in most of their range. Birds move northward into the Great Plains of Canada for the summer.
Though they are found in woodlands of all type, they are especially attracted to oak trees. They are common in residential areas, too.
Brash and conspicuous, Blue Jays have a complex social structure. The more the crest is raised, the more excited or agitated the bird is.
Jays are fairly large backyard birds. They are just a bit larger than American Robins. These are stout birds with large rounded or wedge-shaped tails. They have large legs and feet. They have a bushy crest. The bill is fairly long, strong.
Genders are similar in plumage. They are blue above, including the crest. They are gray below with a black necklace across the throat. The wings are barred with black, with white wing bars and trailing edges. The blue tail is barred with black and has white tail corners.
At your feeder, Blue Jays love whole peanuts and sunflower seeds.
European Starling
European Starling. Greg Gillson
Starlings are often mistaken for blackbirds, but they are in a different bird family and don't share a lot of similarities, other than a general black coloration.
These birds are year-round residents from southeast Alaska across southern Canada and all of the lower 48 states into northern Mexico. In addition, birds move northward into northern Canada in summer.
They are found in urban, suburban, fields, and orchards. In autumn and winter they gather into huge flocks, often with blackbirds. They are frequently aggressive at feeders, driving off other birds.
These birds have the body size of an American Robin, but a much shorter tail. They are about 8-1/2 inches long from bill tip to tail tip. They have plump bodies, rather large heads, and short tails. Wings are short and pointed in flight, almost triangular. Their bills are long and pointed.
Dark brown worn birds in late summer get fresh new feathers in fall. Then their iridescent black feathers are tipped with white chevrons. These gradually wear off during the winter and spring. By summer they are mostly black, without many spangles.
Breeding birds have yellow bills, the bills are brown in the non-breeding season. Both genders are colored the same.
Because of their aggressive nature, most people do not like starlings at their bird feeders. Starlings have weak feet, so have trouble eating from tube feeders and special upside-down suet feeders.
Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker. Greg Gillson.
Northern Flickers are one of the most confusing backyard birds. When these brownish birds take flight, they reveal a bright flash of red or yellow in the wings and a large white rump. When people see them hopping in the lawn and poking in the dirt with their long curved bills, they can't conceive that these birds are woodpeckers!
They are summer residents from Alaska and across Canada south into the mountains of Mexico. They are year-round residents from southern Canada south. In winter, large numbers from northern Canada and Alaska move south as far as the southwestern deserts of the United States.
These birds are found in open woodlands and residential areas with trees. They are as likely to be found on lawns as tree trunks. The reason these woodpeckers are found hopping on lawns is that their primary food is ants found on the ground. Thus, they are often seen pecking at the ground.
These are large birds, much larger than American Robins but smaller than American Crows. They are the length of Mourning Doves, but shaped much differently. They have a large body with a big head on a short neck. The tail is short and wedge shaped. The bill is longer than the head, rather thin and down curved compared to other woodpeckers.
They are brown above with black bars on the back and wing coverts. The under parts are rather pinkish with round spots on the underparts. They have a big black crescent across the chest. The rump is white, seen best when they are flying directly away. They have brightly colored bases to the wing feathers that are hidden until they take flight. From below or underneath, the tail is brightly colored with wide black tips to the tail feathers.
Eastern birds have yellow bases to the wing and tail feathers. They have a brown face and gray crown. Males have a black whisker mark and red nape mark which females lack.
Western birds have salmon-red wing and tail bases. They have a gray face and brown crown. Males have a red whisker mark that is lacking in females.
Northern Flickers visit suet feeders. They will also nest in specially built flicker houses.
Common Grackle
Common Grackle. GeorgiaLens. Pixabay.
Common Grackles are large, lanky blackbirds.
These birds are summer residents east of the Rocky Mountains from across Canada southward to the Gulf Coast. They are year-round residents in the eastern and southeastern United States.
They use a wide variety of habitats including open woodlands, fields, and marshes. They are numerous in feedlots and residential areas.
In winter they often form huge flocks with other blackbirds and starlings. They are noisy.
They are larger than Red-winged Blackbirds, nearing the size of Mourning Doves. These are long birds, with long keel-shaped tails. The legs are long. The crown is flat. The bill is longer than the head, pointed, but rather stout at the base.
The black plumage of the males shows iridescent purple or bronze in good light. Females are a bit duller. They eyes are yellow. Juveniles are dull brown with dark eyes.
Common Grackles sometimes take over bird feeders driving off other species and are disliked because of this.
Recommended Products for feeding birds in Nebraska
Amazon Affiliate Links
If you are looking for feeders and bird food, here are products I use or recommend. If you purchase from these links, I earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.
This hopper feeder is just the right size and durable. The best high quality mixed bird seed for this bird feeder that I highly recommend is Wagner's Songbird Supreme. This combination attracts the widest variety of feeder birds.
For common backyard birds and birds at your feeder, this is a good little book.
I'm using these Celestron Nature DX ED 8x40s almost exclusively now. I am impressed that such a low-priced binocular has such good image quality. Perfect for beginners! Yes, there are better binoculars at $500, $1000, $2000. But why? They're not that much better.
House Sparrows are usually the easiest birds to attract to your bird feeder.
House sparrows are year-round residents in towns and cities throughout the contiguous Unted States. So you likely have these birds nearby that you can attract.
How do you attract House Sparrows to your feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract House Sparrows to your yard.
Male House Sparrow. Greg Gillson.
Why attract House Sparrows to your bird feeder?
House Sparrows are often the first birds to find your new feeder. Feeding House Sparrows often attract other birds to your feeder. Thus, by attracting House Sparrows to your feeder, you may quickly get lots of other birds to your feeder, too.
House Sparrows are usually found in flocks. They have interesting behaviors and social interactions.
For instance, in a study published in the journal Auk, female House Sparrows were often dominant at feeders in fall and winter. In spring and summer, males were usually dominant.
In spring, watch the males lower their head, flutter their wings, raise their tail, and spin in front of the female in their courtship display.
Female House Sparrow.
What foods will attract House Sparrows to your feeder?
House Sparrows prefer grains over seeds.
Thus, their favorite foods are cracked corn, wheat and milo. Blackbirds, doves, and quail also eat these grains. Most other North American feeder birds do not like these grains.
House Sparrows also like seed blocks (Amazon affiliate link), which are also a favorite of quails and doves. These can even sit on bare ground. Birds have to nibble these blocks to get the seeds loose. So they are less messy than other feeding methods.
All sparrows in North America, including House Sparrows like white proso millet (Amazon affiliate link). Thus, there isn't as much waste and mess with these seeds compared with red milo and other grains used as cheap bird seed.
What kind of feeders do House Sparrows like?
House Sparrows prefer to eat from platform feeders. These feeders are just an open tray that mimic open bare ground. They are the favorite feeder type of ground-eating birds.
They feed in flocks, squabbling and bickering. Thus, they like a wide feeder area.
They also eat on the ground. So, a low feeder or just grain spread on bare ground, is their favorite way to eat.
Here is a brief overview video of House Sparrows at your feeder that I created for you. It's on my new YouTube channel where I discuss birds, bird watching and identification. Please chick it out if this topic interests you!
Where to place your bird feeder for House Sparrows
House Sparrows are not afraid to be around people. Thus, you can place their feeder just about anywhere and they will happily eat from it.
They do, however, like to feed on the ground. So a lower bird feeder makes them happy. Anything low to the ground will be favored.
They also like to rummage through dirt or gravel for seeds on the ground.
How else can you attract House Sparrows to your yard?
House Sparrows really like water and bird baths. A concrete bird bath provides the rough surface they like for gripping with their feet.
And don't fill it too deep. Most birds like to wade from shallow into deeper water for baths. They are uncomfortable with deeper water (over 1 inch).
If your bird bath is too deep, add flat stones so they can walk down into the water.
House Sparrows readily use nest boxes. They like a perch and larger hole (1-1/2 inch diameter). Here's such a wooden bird house that they will like (Amazon affiliate link).
Need binoculars?
I want to tell you about these Best Value Birding Binoculars
Greg Gillson's Personal Endorsement: I've been watching birds for over 50 years. I've owned a dozen pair of binoculars. For the last 3 years (since June 2020) I've been enjoying the lowest priced binocular suitable for bird watching. It has image quality equal or better than binoculars costing over $450. Yet you can often purchase them online for less than $150. Don't spend less, but why spend more?
Problems with House Sparrows: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
Many people don't like House Sparrows at their feeder. There are many reasons, but most come down to these birds often growing into large, noisy, aggressive and messy flocks.
If you would rather not have House Sparrows, or reduce their number at your bird feeder, there are several things you can do.
First, feed you birds black oil sunflower seeds from a tube feeder, with no tray.
House Sparrows have weak feet and have difficulty keeping their balance with the small perches on tube feeders. And only one sparrow can eat at a time from each feeding port. It doesn't keep them away, but it does slow them down and allow other finches and chickadees to eat at the feeder.
House Sparrows take longer to eat black oil sunflower seeds. They prefer smaller grains. On the other hand, black oil sunflower seed is the favorite of most other finches, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches.
I really love the way my iBorn tube feeder (Amazon affiliate link) looks, with it's copper top. A screwdriver takes off the lower perch and opens it up for cleaning. This feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds attracts all types of finches, chickadees, and nuthatches. The smaller perches and lack of tray mean that you'll have fewer House Sparrows, Starlings, Doves, and Jays at this feeder.
Secondly, you may try this trick to scare House Sparrows away from feeders. It seems House Sparrows are the only birds afraid of monofilament fishing line.
Attach some strands about 2 inches apart and just hanging down from the roof line of a hopper feeder, fly-thru platform feeder, or suspend it around the edge of a plastic dome over a tube feeder.
My friends over at Badgerland Birding created this YouTube video discussing using fishing line to keep House Sparrows away from your feeder.
House Sparrow FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding House Sparrows and I'll add the answer here!
Northern Flickers are found coast-to-coast across North America. You probably have Northern Flickers in your neighborhood. But did you know that they will come to your bird feeder?
How do you attract Northern Flickers to your bird feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract Northern Flickers to your feeder.
Northern Flicker. Greg Gillson.
Why attract Northern Flickers to your bird feeder?
Northern Flickers are large and colorful birds. They have a unique feather pattern with barred back, spotted belly, and black crescent across the chest. The red or yellow shafts on the flight feathers draw attention in flight, as does the white rump.
These woodpeckers are often found on the ground eating ants and insect pests. So, they readily feed in the open and are easily attracted to bird feeders... if you offer the correct foods.
In addition, they usually occur individually, get along with other birds at the feeder, and don't eat small bird seeds. So they don't take over the bird feeder.
For all these reasons, Northern Flickers are good to have at your bird feeder and in your yard.
What foods will attract Northern Flickers to your feeder?
Northern Flickers eat ants. Lot's of ants. Unlike other woodpeckers, Northern Flickers hop on the ground and eat ants they find in your lawn.
But they will visit your bird feeder. At your bird feeder Northern Flickers will eat black oil sunflower seeds, sunflower chips, shelled peanuts, peanut butter, and suet.
The best mixed bird seed that I have found is Wagner's Songbird Supreme (Amazon affiliate link). It is 50% sunflower seeds and doesn't have any cheap filler seed that birds won't eat. This seed attracts the largest variety of birds to your feeder.
These birds will also eat fruit and berries occasionally. One fruit that Northern Flickers are known to eat is purple grapes. You might also try grape jelly in a small cup.
Northern Flickers especially like to eat suet. It is their favorite food at your feeder.
For my home feeders, I always purchase St Albans Bay Suet blocks (Amazon affiliate link). It comes in several flavors, including peanut and berry. They fit in required special suet cages, which are a type of bird feeder.
What kind of feeders do Northern Flickers like?
Because they are larger, Northern Flicker like to eat on large platform feeders. Here they can easily reach whatever foods they want.
The primary feeder for Northern Flickers is a suet feeder. It is amazing how they can hang onto even the smallest of suet cages!
I bought a Nature's Way Upside-down suet feeder (Amazon affiliate link) a couple years ago and have been very happy with it. Chickadees, nuthatches, bushtits, and woodpeckers eat from it easily. But starlings, blackbirds, and jays can't hang upside down to get at the suet.
This video is from my new YouTube channel. At Your Feeder: Northern Flicker. You may enjoy learning a bit more about this interesting bird in this brief video.
Where to place your bird feeder for Northern Flickers
Fortunately, Northern Flickers aren't too picky about the placement of your bird feeder.
They actually might prefer a feeder more out in the open than other birds like. When frightened they usually just fly away. They are large enough, with a formidable bill, that many hawks go after smaller prey.
Even though they eat on the ground, Northern Flickers are still woodpeckers. They dig their nest cavity in larger trees. They do spend time in trees. I have hung suet feeders from low branches of large trees and the flickers seemed to like that location just fine.
How else can you attract Northern Flickers to your yard?
I don't recall ever seeing a Northern Flicker at a bird bath, myself. There are photos online of flickers at bird baths, and most of these seem to be rough concrete types.
On the other hand, I have frequently seen flickers drinking from mud puddles.
Northern Flickers are attracted to moving water, such as a recycling pond with natural-looking waterfalls.
They may also be attracted to berry-producing trees. Such trees as wild cherry, hackberry, dogwood, and oak trees provide food for Northern Flickers in fall and winter.
Need binoculars?
I want to tell you about these Best Value Birding Binoculars
Greg Gillson's Personal Endorsement: I've been watching birds for over 50 years. I've owned a dozen pair of binoculars. For the last 3 years (since June 2020) I've been enjoying the lowest priced binocular suitable for bird watching. It has image quality equal or better than binoculars costing over $450. Yet you can often purchase them online for less than $150. Don't spend less, but why spend more?
Problems with Northern Flickers: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
Okay, I do have to warn you that there could be a downside to having Northern Flickers as a regular guest in your yard.
In spring, Northern Flickers announce their territory by drumming their bill rapidly on dead treetops or branches that carry sound a long distance.
You know what also makes a good sounding board? Your gutters or downspouts at 5 o'clock in the morning! A vent cover or metal siding on a garage or out building works well, too. This could start in April and continue into June.
And sometimes flickers may decide to drill into the siding of your home. If this is in the spring, then most likely they are drilling a nest hole. Remember that flickers eat ants on the ground, so they most likely aren't going after termites in your siding. But you might want to keep an eye on that possibility.
Northern Flickers don't eat easily from tube feeders. So you may want to switch from a platform feeder to a tube feeder to discourage woodpeckers, if they are a problem.
I really love the way my iBorn tube feeder (Amazon affiliate link) looks, with it's copper top. A screwdriver takes off the lower perch and opens it up for cleaning. This feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds attracts all types of finches, chickadees, and nuthatches. The smaller perches and lack of tray mean that you'll have fewer House Sparrows, Starlings, Doves, and Jays at this feeder.
Bird FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding Northern Flickers and I'll add the answer here!
The happy song of the Song Sparrow is one of the first bird songs heard in spring.
Most places in the United States have Song Sparrows. These birds breed in Canada and in most of the United States, except for the Gulf Coast. Even there, they are found in winter.
How do you attract Song Sparrows to your bird feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract Song Sparrows to your yard.
Song Sparrow. Greg Gillson.
Why attract Song Sparrows to your bird feeder?
Song Sparrows can be a bit shy and skittish at your feeders. They don't like the bustle and noise of the House Sparrows and finches. And they don't make a mess at the feeder, either.
They wait until a quiet time at the feeder to come out from under your landscape bushes. Then they'll come and eat, all alone. Thus, they don't eat a lot as some of the other birds do.
This is when you can get out your binoculars and really appreciate the subtle patterns of grays and browns of Song Sparrows. You can study the feather tracts of the head.
Can you recognize this sparrow at your feeder? Look for that broad dark triangle on the sides of the throat. This wide lateral throat stripe is rather unique to the Song Sparrow--even though there is a wide variety it color shades across the continent.
What foods will attract Song Sparrows to your feeder?
Song Sparrows eat a wide variety of smaller seeds at your feeder.
A favorite food of Song Sparrows is the white Proso millet seeds found in most mixed bird seeds.
The best mixed bird seed that I have found is Wagner's Songbird Supreme (Amazon affiliate link). It is 50% sunflower seeds and doesn't have any cheap filler seed that birds won't eat.
In winter, Song Sparrows will also eat suet. If you haven't tried feeding suet in winter, you really should. This high-energy food also attracts many birds that don't eat seeds.
For my home feeders, I always purchase St Albans Bay Suet blocks (Amazon affiliate link). It comes in several flavors, including peanut and berry. They fit in required special suet cages, which are a type of bird feeder.
What kind of feeders do Song Sparrows like?
Song Sparrows especially like platform bird feeders (Amazon affiliate link), low to the ground, with a roof.
These feeders are just an open tray that birds can hop on and feed. Since these birds tend to stay low to the ground, these low ground feeders are popular with Song Sparrows.
They will also eat from hopper feeders that have a wider ledge.
However, you may find that Song Sparrows may sneak around the soil and leaf litter under your hedges, scratching for seeds and bugs.
They also come out and feed on fallen seed under the feeders. Thus they help keep the ground clean of seeds that other more rambunctious birds knock out of the feeder.
I have created this brief video discussing Song Sparrows at your feeder. It's on my new YouTube channel, devoted more to bird identification. I hope you enjoy it!
Where to place your bird feeder for Song Sparrows
Song Sparrows don't come out far from cover.
Song Sparrows like to stay low to the ground.
For these reasons, you shouldn't place feeders for Song Sparrows out in the middle of your lawn, all alone. They just won't visit.
There should be some bushes nearby for them to flee to when they feel unsafe.
On the other hand, low feeders near cover may also be a hiding place for house cats to pounce on the birds. So, you need to adjust this recommendation, depending upon if cats visit your yard or not.
If cats are a problem, then feeders should be raised and perhaps 8 feet from a hiding place where they can spring out. In such a case, it is better not to attract Song Sparrows.
Here is an Amazon ad picturing a low to the ground platform feeder with roof. These are perfect for Song Sparrows, but also attract other birds that like to feed near the ground, such as Northern Cardinals and other various sparrows.
How else can you attract Song Sparrows to your yard?
As mentioned, Song Sparrows like large landscaped bushes and hedges. Some kind of broad-leafed evergreen will be popular with them--perhaps a camelia or rhododendron. They also like brush piles and weedy ditches. They may also be attracted to your garden if you let it go wild after the fall harvest.
Song Sparrows will visit bird baths. They are especially attracted to moving water. So, if you have a water feature, they'll love that (and so will many other birds!).
Need binoculars?
I want to tell you about these Best Value Birding Binoculars
Greg Gillson's Personal Endorsement: I've been watching birds for over 50 years. I've owned a dozen pair of binoculars. For the last 3 years (since June 2020) I've been enjoying the lowest priced binocular suitable for bird watching. It has image quality equal or better than binoculars costing over $450. Yet you can often purchase them online for less than $150. Don't spend less, but why spend more?
Problems with Song Sparrows: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
Song Sparrows are found singly or in pairs, never flocks. But they will sometimes join flocks of juncos and White-crowned Sparrows feeding on the ground.
As mentioned earlier, however, if house cats are a problem in your yard, then you probably don't want to attract Song Sparrows. They will be especially vulnerable to the hiding and pouncing strategy of the hunting cats.
In such a case, where you don't want to attract Song Sparrows, then you may want to switch to feeding black oil sunflower seeds from a tube feeder. This feeder strategy will attract more finches and chickadees, and less sparrows and ground feeding birds.
I really love the way my iBorn tube feeder (Amazon affiliate link) looks, with its copper top. A screw driver takes off the lower perch and opens it up for cleaning. It will attract finches, but sparrows don't like this type of feeder as much.
Song Sparrow FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding Song Sparrows and I'll add the answers here!
This article and accompanying videos discuss the most common birds at bird feeders in Michigan throughout the year. Other feeder birds may be more common seasonally, but these should be present most of the year.
I start with a quick list of Michigan feeder birds and then provide more information if you are so interested.
Feeding birds in Michigan can bring much joy!
Here are 10 birds that you are most likely to see at your bird feeder in Michigan:
Black-capped Chickadee
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Red-bellied Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Song Sparrow
The most common feeder bird in Michigan is the Black-capped Chickadee. Read more about it, below.
Black-capped Chickadee. Greg Gillson
Two videos showing feeder birds of Michigan
I have created two videos on feeder birds in Michigan.
The first video is a brief overview of the Top 10 Birds that come to feeders in Michigan.
The second video is more in-depth, covering the same species in more detail.
Here's the first brief video:
Just a quick couple of sentences and some photos. This video will give you the names of birds that are visiting your feeder in Michigan.
Top 10 Feeder Birds of Michigan [Brief]
Here's the longer, in-depth video:
It includes several videos and photos along with information on range, habitat, behavior, identification, and what they like to eat at feeders. This longer video gives an in-depth look at the birds visiting your feeder in Michigan. The text for this video is reproduced below.
10 Most Common Feeder Birds of Michigan [In-Depth]
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee. Greg Gillson
The cute Black-capped Chickadees must be one of the favorite birds at feeders across much of North America.
They are year-round residents in Alaska and across Canada south across the northern half of the United States.
These birds are found in deciduous and mixed woods, orchards, and backyards. They feed in small flocks acrobatically on the end of twigs, searching for invertebrates and small seeds.
In winter they make up the core of roaming mix feeding flocks. These flocks include chickadees, kinglets, nuthatches, and often include Brown Creepers, Downy Woodpeckers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and wrens.
These are small birds, smaller than House Finches. They are about the same length as American Goldfinches. The bodies of chickadees are round and plump. They have big heads and long tails that flit about. They have long legs and big feet. The bills are short and stout. This allows them to eat both seeds and invertebrate foods.
These birds are gray above and buffy below. They have striking black caps and bibs, offset by their white face. You may also notice the white secondary wing edges of the folded wing. Genders are identical in appearance.
At your feeder, Black-capped Chickadees love black oil sunflower seeds. They take these one-at-a-time to a nearby branch. They hold the seed with their feet and pound the shell open with their bill to get the kernel inside. In fall they often take the whole seed away and store it for the winter, in what is called a cache.
Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinal. Greg Gillson
Northern Cardinals are one of the most popular birds in the United States. Even people who haven't seen one in life have seen their image on logos and advertisements.
These birds are year-round residents from the northeastern United States south to Florida, west to the Midwest, southern Great Plains to Arizona.
They are found in woodlands, hedgerows, and dense backyard shrubs.
Both males and females sing, a series of repeated whistles.
These birds are less bulky than European Starlings, but just as long. The have a very long tail and big head with tall crest.
The bill is very thick at the base, short, with curved edges. It is usually obviously orange.
Males are bright red throughout, with hints of blue on the wings, tail, and back. They have a black throat patch that reaches to the eye and over the bill.
Females are dull brown or buffy yellow in coloration with red highlights on the edges of the wings and tail. Their crest isn't quite as pronounced as the males. They still show the black around the bill.
Northern Cardinals eat larger seeds at your feeder, including black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds.
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird. Greg Gillson
Red-winged Blackbirds are common birds across North America.
In summer they are found from Alaska, across Canada, south into Mexico. In winter they abandon much of Canada and the northern Great Plains and Midwest.
They nest in marshes in summer, where there are cattails and similar plants. In winter they spread out into fields, cattle lots, and residential neighborhoods. These birds are colonial nesters in cattail marshes.
In fall and winter, they form very large flocks composed of many young-of-the-year, starlings, grackles, cowbirds, and other blackbirds. Such flocks can number in the hundreds of thousands, especially in the East.
These birds are about the size of American Robins, perhaps a bit smaller. They are stocky with a fairly long tail. They have rather flat foreheads that accentuate the long bill. The bill is fairly stout at the base, long, pointed, and straight on the upper and lower edges.
Males are glossy black with yellow-edged red shoulders that can be hidden in the scapular feathers when the wings are at rest.
Females are a bit smaller than males. They are pale with heavy brown streaks on the under parts. Some populations show buff on the face. They may confuse beginners into thinking they are some kind of streaky sparrow. The flat crown and very straight and sharply pointed bill point to their identification as blackbirds.
At your feeder they will eat black oil sunflower seeds and suet.
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch. Greg Gillson
The American Goldfinches are favorite backyard birds across North America. Many people call them “wild canaries.”
These active birds are year-round residents coast-to-coast across northern and mid-latitudes of the United States.
In summer birds move into southern Canada. In winter birds are found throughout the United States.
They are found in weedy pastures and brushy clearings. In town, they favor parks and residential areas with lawns and scattered trees. They often feed on thistles or dandelion seeds on the ground. But they also fly over open spaces between trees with a bounding roller-coaster flight and a lilting “potato chip” call.
These are small birds, smaller than House Finches. They are rather plump birds with small round heads and short tails. The bill is small but it is conical for eating seeds. It is colored pink.
Summer males are striking with their brilliant yellow and black plumage. The body is yellow and they have a black crown. The wings and tail feathers are black and white.
Females are duller olive-green without the black crown. They have thin white wing bars.
Juvenile birds in fall show striking tan wing bars on the black wing.
In winter both genders are pale gray and tan with brown wings and tail. They may only show a hint of yellow on the head and throat.
At your feeder, American Goldfinches love black oil sunflower seeds and Niger seed. They are especially common at feeders in summer and fall.
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove. Greg Gillson
The mournful summer song of Mourning Doves is familiar to most, even if they don't know what bird makes the sound.
They are found across the United States as year-round residents. Birds summer in the northern Great Plains and south central Canada, but withdraw in winter.
These birds are found in towns and farms, and open country with scattered trees, often along rivers.
In spring they sing from power lines in residential areas. They may puff out their chests while cooing from the peak of your roof.
These birds are much larger than European Starlings, but also much smaller than American Crows. These birds have large powerful breasts, a tiny round head on thin neck, and long pointed tail. Their wings are somewhat pointed in flight. The bill is small as typical for all pigeons. Genders are identical.
These birds are warm tan or brown colored. The breast has a pinkish hue. The wings are gray. They have a few large black spots on the wing coverts. They have a black spot on the side of the neck below the cheek that sometimes shows some iridescent green feathers. The tail has white edges, best seen in flight.
At your bird feeder Mourning Doves eat all types of seeds. They are also attracted to water for drinking and bathing.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker. Greg Gillson
Downy Woodpeckers are tiny and common visitors to backyards across the United States.
These woodpeckers inhabit nearly all of North America south of the tundra and away from the driest deserts.
Often found near water, they like small deciduous trees, willows, and brush. Common in backyards.
Like other woodpeckers, these birds hitch up small trees. However, they often cling to the small outer branches. They even hang on twigs and small bushes such as wild rose and teasel.
They are bigger than House Finches, smaller than Red-winged Blackbirds, but shaped differently than either. These birds have stocky bodies and big heads. They have short, stiff, pointed tails. The legs are short. The feet are large with strong claws. The bills of these woodpeckers are chisel shaped but especially short and petite.
The overall pattern of these birds is black-and-white stripes. The wings are black with numerous white spots and bars. The back is white. The underparts are white or tinged with buff. The face is white; the crown and nape is black, the ear covert black, and there is a black malar stripe. The tail is black with white outer tail feathers. Males have a red spot on the nape that females lack.
Downy Woodpeckers eat suet at your feeder.
Blue Jay
Blue Jay. skeeze Pixabay
Blue Jays are one of the most well-known birds in the United States.
Birds are found year-round east of the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Texas and eastward. There is a noticeable migration of some of their population in most of their range. Birds move northward into the Great Plains of Canada for the summer.
Though they are found in woodlands of all type, they are especially attracted to oak trees. They are common in residential areas, too.
Brash and conspicuous, Blue Jays have a complex social structure. The more the crest is raised, the more excited or agitated the bird is.
Jays are fairly large backyard birds. They are just a bit larger than American Robins. These are stout birds with large rounded or wedge-shaped tails. They have large legs and feet. They have a bushy crest. The bill is fairly long, strong.
Genders are similar in plumage. They are blue above, including the crest. They are gray below with a black necklace across the throat. The wings are barred with black, with white wing bars and trailing edges. The blue tail is barred with black and has white tail corners.
At your feeder, Blue Jays love whole peanuts and sunflower seeds.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker. skeeze. Pixabay
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are one of the common woodland birds in the East.
These birds are year-round residents from the Northeast to the Midwest, and south from Florida to eastern Texas.
They aren't too picky in their choice of trees. They are found in deciduous and conifer forests. They may be found in parks and neighborhoods with mature trees. Learn and listen for the loud rolling churr call of these woodpeckers. You may find they are more common than you first thought.
These birds are a bit larger than European Starlings. They a stocky with large head and short wedge-shaped tail. The bill is long, straight. and chisel shaped.
The upper parts, including the back and wings are covered with thin black-and-white bars. The head and under parts are pale tan or gray. They have white rumps and black tails with barred outer tail feathers.
Males have red crowns from their bill to their back. Some also show a reddish wash to their belly.
Females have red crowns from the top of their head back, with gray fore-crowns.
At feeders, Red-bellied Woodpeckers love suet, and also eat peanuts.
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch. Greg Gillson
White-breasted Nuthatches are the largest of 4 nuthatch species in North America.
These birds are year-round residents across southern Canada and all but deserts and treeless areas of the United States, south into the mountains of Mexico.
They are found primarily in mature deciduous woods, but also dry pine forests in the interior West.
As with all nuthatches, these active little birds crawl over the trunk and limbs looking for bark insects. Their strong feet allow them to hang on to the bark in any position. You will frequently see them crawling head first down the tree or upside down around a branch.
These birds are a bit smaller than House Sparrows. They are chunky birds with big heads on short necks. They have stumpy little tails. Their legs are strong and feet large. The bill is fairly slender and sharp pointed.
They are blue-gray on the upper parts with black crown and hind neck. The upper parts, including the face, are white with rusty feathers in the vent area. Males are more blue on the upper parts and have blacker caps. Females are more gray and have paler caps.
At your feeder White-breasted Nuthatches love suet and peanuts. They may take seeds from the feeder to cache away in the bark of trees to eat later in the winter.
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow. Greg Gillson
Song Sparrows are widespread across North America.
These birds summer from southern Alaska and across Canada to the Ohio River Valley and in the West to southern California and Arizona. In winter most birds leave Canada and the northern Great Plains, except for a population in western Canada. The winter birds push south to Florida and Texas into northern Mexico.
These birds are found in a wide variety of brushy habitats. They are found in open woodlands, marshes, and backyards landscaped with large bushes and brambles.
They spend a lot of time hopping on the ground looking for food. They eat insects and invertebrates in summer, but mostly seeds in winter.
They are a bit smaller than House Sparrows. They have a round body, round head, and longer tail with a rounded tip. The bill is triangular, short and thick at the base.
Across their range these birds show much variation. Desert birds are paler. Northwestern birds are dark and reddish. Alaskan birds are much larger. In general, they are gray, streaked with brown, with breast streaks forming a center spot on the breast. The pattern of the head is complex but rather diagnostic. The white throat is bordered by a flaring lateral throat stripe. Genders are identical.
Song Sparrows will visit platform feeders, but more likely stay under dense bushes, venturing out on the ground below the feeder.
Recommended Products for feeding birds in Michigan
Amazon Affiliate Links
If you are looking for feeders and bird food, here are products I use or recommend. If you purchase from these links, I earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.
This hopper feeder is just the right size and durable. The best high quality mixed bird seed for this bird feeder that I highly recommend is Wagner's Songbird Supreme. This combination attracts the widest variety of feeder birds.
For common backyard birds and birds at your feeder, this is a good little book.
I'm using these Celestron Nature DX ED 8x40s almost exclusively now. I am impressed that such a low-priced binocular has such good image quality. Perfect for beginners! Yes, there are better binoculars at $500, $1000, $2000. But why? They're not that much better.
