Chickadees are a favorite feeder bird throughout the United States. This cutie is found in the East and Southeast.
How do you attract Carolina Chickadees to your bird feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract Carolina chickadees to your yard.
N Lewis NPS. Public Domain
Why attract Carolina Chickadees to your bird feeder?
Carolina Chickadees are the smallest chickadees in North America. That makes them especially cute.
These birds are inquisitive and not timid. They are not easily scared away from your yard when you are outside.
Carolina Chickadees will eat from window feeders and can be observed at close range through your window.
These small sprites like most bird seeds and readily come to your feeder.
They are year-round residents, so once they start coming to your bird feeder, they will be present at all seasons.
They are a bit shy when other birds are present. They are not belligerent and will not fight with other birds.
Walfred. Flickr. CC-BY-2.0
What foods will attract Carolina Chickadees to your feeder?
Carolina Chickadees love black oil sunflower seeds. They take these one at a time and fly away with the seed to crack it open and eat it away from the feeder. Then they come right back for another.
If you feed mixed seed, these chickadees eat any sunflowers, peanuts and nuts. They leave the smaller millet for sparrows.
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.
Carolina Chickadees also love suet, especially in winter.
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.
Festive Coquette. Flickr. CC-BY-2.0
What kind of feeders do Carolina Chickadees like?
Carolina Chickadees will eat from any type of feeder. But perhaps a hopper feeder or tube feeder is best.
The reason to feed chickadees from tube feeders is that these feeders allow smaller finches, chickadees, and nuthatches to get food. But larger birds have a harder time eating from tube feeders.
I really love the way my iBorn tube feeder (Amazon affiliate link) looks, with its 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.
Carolina Chickadees eat suet from special suet feeders. Suet blocks are locked into a cage so larger birds or mammals can't steal the whole block.
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.
Carolina Chickadees will also eat mealworms--either live or dried. In summer, chickadees may switch to eating mostly insects. Then they won't come to the feeder as often. So feeding live mealworms in summer may bring them to the feeder.
I created this video on Carolina Chickadees at your feeder to accompany this article.
Where to place your bird feeder for Carolina Chickadees
Carolina Chickadees are tiny birds. Other birds tend to push them around at the feeder.
They would appreciate a separate sunflower seed feeder away from the hubbub of the sparrow feeders.
Once the Carolina Chickadees start coming to your main bird feeder, you might try setting up separate feeders for chickadees. They will come to small feeders on deck railings. They will come to window bird feeders.
Festive Coquette. Flickr. CC-BY-2.0
How else can you attract Carolina Chickadees to your yard?
Carolina Chickadees will come to bird baths if they aren't too full. The shallower and smaller, the better. Place a rock or stick into the water. It should be high and dry at one end and gradually lead into the water.
They won't like deep or slippery bird baths.
Carolina Chickadees will also use nest boxes. If you purchase these, look for entry hole size of 1-1/8 inches. That's a bit smaller diameter than many bird nest boxes.
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 Carolina Chickadees: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
You won't have a problem with too many Carolina Chickadees at once.
However, in the fall of the year, chickadees and nuthatches (jays, too) will come to cache sunflower seeds. They take the seeds away and hide them. They lodge them into crevices in bark, drop them into holes in trees, even bury them. Then in winter they'll retrieve them and eat them.
If this is the case, and birds are eating, or stealing, too much bird seed, try rationing. Place in the feeder, only the amount of bird seeds the birds consume by noon. After that, don't feed them any more.
Carolina Chickadee FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding Carolina Chickadees and I'll add the answer here!
Red-winged Blackbirds are one of the most abundant and widespread birds in North America. They are year-round residents throughout most of the United States. They are summer residents across Canada and in parts of Alaska.
They are easily attracted to bird feeders, especially in winter.
How do you attract Red-winged Blackbirds to your feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract Red-winged Blackbirds to your yard.
Red-winged Blackbird. Greg Gillson
Why attract Red-winged Blackbirds to your bird feeder?
The glossy black males with startling red and yellow shoulders are really beautiful birds. Many people really love their bold colors.
These birds are bold and conspicuous. They are usually found in noisy, active flocks. They bring some excitement and personality to the bird feeders when they come.
Females are streaked and may look like sparrows. They are smaller than the males. But they have the long-pointed blackbird bill. This is an interesting example of sexual dimorphism, when males and females are quite different.
Red-winged Blackbird. Greg Gillson
What foods will attract Red-winged Blackbirds to your feeder?
Red-winged Blackbirds eat all kinds of foods at your feeder.
They especially like grains: cracked corn, wheat, oats, milo, millet and similar grains that many sparrows and finches do not eat. They are not picky.
They will also eat sunflower 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. This seed attracts the largest variety of birds to your feeder.
They will also eat seed blocks (Amazon), such as those made to attract quail.
They will eat live mealworms, and probably dried, also.
They are highly attracted to 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.
Red-winged Blackbird. Greg Gillson
What kind of feeders do Red-winged Blackbirds like?
Red-winged Blackbirds will eat from any large feeder. The larger the better for these birds that usually come to feeders in flocks.
A large platform feeder (Amazon affiliate link) is probably the best for these birds. The covered roof help keeps the seed dry.
Even so, Red-winged Blackbirds will probably prefer to eat seeds and grain right from the ground.
I made this video to accompany this article: At your feeder: Red-winged Blackbird. Listen to them sing!
Where to place your bird feeder for Red-winged Blackbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds prefer to eat on the ground or from low bird feeders.
But they will eat from any large bird feeder at any height.
When feeding in flocks they are not shy. So, it really doesn't matter where you place the feeder in your yard.
Female Red-winged Blackbird. Greg Gillson
How else can you attract Red-winged Blackbirds to your yard?
In the summer, Red-winged Blackbirds live in wetlands, especially cattail marshes.
In the winter, Red-winged Blackbirds form large flocks in agricultural fields and cattle feedlots.
They are also found in large parking lots in shopping centers where there are drive-through restaurants. There they eat spilled French fries, bread, and other scraps of human food.
So, if you live near these areas, you are likely to have Red-winged Blackbirds visit your yard.
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 Red-winged Blackbirds: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
Okay, the truth is, Red-winged Blackbirds can be too rambunctious for some people. The large flocks can empty a bird feeder in minutes and chase off smaller birds.
If you have more Red-winged Blackbirds than you'd like, try these things to discourage them.
Switch to a smaller tube feeder with no tray. Blackbirds will have a hard time getting their head in the feeding port from a short perch. They just can't easily twist their longer body around to reach inside.
Stop feeding suet and cheap mixed seed. Blackbirds really like the small seeds that other birds toss out of the feeder.
Don't put out any human food scraps.
Clean up any seed spilled on the ground. Then feed only as much seed as the other birds eat in a few hours in the morning. Then let birds clean up the ground under the feeders.
Switch to feeding Niger seed from a thistle feeder. Blackbirds don't really eat these small seeds. But Goldfinches, siskins, and some finches will eat them.
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.
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.
Red-winged Blackbird FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding Red-winged Blackbird and I'll add the answer here!
Whether you call them Tufted Titmice or Tufted Titmouses, these cute little birds are a joy to have at your bird feeder! They readily visit bird feeders across the eastern United States.
How do you attract Tufted Titmice to your feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract Tufted Titmice to your yard.
Tufted Titmouse. Richard Cane. Flickr. Public Domain.
Why attract Tufted Titmice to your bird feeder?
Tufted Titmice are interesting, entertaining and social birds. They aren't overly afraid of people. Thus, they visit backyards regularly. They'll soon become one of your favorite feeder birds.
They are especially attracted to feeders in winter. If there are any in your neighborhood, it won't be long until they find your feeder.
They switch to eating insects in summer. They eat ants, beetles, wasps and caterpillars in your yard. That's an added benefit.
Even if you don't see them, they give themselves away with their songs and calls. In spring they sing a loud whistled: Peter-Peter-Peter! At other times of year they call back and forth with nasal calls and chickadee-like sounds.
Their numbers are increasing. They are expanding their range northward to southeastern Canada. Your bird feeders are making this range expansion possible. You are providing food to help them survive in winter so they can breed in spring!
The Tufted Titmouse is a year-round resident. If they come to your feeder in winter, look for them all year round. They nest in old woodpecker holes and in nest boxes. Wouldn't a family of titmice liven up your yard?
What foods will attract Tufted Titmice to your feeder?
Tufted Titmice love sunflower seeds. Black oil sunflower seed is preferred, but they will eat striped sunflowers and sunflower kernels.
These birds also love peanut pieces or whole peanuts out of the shell.
They will eat acorns and beech nuts, too.
Did you know? Tufted Titmice tend to eat the largest seeds they can find at your feeder.
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. There are lesser amounts of peanut pieces, safflower seed, and millet. This seed attracts the largest variety of birds to your feeder.
Suet is also a favorite winter food of the Tufted Titmouse. They will like those with nuts, berries, or peanut-butter flavor.
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.
Tufted Titmouse. John Brighenti. Flickr. CC-BY-2.0
What kind of feeders do Tufted Titmice like?
Tufted Titmice are not too particular about the type of bird feeder they like. It's more about the food than the feeder. These birds just aren't all that particular about either one. That's why they are such a favorite feeder bird. So easy to attract!
Thus, the common hopper feeder is just fine for them. They'll also eat from platform feeders and tube feeders.
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.
And they'll eat from suet feeders in winter, too. A regular suet cage is fine. But if Starlings or jays are a problem at your suet feeder, consider an upside-down-suet feeder.
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.
I created this video to accompany this article:
Where to place your bird feeder for Tufted Titmice
An ideal feeder for Tufted Titmice would be one about 5 feet high and placed about 15 feet out from your house with a small tree next to it. Birds will fly first to the tree (a staging perch) before landing on the feeder. Keeping the feeder raised prevents sneak cat attacks.
Once they know the feeder is save, though, they'll likely fly directly to it. They aren't shy.
They'll come to deck railing and even window feeders. So, any placement of feeders is fine. Pole mounted, hanging, it doesn't matter with these tolerant birds.
One big consideration for feeder placement is that you can see it from your favorite viewing window. What window will you be watching birds from? From you living room easy chair? Kitchen window while cooking? Sliding glass door? Make sure you can see it!
How else can you attract Tufted Titmice to your yard?
Tufted Titmice will come to yards with deciduous trees, especially taller ones. They'll search for summer insects in these trees.
In fall and winter they may eat berries and nuts. They are attracted to elderberry, oak, beech, hickory, and pine for the berries and nuts.
You can attract Tufted Titmice to your yard with water. They especially like moving water, such as a fountain. But they will come to bird baths for bathing and drinking.
Make sure that the bird bath is shallow (1/2 inch of water, not filled 2 inches deep!) and that it isn't slippery. Try not to use one of those pretty glazed bird baths. The birds may not like them. The traditional cement bird bath is best, but a roughed plastic surface is fine, too.
They'll do just fine with a shallow dish of water, such as a terracotta earthenware saucer normally found under a flower pot. As these are small birds they might like to wade in. So keep the water to a half inch deep or less.
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 Tufted Titmice: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
You shouldn't ever have a problem attracting too many Tufted Titmice.
But sometimes local authorities may warn of birds falling ill to communicable diseases. These are usually spread by finches and siskins that feed in huge flocks. But such finch illnesses can spread to other birds.
In this case, you should stop feeding all birds for at least 2 weeks. Do this also if you see dead or lethargic birds around your feeder. Take your feeders down and wash them with a mild bleach solution.
About the only foods that titmice don't eat is Niger seed from a thistle feeder and nectar from a hummingbird feeder. Otherwise, Tufted Titmice will eat just about any foods that other feeder birds eat.
Tufted Titmice FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding Tufted Titmice and I'll add the answer here!
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers. They are common in woodlands in the eastern United States.
They readily come to feeders if you live near big trees and provide the right foods.
How do you attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers to your feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers to your yard.
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Skeeze. Pixabay.
Why attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers to your bird feeder?
Woodpeckers, in general, are very interesting to watch. They behave so much differently than other birds. They spend most of their life hitching up the trunk of trees, probing and digging in the bark for insects.
They can be loud, too. So, you'll always know when they are at your feeder!
Red-bellied Woodpeckers have adapted to live in city residential areas and parks. Thus, they are rather easy to attract to your backyard bird feeder if you have larger trees nearby.
The coloration of Red-bellied Woodpeckers in unique. They have finely barred black-and-white back, wings, and tail feathers. The extent of the red crown helps you tell males from females.
These birds aren't very aggressive toward other birds. They occur singly or in pairs. Thus, they don't overwhelm the bird feeder in numbers or action.
For these reasons Red-bellied Woodpeckers are welcome at feeders across the East.
ryanacandee. Flickr. CC-BY-2.0
What foods will attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers to your feeder?
To attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers, feed them suet in winter. This fat provides them calories and protein like their natural food--grubs!
Speaking of grubs, Red-bellied Woodpeckers love mealworms, both live and dried. I recently tried feeding birds mealworms. Read the article here.
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.
These woodpeckers love peanuts and tree nuts. Feed them nuts removed from the shell. They may like nut pieces or halves. For birds, nuts should be fed raw and unsalted.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers may also eat sunflower seeds, both striped sunflowers and black oil sunflowers. They will eat them whole or shelled.
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. Woodpeckers will eat the sunflower seeds and peanut pieces and leave the other smaller seeds for the sparrows.
As an alternative to bird seed, Red-bellied Woodpeckers will like seed blocks. Here's an example seed block from Amazon (affiliate link). They may be called quail blocks or wildlife blocks. Check the label to make sure it lists sunflowers and peanuts as one of the first 3 ingredients.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers may also eat fruit. Try serving sliced oranges, apples, and grapes.
They also drink nectar from hummingbird feeders. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, as I'll discuss toward the end of this article.
Ian Lee. Flickr. CC-BY-2.0
What kind of feeders do Red-bellied Woodpeckers like?
Red-bellied Woodpeckers prefer to eat from platform feeders and larger hopper feeders. These give them room to eat, as they are a bit larger than many of the other birds at the feeder.
As for a suet feeder, they'll eat from any.
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.
I created this video on Red-bellied Woodpeckers to accompany this article. My YouTube channel discusses birds and bird watching. You may like it!
Where to place your bird feeder for Red-bellied Woodpeckers
Red-bellied Woodpeckers aren't overly timid. They will come to feeders near the home, but probably not if you are outside and near the feeders. They are large enough they hold their own against other birds.
You may want to separate different feeders from each other, based on food type. That way the different species of birds, which like different foods, aren't in competition.
Consider placing your suet feeder near a large tree. That's where the Red-bellied Woodpecker will probably approach from.
Kim Taylor Hull. Flickr. CC-BY-2.0
How else can you attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers to your yard?
As long as it is safe, consider leaving standing dead trees that serve as a home for wildlife. Woodpeckers will drill nest holes into such trees. Then, in subsequent years, other cavity nesting birds will use the old woodpecker holes for their nest.
You may plant or encourage trees with berries. Red-bellied Woodpeckers and other birds will eat the fruit of hawthorn, mountain ash and elderberries.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers will appreciate a bird bath with clean water for drinking and bathing.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are one of the few woodpeckers that will nest in a man-made nest box. The dimensions should be 17-1/2 x 7-1/2 x 9-3/4 inches. The entrance hole should have a diameter of 2-1/4 inches, and be protected with a metal predator guard to prevent the woodpecker from making the hole bigger. This is larger than the ty[ical bluebird nest boxes. Place the nest box 8-20 feet high in a tree. Here is an example woodpecker nest box on 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 Red-bellied Woodpeckers: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are usually not a nuisance. But they can be loud, sometimes.
But any woodpecker may drill holes in your siding or drum on your house or downspouts to declare their territory. This is usually only a problem in spring. If it happens at other times of year, have your home inspected for termites.
I have used reflective bird tape (Amazon) with success to discourage similar Gila Woodpeckers from excavating nest holes in the siding of my house. They nest in the saguaro in my yard, but drill holes in spring in places they shouldn't. I cut strips about 16 inches long and attached them to my eves with thumbtacks near where they were drilling. Easy and cheap.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are a bit too big to eat from tube feeders. But they try! And they can damage or destroy such feeders trying to get inside. Here's a great tube feeder that discourages woodpeckers. It has metal top and feeding ports to protect against damage from woodpeckers and squirrels.
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.
Red-bellied Woodpecker FAQ
Ask questions in the comments below about attracting and feeding Red-bellied Woodpeckers and I'll add the answer here!
This article and accompanying videos discuss the most common birds at bird feeders in Minnesota 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 Minnesota feeder birds and then provide more information if you are so interested.
Feeding birds in Minnesota can bring much joy!
Here are 10 birds that you are most likely to see at your bird feeder in Minnesota:
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Downy Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
Northern Cardinal
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-winged Blackbird
Song Sparrow
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
The most common feeder bird in Minnesota is the Black-capped Chickadee. Read more about it, below.
Black-capped Chickadee. Greg Gillson
Two videos showing feeder birds of Minnesota
I have created two videos on feeder birds in Minnesota.
The first video is a brief overview of the Top 10 Birds that come to feeders in Minnesota.
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 Minnesota.
Top 10 Feeder Birds of Minnesota [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 Minnesota. The text for this video is reproduced below.
10 Most Common Feeder Birds of Minnesota [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.
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.
Hairy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker. Greg Gillson.
Hairy Woodpeckers are larger and longer-billed versions of Downy Woodpeckers and even more widespread.
These birds are year-round residents from Alaska and across Canada south through the United States and Mexico.
They are found in larger diameter trees, both coniferous and deciduous. They are absent in deserts and grasslands. These birds move into forests infested with bark beetles. They also reach high numbers in recently burned forests.
They hop up the trunk of trees, using their tail as a support. They proclaim their territory by drumming their bill rapidly on dead tree trunks or even metal pipes.
They are a little bigger than a starling. They have a stocky body and big head. They have short stiff wedge-shaped tails. Their bills are long and chisel-shaped.
These birds have black-and-white striped faces. Their backs are white. The wings are black with extensive rows of white spots. The black tail has white outer tail feathers. The under parts are white. Males have red feathers on the back of the crown which females lack.
Hairy Woodpeckers will visit feeders for suet.
Recommended Products for feeding birds in Minnesota
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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.
