Winter offers a great opportunity to spot birds that migrate from farther north to escape the cold. Even birds that are year-round residents can be easier to spot as vegetation dies back. Here are some of the most common and interesting birds to look for during the winter months.
Backyard Birds
Many familiar backyard birds stick around through winter if food and shelter are available. Here are some of the most likely visitors to winter bird feeders and yards:
Northern Cardinal
With its bright red plumage and recognizable crest, the Northern Cardinal is a backyard favorite year-round. Males and females have different plumage, with males a vivid red and females a soft tan with red accents. Cardinals are songbirds that remain in pairs throughout winter. Offer black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seed, cracked corn, and fruit to attract them.
Tufted Titmouse
A small gray bird with a distinctive tufted crest, the Tufted Titmouse is active and noisy. It is usually seen in pairs or small flocks foraging in trees and at feeders for seeds and insects. Suet feeders are excellent for attracting titmice.
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America at just 5-7 inches long. It is a common visitor with black and white barred plumage and a small red spot on the back of its head. Downies feed on insects, larvae, and seeds at feeders with suet, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.
Black-capped Chickadee
Familiar, noisy, and acrobatic little songbirds, chickadees are active feeder visitors all winter long. They have black caps and throats, white cheeks, and soft gray-brown bodies. Chickadees will happily eat black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, suet, and peanuts.
Blue Jay
With its crested blue head and blue and white barred wings and tail, the Blue Jay is easy to identify. Loud, bold, and sometimes aggressive at feeders, jays eat many types of seeds and nuts. They love peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet.
American Goldfinch
The bright yellow male American Goldfinch loses his gold in winter, turning to a muted olive-yellow. These birds form large migratory flocks in winter. They prefer nyjer seed but will also eat black oil sunflower seeds and broken peanut pieces.
Dark-eyed Junco
Known as “snowbirds,” juncos arrive from farther north as the weather cools. They are gray-brown with a darker head and tail. Ground feeders with mixed seeds, and open feeders with sunflower seed or suet will attract these lively and sociable birds.
American Tree Sparrow
Resembling a House Sparrow but with a rusty cap and eye line, the American Tree Sparrow is another winter migrant. They readily visit platform feeders and clean up seed scattered on the ground. Try nyjer seed, millet, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds.
House Finch
Native to the West, House Finches were introduced to the East Coast and spread rapidly. The males have red heads that fade in winter. They visit most types of feeders, with black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, and safflower being favorites.
Waterfowl
Ponds, lakes, and rivers attract various migratory waterfowl through the winter. Here are some of the most common:
Mallard
A familiar dabbling duck seen year-round, the Mallard is the green-headed duck of city ponds and suburban lakes. The males have a distinctive green head and yellow bill, while females are mottled brown. Mallards tip-uptail down in shallow water to feed on plants, seeds, and invertebrates.
Canada Goose
With its distinctive black head and neck and honking call, this large wetland bird is a common sight in parks, golf courses, and open water. Migratory populations winter farther south in large flocks, while some birds remain year-round, especially in urban areas where food is plentiful.
American Wigeon
Sometimes called “baldpate” for the male’s distinctive white crown, the American Wigeon is a small dabbling duck that breeds in the north and migrates south for winter. Look for these ducks dabbling in shallow wetlands and skimming pond surfaces to feed on plants and small aquatic creatures.
Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler is named for its long, spoon-shaped bill adapted for filter feeding. Males are striking with a green head, white breast, and rusty sides. These ducks are found on calm, shallow wetlands from late summer through winter across much of North America.
Hooded Merganser
A small diving duck with a distinctive fan-shaped crest, the male Hooded Merganser has striking black and white plumage. Females are gray-brown. Look for these ducks on clear lakes and ponds, diving for fish and other aquatic life. They nest in tree cavities.
Bufflehead
This tiny diving duck is black and white with an iridescent plumage. Males have a large white patch behind the eye. Female Buffleheads are gray and white. These ducks winter on lakes and ponds, diving underwater to catch insects, crustaceans, and other small aquatic life.
Raptors
Winter is a great time to spot soaring and hunting birds of prey in open fields or perched on bare branches.
Bald Eagle
The national bird and symbol of the United States, Bald Eagles are more common today after once facing extinction. These large raptors have a white head and tail and dark brown body. Look for them perched in large trees near water, or soaring overhead in winter.
Red-tailed Hawk
This common and widespread hawk lives in open country across North America. With its distinctive red tail, barred breast, and broad, rounded wings, the Red-tailed Hawk can be seen perched on fence posts and trees or soaring over fields. Their loud, piercing scream is often heard before the bird is spotted.
American Kestrel
The American Kestrel is North America’s smallest and most colorful falcon. The males have blue-gray wings and rusty-barred bodies, while females have warm reddish-brown wings and streaked rusty bodies. These small falcons can be seen perched on wires or poles watching for prey in open country.
Northern Harrier
Sometimes called the Marsh Hawk, the Northern Harrier has a distinctive white rump patch and owl-like face disk. These slim hawks cruise low over marshes and fields watching for voles and other small rodents. Males are pale gray while females are streaked brown.
Rough-legged Hawk
This large raptor breeds in the Arctic tundra and migrates south for winter. It has broad, rounded wings and dark bands across its pale tail. Rough-legged Hawks hunt by hovering over open country before diving upon rodents and other small prey.
Snowy Owl
A rare winter visitor from the Arctic tundra, the striking Snowy Owl sometimes ventures south during winter in search of food. Massive and white with piercing yellow eyes, these owls can appear ghostly as they fly over open fields and marshes on broad, rounded wings.
Additional Species
Beyond the common feeder birds and waterfowl, winter offers a chance to spot species that are uncommon during the rest of the year:
Purple Sandpiper
This small gray-and-white shorebird comes south from its Arctic breeding grounds to winter along rocky coastlines from Maine to North Carolina. Purple Sandpipers glean invertebrates from skerries and rocky beaches pounded by winter waves.
Lapland Longspur
The Lapland Longspur breeds across the tundra of North America and Eurasia. In winter, huge flocks numbering hundreds of thousands descend upon prairies and fields across the northern and central United States, feeding on seeds. The males have a dramatic black-and-white breeding plumage.
Snow Bunting
During summer, this plump little Arctic songbird is snow white. In winter, it molts to reveal black wingtips and variable dark streaks on its white body. Flocks descend from the tundra to forage in fields and roadsides. They have a rusty shoulder patch and black bill.
Bohemian Waxwing
Related to the Cedar Waxwing, the Bohemian Waxwing is a winter visitor in the northern U.S. and Canada in some years. Flocks descend on berry trees, ornamentals, and parks. They are pale gray overall with a black mask and yellow tail tip.
Winter Wren
Despite its tiny size, this small brown wren has a remarkably loud, complex, melodic song. Look for them hopping along logs and the ground, cocking their short tails upright, in wooded areas through winter.
When and Where to See Winter Birds
Here are some tips for the best success viewing and identifying birds in winter:
- Look for migrants and rarer species during peak migration times in December and April. Check local birding hotspots for unusual arrivals.
- Waterfowl concentrate around areas of open water. Check lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and coastal wetlands for ducks, geese, and more.
- Scan bare trees, fence posts, and wires for large perching raptors like eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls.
- Visit feeders early and late in the day when bird activity peaks. Also watch feeders during snowstorms when food is scarce.
- In northern regions, search open areas like fields, marshes, and tundra for wintering flocks of finches, longspurs, buntings and more.
- Listen and watch for noisy species like blue jays and chickadees that travel in flocks through winter woods and backyards.
- Use bird guides and smartphone apps to aid identification of trickier species. Ask fellow birders to help confirm rare or unusual sightings.
Preparing Your Yard to Attract Winter Birds
You can make your yard more bird-friendly during winter with these tips:
- Offer a variety of foods like black-oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, suet, millet, and peanuts in feeders. Clean feeders regularly to prevent disease.
- Add a birdbath with a heater or aerator to provide open water for drinking and bathing.
- Place feeders and baths near trees or shrubs to give birds shelter as they visit.
- Allow dead trees, fallen branches, brush piles, and evergreens to provide roosting and escape cover.
- Plant native berry-producing shrubs and trees like hollies, dogwoods, and viburnums to provide natural winter food.
- Put up nest boxes to provide roosting spots for chickadees, titmice, wrens, and other cavity nesters.
- Avoid using pesticides which reduce insects that many birds rely on as food.
- Keep cats indoors to protect winter birds from predation.
With a little preparation, you can make your yard safe and welcoming for the many species of charming and colorful winter birds. Observing their antics can brighten up even the dreariest winter day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Birds You Can See in Winter
Here are answers to some common questions about observing birds in the winter season:
What food should I put out for winter birds?
Black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seed, suet, peanuts, cracked corn, and millet are excellent options. Offering a mix attracts the widest variety. Also provide extra suet and peanut butter for insect-eating species.
How can I provide water for winter birds?
Use a heated bird bath or add a bubbler to prevent freezing. You can also provide water by dripping it onto a flat platform that birds can perch on. Even letting icicles drip provides drinking water.
When do birds migrate for winter?
Fall migration typically peaks from September to November. Return migration occurs from February to May. Some birds like juncos and snow buntings arrive in winter from the north while other species like hummingbirds leave for the south.
What are irruptions?
Irruptions are unpredictable seasonal movements of huge flocks of northern finches like Redpolls, Pine Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks and Bohemian Waxwings farther south in search of food. These occur sporadically based on food supplies.
How can I attract raptors to my yard?
Offer safe perches like poles and dead snags. Put up nest boxes suitable for American Kestrels or Eastern Screech Owls. Avoid pesticides so birds of prey can hunt rodents and insects on your property.
What birds stick around my area all winter?
Resident species like chickadees, titmice, jays, woodpeckers, crows, doves and cardinals will stay as long as they have food sources and shelter. Some ducks, geese, and raptors will also overwinter if open water remains.
Are winter birds territorial or do they flock together?
It depends on the species. Some birds like Northern Cardinals remain in pairs year-round and defend territories. Others like many finches travel in large nomadic flocks seeking food. Smaller groups will also band together to survive winter.
Conclusion
Winter offers many excellent opportunities to observe a range of bird species you won’t see the rest of the year. From hardy backyard feeder birds to Arctic visitors and migratory waterfowl, a diversity of birds will visit your area in winter if you provide them with food, water, shelter and safety. Getting to know these charming and hardy birds can make even the bleakest winter seem a little brighter. With preparation and knowledge of the best spots and times to look, you’ll delight in discovering the many birds you can see in winter.