Winter Backyard Birds 2026: Top Feeder Birds by State

Q: Which birds arrive only for the winter?

Nationally the clearest winter visitors are the Yellow-rumped Warbler, Bufflehead, White-throated Sparrow and Northern Shoveler: each makes up at least 10 times the share of winter bird reports that it does in summer. Regionally the list is longer, with sparrows and juncos in the lowlands, sea ducks on the coasts and northern finches along the border.

Q: When is the Christmas Bird Count?

The National Audubon Society runs the Christmas Bird Count from December 14 to January 5 every year. Each local count covers a circle 15 miles wide on one day in that window, and people inside a circle can join as a feeder counter, counting the birds at their own feeder without binoculars or a hike.

Q: When is the Great Backyard Bird Count in 2027?

The organisers have posted February 12 to 15, 2027. Anyone can take part by counting the birds they see for as little as 15 minutes on one of the four days. The 2026 count logged 8,257 species on 467,696 checklists from an estimated 1,146,284 participants.

Q: What is Project FeederWatch?

Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada run it as a winter survey of the birds that visit backyards, nature centers and community areas in North America. The season runs from November 1 to April 30, and participants pick two consecutive days as often as once a week to count what comes to their feeders.

Q: Should bird feeders come down because of bird flu?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says feeders are unlikely to spread avian influenza, because the species that visit feeders are not commonly infected. It adds that feeders do concentrate songbirds and raise the risk of salmonella, E. coli and mycoplasma, and that native plants are the healthier option. Keepers of backyard poultry should check their state wildlife agency.

Q: How often should a bird feeder be cleaned?

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recommends cleaning seed and suet feeders every week or two, and more often in heavy use or wet weather, because leftover seed and hulls can harbor pathogens. To disinfect, soak the cleaned parts for 10 minutes in one part bleach to nine parts water.

Q: How are these winter bird lists put together?

Each list ranks species by research grade iNaturalist reports, December to February across the ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26, as a share of all winter bird reports for the same place. A winter visitor is a species whose winter share is at least 10 times its share of summer reports (June to August) with at least 20 winter reports.

Start here

The birds at feeders this winter

Across the United States these are the songbirds, woodpeckers and doves reported most in winter, ranked by their share of every research grade bird report uploaded to iNaturalist from December to February, winters 2016-17 through 2025-26. Each card carries the share of winter bird reports and whether the bird stays all year or comes for the cold months.

1
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
2.1% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “Male northern cardinal in Central Park (52612)” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
2
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
1.8% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “Junco hyemalis hyemalis CT1 (cropped)” by Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0
3
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
1.6% of winter bird reports
Winter visitor
Photo: “Yellow-rumped warbler singing (41612) (cropped)” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
4
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
1.5% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “American robin (71307)” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
5
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
1.5% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “House finch (33688)2” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
6
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
1.3% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “Mockingbird in Bay Ridge (85082)” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
7
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
1.2% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “Dryobates pubescens UL 03” by Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0
8
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
1.1% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “Mourning dove perched (61179)” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
9
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
1.1% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “Song sparrow in Prospect Park (93031)” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
10
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
1.1% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “White-crowned-Sparrow” by Wolfgang Wander, CC BY-SA 3.0
11
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
1.0% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “House sparrow male in Prospect Park (53532)” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
12
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
0.94% of winter bird reports
Year round
Photo: “Red-bellied Woodpecker-27527”, Ken Thomas, Public domain

Every bird reported most in winter

The same ranking across all birds, so the ducks, gulls and hawks of the winter waterfront sit beside the feeder birds.

Every bird group in the United States: the 20 species with the most research grade reports on iNaturalist in December to February, with each one’s share of winter and of summer bird reports.
#	Species	Winter share	Summer share	Status
1	Red-tailed Hawk	2.3%	1.4%	Year round
2	Northern Cardinal	2.1%	1.6%	Year round
3	Mallard	2.1%	2.3%	Year round
4	Great Blue Heron	1.9%	2.6%	Year round
5	Dark-eyed Junco	1.8%	0.69%	Year round
6	Yellow-rumped Warbler	1.6%	0.15%	Winter visitor
7	American Robin	1.5%	2.0%	Year round
8	Canada Goose	1.5%	1.5%	Year round
9	House Finch	1.5%	1.5%	Year round
10	Red-shouldered Hawk	1.4%	0.80%	Year round
11	Northern Mockingbird	1.3%	1.1%	Year round
12	Bald Eagle	1.3%	0.81%	Year round
13	Great Egret	1.2%	1.5%	Year round
14	Downy Woodpecker	1.2%	0.64%	Year round
15	Ring-billed Gull	1.1%	0.42%	Year round
16	Mourning Dove	1.1%	1.7%	Year round
17	Song Sparrow	1.1%	1.0%	Year round
18	White-crowned Sparrow	1.1%	0.28%	Year round
19	American Coot	1.1%	0.26%	Year round
20	House Sparrow	1.0%	1.4%	Year round

When the top eight are reported

Red-tailed Hawk

Peaks in November at 2.5%; winter 2.3%, summer 1.5%.

Northern Cardinal

Peaks in February at 2.3%; winter 2.1%, summer 1.6%.

Mallard

Peaks in April at 3.0%; winter 2.1%, summer 2.3%.

Great Blue Heron

Peaks in August at 2.8%; winter 1.9%, summer 2.6%.

Dark-eyed Junco

Peaks in January at 1.8%; winter 1.7%, summer 0.69%.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Peaks in October at 2.1%; winter 1.7%, summer 0.15%.

American Robin

Peaks in April at 3.1%; winter 1.5%, summer 2.0%.

Canada Goose

Peaks in April at 2.7%; winter 1.4%, summer 1.5%.

Each bar is the species’ share of all research grade bird reports uploaded to iNaturalist for the United States in that month, calendar years 2016 through 2025, running July to June so the winter sits in the middle, with December to February shaded. Shares of reports follow birders as well as birds.

Here for the winter

Winter visitors by region

A winter visitor is a bird with a winter share of bird reports at least 10 times its summer share, with at least 20 winter reports. Below, the visitors that show up in at least two states of a census region, so each list reads as the region rather than one state. The yard birds come first, then the arrivals on the water and the fields nearby. Nationally the clearest are Yellow-rumped Warbler, Bufflehead, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Shoveler.

Northeast

White-throated Sparrow winter visitor in 6 of 9 states
Dark-eyed Junco winter visitor in 5 of 9 states
Snow Bunting winter visitor in 2 of 9 states

Off the feeder and onto the water and the fields nearby, the same winters bring Red-breasted Merganser, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Brant.

Midwest

Dark-eyed Junco winter visitor in 11 of 12 states
American Tree Sparrow winter visitor in 10 of 12 states
White-throated Sparrow winter visitor in 6 of 12 states
Redpoll winter visitor in 2 of 12 states

Off the feeder and onto the water and the fields nearby, the same winters bring Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-breasted Merganser.

South

White-throated Sparrow winter visitor in 13 of 16 states
Yellow-rumped Warbler winter visitor in 11 of 16 states
Dark-eyed Junco winter visitor in 8 of 16 states
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker winter visitor in 8 of 16 states
Ruby-crowned Kinglet winter visitor in 7 of 16 states
Song Sparrow winter visitor in 4 of 16 states
Hermit Thrush winter visitor in 3 of 16 states
American Goldfinch winter visitor in 2 of 16 states

Off the feeder and onto the water and the fields nearby, the same winters bring Ring-billed Gull, Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, Snow Goose.

West

Golden-crowned Sparrow winter visitor in 3 of 13 states
White-crowned Sparrow winter visitor in 3 of 13 states
Ruby-crowned Kinglet winter visitor in 3 of 13 states
Yellow-rumped Warbler winter visitor in 2 of 13 states
Bohemian Waxwing winter visitor in 2 of 13 states

Off the feeder and onto the water and the fields nearby, the same winters bring American Wigeon, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck.

A slate grey dark-eyed junco with a white belly and a pale pink bill perched on a cut branch stub against a soft brown background — The dark-eyed junco, the bird that turns up under feeders across most of the country once the weather turns, and thins out again in spring. “Junco hyemalis hyemalis CT1” by Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0

Count them

The winter count calendar

Three counts carry the winter, and all three take reports from a window onto a feeder. Soonest first:

Starts in 34 days
Project FeederWatch
November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027
Run by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada
“Project FeederWatch runs from November 1 through April 30. For each count, select two consecutive days as often as once a week.”
Project FeederWatch
Starts in 77 days
Christmas Bird Count
December 14, 2026 to January 5, 2027
Run by National Audubon Society
“Feeder Counts: Count all the birds you see or hear from your own backyard or local park at a stationary bird feeder within a CBC circle. No binoculars or hiking required, and you can participate with less time commitment.”
Christmas Bird Count
Starts in 137 days
Great Backyard Bird Count
February 12, 2027 to February 15, 2027
Run by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada
“Count the birds you see for as little as 15 minutes on one of the four days.”
Great Backyard Bird Count
The 2026 count: 8,257 species on 467,696 checklists from 216 countries and subregions, an estimated 1,146,284 participants.

State by state

Winter birds by state

Every state with a page: the most reported backyard bird in December to February, the leading winter visitor, and the species with a research grade winter report.
State	Top backyard bird	Top winter visitor	Species
Alabama	Northern Cardinal	Yellow-rumped Warbler	296
Alaska	Common Raven	Bohemian Waxwing	198
Arizona	Mourning Dove	White-crowned Sparrow	450
Arkansas	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	215
California	White-crowned Sparrow	Yellow-rumped Warbler	637
Colorado	Black-billed Magpie	Common Goldeneye	308
Connecticut	Dark-eyed Junco	Dark-eyed Junco	225
Delaware	Northern Cardinal	Snow Goose	227
Florida	Palm Warbler	Palm Warbler	492
Georgia	Northern Cardinal	Yellow-rumped Warbler	309
Hawaii	Zebra Dove	Year round birds lead	192
Idaho	American Robin	Common Goldeneye	243
Illinois	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	248
Indiana	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	210
Iowa	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	165
Kansas	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	233
Kentucky	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	199
Louisiana	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Yellow-rumped Warbler	356
Maine	Black-capped Chickadee	Common Goldeneye	208
Maryland	Northern Cardinal	White-throated Sparrow	297
Massachusetts	Black-capped Chickadee	Dark-eyed Junco	324
Michigan	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	245
Minnesota	Black-capped Chickadee	Pine Grosbeak	210
Mississippi	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Yellow-rumped Warbler	280
Missouri	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	226
Montana	Dark-eyed Junco	Rough-legged Hawk	185
Nebraska	Dark-eyed Junco	Dark-eyed Junco	191
Nevada	White-crowned Sparrow	White-crowned Sparrow	279
New Hampshire	Black-capped Chickadee	Snow Bunting	182
New Jersey	Dark-eyed Junco	Dark-eyed Junco	285
New Mexico	Dark-eyed Junco	Sandhill Crane	342
New York	Northern Cardinal	White-throated Sparrow	330
North Carolina	Northern Cardinal	White-throated Sparrow	328
North Dakota	Black-capped Chickadee	Black-capped Chickadee	105
Ohio	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	288
Oklahoma	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	273
Oregon	Dark-eyed Junco	Golden-crowned Sparrow	376
Pennsylvania	Northern Cardinal	Dark-eyed Junco	266
Rhode Island	Song Sparrow	Bufflehead	202
South Carolina	Northern Cardinal	Yellow-rumped Warbler	283
South Dakota	Downy Woodpecker	Bald Eagle	152
Tennessee	Northern Cardinal	White-throated Sparrow	254
Texas	Northern Cardinal	Yellow-rumped Warbler	620
Utah	American Robin	Northern Harrier	275
Vermont	Black-capped Chickadee	Evening Grosbeak	178
Virginia	Northern Cardinal	White-throated Sparrow	308
Washington	Dark-eyed Junco	Bufflehead	345
West Virginia	Northern Cardinal	Hooded Merganser	157
Wisconsin	Dark-eyed Junco	Dark-eyed Junco	211
Wyoming	Common Raven	Common Goldeneye	139

At the feeder

Feeding birds in winter

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publish the guidance that matters once birds gather in one place, quoted here exactly:

Cleaning

“Clean your seed or suet feeders regularly (e.g., every week or two) and more often during periods of heavy use or wet weather.”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project FeederWatch

“Debris (such as leftover bits of seeds and hulls) can harbor pathogens that make birds sick.”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project FeederWatch

Disinfecting

“To disinfect your feeders, soak the (cleaned) parts for 10 minutes in a diluted bleach solution (e.g., one part bleach to nine parts water).”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project FeederWatch

Sick birds

“Fluffed-up feathers, lethargy, abnormal growths, and crusty eyes are all symptoms of various avian illnesses.”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project FeederWatch

House finches

“For example, not every bird that is exposed to Mycoplasma gallisepticum will contract conjunctivitis; however, House Finches are especially susceptible to this bacterium, which led to serious declines in North American populations in the 1990s.”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project FeederWatch

Bird flu

“Bird feeders are unlikely to result in increased spread of avian influenza since the species of bird that tend to come to feeders are not commonly infected.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

“However, feeders do concentrate passerines and increase the risk of transmission of other infectious diseases that do impact their health, including salmonella, E. coli and mycoplasma.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Planting

“Creating natural spaces that attract birds to the cover and food provided by native vegetation appropriate to the location is far healthier than feeders.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A black-capped chickadee hovering on blurred wings beside a tube feeder, black cap and bib, white cheeks and buff flanks — A black-capped chickadee at a tube feeder. Chickadees carry seed away one at a time and cache it, which is why a busy feeder empties faster in the cold. “Black Capped Chickadee hovering at feeder” by Ano Lobb, CC BY 2.0

Questions about winter backyard birds

What birds come to backyard feeders in winter?

Across the United States the perching birds, woodpeckers and doves reported most in winter are the Northern Cardinal (2.1%), Dark-eyed Junco (1.8%), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1.6%), American Robin (1.5%), House Finch (1.5%) and Northern Mockingbird (1.3%), each figure a share of all research grade winter bird reports on iNaturalist, December to February across the ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26. The mix shifts by state, and each state page lists its own top birds.

Which birds arrive only for the winter?

When is the Christmas Bird Count?

When is the Great Backyard Bird Count in 2027?

What is Project FeederWatch?

Should bird feeders come down because of bird flu?

How often should a bird feeder be cleaned?

How are these winter bird lists put together?

Compiled 2026-09-22 from research grade bird observation counts on iNaturalist, December to February, winters 2016-17 through 2025-26, against June to August, summers 2016 through 2025: 3,744,348 winter bird reports across 1,047 species, of which the top bird took 2.3%. Shares are uploads by the public divided by all bird uploads for the same place, so they follow birders as well as birds. Count dates and feeding guidance are quoted from the organisers and agencies linked above.

Snowy owl watchThe big white owl of open country, and the northern finches that move south with it in an irruption winter.Fall migration watchCranes, geese, hawks and songbirds on the way south, the season that fills the winter feeder.Winter eagle watchingBald eagles gather at open water in the coldest weeks, the other great winter bird show.

Winter Backyard Birds