In “The Most Common Backyard Birds in North Carolina,” readers will find a comprehensive list and identification of the avian visitors that frequent the gardens and feeders of the state. Drawing from data collected by the citizen science program eBird, the article offers accurate insights into the varied species that inhabit North Carolina. Each bird mentioned is accompanied by captivating pictures, along with valuable tips on attracting them to one’s own backyard. Notably, the Northern Cardinal claims the title of North Carolina’s most common bird, with a presence reported on 60% of birdwatching lists. Additionally, the article goes beyond identification, providing information on bird watching in the state, recommended products, and suggested birding locations. With its organized format, offering details on size, shape, habitat, and food preferences for each species, this article is a valuable resource for both novices and experienced bird enthusiasts.
Northern Cardinal
Description
The Northern Cardinal is one of the most stunning and easily recognizable birds in North Carolina. With its vibrant red plumage and distinct crest, it is impossible to miss in your backyard. Adult males have bright red feathers all over, while females have a more subdued color palette, with a grayish-brown body and a touch of red on their wings and crest.
Habitat
Northern Cardinals are extremely adaptable and can be found across a wide range of habitats in North Carolina. They are often seen in woodlands, gardens, parks, and suburban areas with plenty of shrubs and trees. They prefer areas with dense vegetation, as it provides them with cover.
Food Preferences
These beautiful birds primarily feed on seeds and fruits, making them regular visitors to bird feeders. Sunflower seeds and safflower seeds are particular favorites of Northern Cardinals. They also enjoy eating berries and insects, especially during the breeding season when they need a protein-rich diet for their young.
Attracting to Your Backyard
If you want to attract Northern Cardinals to your backyard, you’re in luck! They are among the most common visitors to bird feeders in North Carolina. To entice them, keep your feeder stocked with their favorite seeds such as sunflower seeds and safflower seeds. Providing dense shrubs and trees for cover will also make your yard more attractive to these vibrant birds. Don’t forget to maintain a fresh water source as well, as they enjoy bathing and drinking.
American Robin
Description
The American Robin is a familiar sight in North Carolina and a beloved harbinger of spring. With its bright orange breast, dusty gray back, and distinctive white eye ring, it is easily distinguishable. These birds have a plump body and a slender bill, allowing them to probe the soil for earthworms and other insects.
Habitat
American Robins are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, gardens, parks, and forest edges. They tend to prefer areas with open spaces, such as lawns and fields, where they can forage for food.
Food Preferences
The primary diet of American Robins consists of earthworms and other invertebrates, making them excellent pest controllers in your yard. They also feed on fruits and berries, particularly during the fall and winter months when insects are less abundant.
Attracting to Your Backyard
To attract American Robins to your backyard, create an inviting habitat with open spaces and plenty of insect-attracting plants. Keep your lawn well-maintained and avoid using pesticides, as these can harm the birds and their food sources. Consider planting fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, such as holly or dogwood, to provide an additional food source.
Carolina Chickadee
Description
The Carolina Chickadee is a small and charming bird with a distinctive black cap and bib, grayish wings and back, and a white underside. Its song, a whistled “fee-bee,” is a delight to hear in your backyard. These birds have a tiny body with a short bill but are full of personality.
Habitat
Carolina Chickadees are common throughout North Carolina and can be found in a variety of habitats. They are frequently spotted in woodlands, forests, and suburban areas with mature trees. They are adaptable birds and can even nest in bird boxes or cavities in trees.
Food Preferences
Carolina Chickadees have a varied diet that includes insects, seeds, berries, and nuts. They are particularly fond of insects, which make up the majority of their diet during the breeding season. These birds are also known for their ability to cache food, storing seeds and insects for later consumption.
Attracting to Your Backyard
To attract Carolina Chickadees to your backyard, provide a mix of food sources. Place a variety of bird feeders filled with sunflower seeds, suet, and mealworms. Planting native trees and shrubs that produce fruits and berries will also attract these delightful birds. Water sources, such as birdbaths or small ponds, will further entice them to visit your yard.
Eastern Bluebird
Description
The Eastern Bluebird is a stunning bird with vibrant blue feathers on its wings and back, a white underside, and reddish-brown throat and breast. These birds have a plump body, short tail and bill, and are known for their melodious song. Their beauty and cheerful presence make them a welcome addition to any backyard.
Habitat
Eastern Bluebirds prefer open habitats with a mix of grassy areas and scattered trees. They can often be found in meadows, farmlands, golf courses, and suburban areas. These birds also rely on nest boxes for breeding and will readily use them if provided.
Food Preferences
The diet of Eastern Bluebirds consists mainly of insects, especially during the breeding season when they need a protein-rich diet to raise their young. They feed on a variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. These birds also consume fruits and berries, particularly during the fall and winter months.
Attracting to Your Backyard
If you want to attract Eastern Bluebirds to your backyard, set up nest boxes specifically designed for them. The boxes should be placed at an appropriate height and in an open area, away from brush and low-hanging branches. Providing mealworms in a tray feeder or offering a mix of fruits and berries will also make your yard more appealing to these beautiful birds.
Tufted Titmouse
Description
The Tufted Titmouse is a small and lively bird with a stylish crest, gray upperparts, a rusty-colored underside, and a black forehead. Its distinctive “peter-peter-peter” song is a common sound in North Carolina backyards. These birds have a compact body, short wings, and a strong bill.
Habitat
Tufted Titmice can be found in a variety of habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, woodlands, and suburban areas with mature trees. They are active birds and can often be seen hopping along branches and hanging upside down while foraging.
Food Preferences
These birds have a diverse diet that includes insects, seeds, berries, and nuts. They are acrobatic foragers and can extract insects from bark crevices and foliage. Tufted Titmice are also known for their habit of storing seeds in crevices and other hiding places for later consumption.
Attracting to Your Backyard
To attract Tufted Titmice to your backyard, provide a mix of food sources. Place a variety of bird feeders filled with sunflower seeds, peanuts, or suet. Planting native trees and shrubs that produce berries, such as dogwood or serviceberry, will also entice these lively birds. Adding a bird bath or small fountain will provide them with a refreshing water source.
Mourning Dove
Description
The Mourning Dove is a gentle and graceful bird with muted, earth-toned feathers. It has a slender body, long tail, and pointed wings. These birds have a soft, mournful cooing call, which gives them their name. Their subtle beauty and gentle demeanor make them a cherished sight in North Carolina backyards.
Habitat
Mourning Doves can be found in a wide range of habitats, from urban areas to open fields and farmlands. They are often seen perched on wires or foraging on the ground. These birds are highly adaptable and can easily thrive in different environments.
Food Preferences
The primary diet of Mourning Doves consists of seeds, particularly those of grasses and weeds. These birds are ground feeders and can often be seen pecking for food on the ground. They also consume grains and fruits when available.
Attracting to Your Backyard
Attracting Mourning Doves to your backyard is relatively easy. These birds are frequent visitors to bird feeders, especially those stocked with millet, cracked corn, or sunflower seeds. Providing a clean and open space for them to forage on the ground is also essential. Offering a shallow dish of water will help attract these gentle birds to your yard.
House Finch
Description
The House Finch is a medium-sized bird with a compact body, short bill, and a distinctive red coloration on the head and chest of males. Females have a more subdued color palette, with streaked brown plumage and a touch of red on their wings and rump. These birds are known for their melodious and cheerful song.
Habitat
House Finches are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats, including urban areas, gardens, parks, and forest edges. They are often seen perched on trees or foraging on the ground. These birds are also frequent visitors to bird feeders.
Food Preferences
The diet of House Finches consists primarily of seeds, making them regular visitors to bird feeders in North Carolina. They particularly enjoy sunflower seeds and nyjer seeds. These birds also feed on fruits and berries when available.
Attracting to Your Backyard
To attract House Finches to your backyard, provide a variety of seed options in your feeders. Sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, and safflower seeds are all excellent choices. Planting native flowers that produce seeds, such as coneflowers or black-eyed susans, will also attract these colorful birds. Ensure there is a fresh water source available as well, as House Finches enjoy bathing and drinking.
Downy Woodpecker
Description
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest and most common woodpecker in North Carolina. It has a black and white body, a small bill, and a distinctive white patch on its back. These birds are often mistaken for the larger Hairy Woodpecker, but the Downy Woodpecker has a shorter bill and is slightly smaller in size.
Habitat
Downy Woodpeckers can be found in a variety of habitats, from woodlands and forests to suburban areas with mature trees. They are often seen foraging on tree trunks and branches, using their sharp bills to drum and peck for insects.
Food Preferences
The diet of Downy Woodpeckers consists primarily of insects, particularly wood-boring beetles and ants. These birds use their long tongues to extract prey from crevices in trees. They also feed on seeds and fruits, especially during the winter months when insects are less abundant.
Attracting to Your Backyard
To attract Downy Woodpeckers to your backyard, provide a mix of food sources. Suet feeders are particularly attractive to these birds, as they love the high-energy fat content. Offer sunflower seeds and peanuts as well. Providing dead trees or snags in your yard will also make your property more appealing, as these woodpeckers create cavities for nesting and roosting in decaying wood.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Description
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with a striking pattern of black and white stripes on its back and wings, a red cap, and a reddish belly. Despite its name, the red on its belly is often difficult to see. These birds have a chisel-like bill and a sturdy body.
Habitat
Red-bellied Woodpeckers can be found in a variety of habitats, from woodlands and forests to suburban areas with mature trees. They are often seen climbing up and down tree trunks in search of food. These birds also rely on dead trees or decaying wood for nesting and excavating their cavities.
Food Preferences
The primary diet of Red-bellied Woodpeckers consists of insects, particularly ants, beetles, and spiders. They use their strong bills and long tongues to extract prey from tree bark and crevices. These woodpeckers also feed on nuts, seeds, and fruits when available.
Attracting to Your Backyard
Attracting Red-bellied Woodpeckers to your backyard can be done by providing a variety of food sources. Include suet feeders filled with high-energy suet cakes, as these birds love the fatty content. Offer nuts, such as peanuts or almonds, as well as a mix of seeds. Consider leaving dead trees or snags in your yard, as they provide important foraging and nesting opportunities for these woodpeckers.
Chipping Sparrow
Description
The Chipping Sparrow is a small and dainty bird with a thin bill, a rusty crown, and a grayish-brown back with streaks. It has a lighter underside and a distinctive black line through its eye. These birds have a slender body and agile movements.
Habitat
Chipping Sparrows can be found in a variety of open habitats, including yards, gardens, woodlands, and grasslands. They are often seen foraging on the ground or perched on bushes and trees. These birds are frequent visitors to bird feeders.
Food Preferences
The diet of Chipping Sparrows consists primarily of seeds, especially those of grasses and weeds. They also consume insects, particularly during the breeding season when they need a protein-rich diet. These birds are known for their habit of foraging on the ground, scratching for seeds and insects.
Attracting to Your Backyard
Attracting Chipping Sparrows to your backyard can be accomplished by providing a mix of food sources. Place a variety of seed feeders filled with millet, sunflower seeds, and nyjer seeds. Planting native grasses and flowers that produce seeds will also entice these delightful birds. Consider leaving a designated area with low vegetation for them to forage on the ground.