Novice backyard birders often assume that there are no birds around during the coldest months when in fact, there are many beautiful winter backyard birds that are normally found only in far northern habitats but that readily venture to backyards when the snow flies. Backyards can be essential for winter birds and will provide them with necessary food and water when natural resources are at their scarcest.
Top 40 North American Winter Backyard Birds
While the exact species of winter backyard birds will vary depending on range, geography and habitat, these 40 species are those most likely to be found in snowy backyards throughout North America. Some are common backyard birds year-round, others are only winter visitors and still others have regular irruptions and may be common one year and absent the next, but all are welcome in many birders' backyards.
Click on any species for more information, including tips for attracting the birds to your backyard.
- American crows
- American goldfinches
- American robins
- American tree sparrows
- Anna's hummingbirds
- Black-capped chickadees
- Bohemian waxwings
- Carolina chickadees
- Cedar waxwings
- Common redpolls
- Cooper's hawks
- Dark-eyed juncos
- Downy woodpeckers
- European starlings
- Evening grosbeaks
- Golden-crowned kinglets
- Hairy woodpeckers
- Hoary redpolls
- House finches
- House sparrows
- Mourning doves
- Northern cardinals
- Northern mockingbirds
- Pine grosbeaks
- Pine siskins
- Purple finches
- Red-bellied woodpeckers
- Red-breasted nuthatches
- Red crossbills
- Rock pigeons
- Sharp-shinned hawks
- Snow buntings
- Song sparrows
- Tufted titmice
- White-breasted nuthatches
- White-crowned sparrows
- White-throated sparrows
- White-winged crossbills
- Wild turkeys
- Yellow-rumped warblers
What are your favorite winter backyard birds? Submit your winter bird photos to the reader gallery!
Photo – Winter Downy Woodpecker © Dawn
