Common birds seen at feeders
Below is a list of birds that are among the most commonly seen visiting feeders in Tennessee and the southeast. For more information click on the title of each bird to view their description and learn their life history on allaboutbirds.org
carolina chickadee
This little gray, black and white bird is very common and usually one of the first to find a new feeder. They typically fly up, take a seed, then fly off to a nearby branch where they will hold the seed between their feet and peck it open. They love a variety of seeds including black oil sunflower, safflower, and shelled peanuts.
tufted Titmouse
The Tufted Titmouse is often seen in the company of chickadees. They, too, are common and quick to find a new feeder. The Titmouse is a "clinger" which means it can easily use a feeder without a perch simply by clinging to a feed port or to a wire tube as seen in the photo. Don't be fooled by their small size. One of their favorite foods is peanuts in or out of the shell. Preferred feeders: Tube, tray, and peanut feeders.
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker measuring in at 6.5 inches is the smallest of woodpeckers in the southeast. If you have any type of wooded area near your feeder this little woodpecker will be present. Outer tail feathers are white and spotted black. Males have a small red spot on the back of their head or nape, females do not. Favorite foods of the Downy woodpecker are shelled peanuts, hulled and black oil sunflower, and especially suet.
hairy woodpecker
The Hairy woodpecker is larger than the Downy measuring in at 9" with a longer thorn-like beak. Hairy Woodpeckers tend to prefer forest over open habitat foraging on tree trunks and downed trees for insects and the larvae of the bark beetle. 20% of the Hairy's diet is fruits and seeds which make seed and suet feeders favorites of this medium-sized woodpecker.
Red bellied woodpecker
The Red-bellied woodpecker, like the Downy, is very common at feeders. Named after the red blush on their belly this handsome bird typically visits feeders offering peanuts and suet, and readily accepts sunflower seed, too. Red-bellies are found in woodlands and forests, from old stands of oak and hickory to young hardwoods and pines. Females can be identified from males by the lack of red on the crown of the head. Check out our bird bio blog post on the Red-bellied woodpecker.
The White-breasted Nuthatch is often seen amongst small groups of chickadees and titmice. At feeders, they prefer sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet and can be seen in yards close to mature woodlands. One notable behavior of the nuthatch is the way in which they travel head first, or upside down, on the trunk of a tree as opposed to woodpeckers which remain upright as they travel up or down.
Eastern towhee
Similar in size to a Mockingbird the Eastern Towhee measures about 8" long and is more often seen on the ground below feeders than on them. The exception to this is an open tray feeder which can attract more of a variety of birds including ground-feeding birds.
Northern cardinal
Cardinals are one of the most recognizable of all songbirds in the southeast. The Northern cardinal is a very common bird in most backyards and can been seen in almost every type of habitat such as backyards, parks, woodlots, and shrubby forest edges. Lovers of sunflower and safflower they like tray and hopper style feeders as well as ground feeding. Tube feeders are not their preferred type but will use them.
American Goldfinch
The American Goldfinch eat seeds almost exclusively and prefers sunflower and nyjer seed at feeders. They are communal birds preferring to feed in groups. Goldfinches move around quite a bit from day to day so feeder activity can come in waves depending on the time of year. Not letting feeders get too low before refilling can bring more birds and help sustain numbers at feeders.
house finch
House Finch are very common at backyard feeders and are often seen in groups of three of more. The House Finch was originally a bird of the western United States and Mexico. The birds range was divided by the rocky mountains. In 1940, after failed attempts to sell them as cage birds, a small number of finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York. They have become one of the more common feeder birds. These birds like sitting and shelling sunflower and safflower seeds on feeders.
blue jay
The Blue Jay is in the same family as the crow and if you spend any time watching their behavior it's easy to spot similarities. One of the more beautiful songbirds, we often refer to the Blue jay as the police of the backyard. They are known to sound the alarm when predators are around and are often seen chasing off birds of prey and snakes. Jay's prefer tray and hopper feeders and will feed on sunflower and suet but love peanuts in the shell the most.