Identification Guides to the Birds that Visit Backyard Feeders in North America

Curious about the identification of birds visiting your backyard feeders? Look no further! I have curated a collection of state and province specific bird identification guides. Based on the FeederWatch database, I selected the 25 to 41 species that regularly visit backyard bird feeders in North America. I then prepared custom identification plates, including male, female, and juvenile plumages, highlighting relevant field marks.

Grouping of Identification Guides: Bird Regions

I followed the bird regions defined by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch. These regions are based on geological features and habitat types, which influence bird distribution.

While the majority of states and provinces have their own dedicated guide, in some cases, smaller states with significant species overlap were combined into a single guide.

Links to State and Regional guides

Beyond Backyard Bird Identification

One of the most rewarding aspects of bird observation -birdwatching- is the ability to identify birds. While identification is important, being able to document the species and visit your feeders can helps researchers monitor bird populations and distributions, contributing to conservation efforts.

Additional Bird Guide information 

To add value to the guides and enhance the backyard bird-feeding experience, each species account includes sound recordings of the species’ songs or calls, information about preferred food, feeder type, year-round presence, behavior at feeders, and the type of backyard favored by the species

Each bird entry also includes facts about nest type, breeding seasonality, breeding habits, and the approximate longevity or lifespan of the species.