Common Illinois Birdfeeder Birds

A variety of birds eat at Illinois birdfeeders.

Illinois plays host to numerous birds that visit backyard bird feeders to supplement the natural foods they eat. The food provided at these feeders offers an important resource in the winter and spring when natural foods are scarce.

Seed

Chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals, goldfinches, blue jays, and house finches head to seed feeders to eat sunflower and other types of seeds. Goldfinches also eat niger seed provided in special niger seed feeders. Some birds, such as juncos and a few sparrow species, rarely visit the bird feeder itself, instead preferring to eat any seed that falls to the ground.

Suet

Some birds will eat at suet feeders as well as seed feeders, including nuthatches and chickadees. But woodpeckers typically only eat at suet feeders. Woodpecker species that enjoy suet include downy, hairy and flickers. You may also see acorn and red-bellied woodpeckers, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers at a suet feeder.

Sugar Water

Special bird feeders that hold sugar water appeal to hummingbirds. The feeders work well in the spring and summer when the birds migrate back to Illinois to nest and raise their young. The feeders attract ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only hummingbird known to nest east of the Mississippi.

References

• The Illinois Raptor Center: Common Backyard Birds Found in Illinois
• The Illinois Raptor Center: Hummingbird Pictures and Information

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension: Living with Wildlife in Illinois