24 Common Backyard Birds in Georgia (With Pictures)

Last Updated on Mar 15 2024

If you live in Georgia or have ever taken a vacation there, you already know that there are many different species of birds in the Peach State. Have you ever wondered what the most common backyard birds in Georgia are? Have you ever seen a bird in the backyard and wondered what it could be?

Some of the birds in Georgia are there year-round, and some are migratory and only there in certain seasons. Either way, we will take you on a journey through the most common backyard birds you can see just by looking out of your window on a gorgeous spring day in the beautiful state of Georgia.

Of course, these are not all of the birds that live in or even visit Georgia, but these are the ones you’re most likely to see.

The 24 Most Common Backyard Birds in Georgia

1. Tufted Titmouse

The Blue Jay is a larger bird that’s quite common in Georgia. It’s a songbird, so often, the pretty song you hear when you’re sipping your morning coffee on the front porch is this one.

This bird has a blue crest on top of its head and mostly blue feathers. They also have black stripes on their tails and wings. These birds are in Georgia year-round and are commonly seen at backyard bird feeders as well.

They like black sunflower seeds, peanuts, and mixed seeds also. They are considered to be bully birds, meaning you might have a problem with them bullying other birds in your yard.

They are bold and brash and may run off anything that they feel is trying to eat at your feeder.

---

3. Carolina Chickadee

The Carolina Chickadee is a common bird to see around your feeder. They are year-round residents of Georgia, with grey bodies, black caps, white faces, and black bibs.

They can be found at feeders, in lower elevations, and wooded areas in residential neighborhoods. They mostly eat insects but love to eat the black oil sunflowers seeds out of feeders. Curious and bold, you’ll know them by their black heads and tiny appearance.

---

4. American Goldfinch

You’ll recognize the American Goldfinch by its bright yellow colors in the spring and summer of the year. They also have black tips on their wings, making them even more noticeable. However, in the fall and winter of the year, their colors are more muted.

These birds are seen year-round in Northern Georgia but are only seen in the winter months south of Macon. They like thistle feeders and you can attract them to your yard with sunflower chips as well.

---

5. Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal is one of the most common and most recognized birds in Georgia. The males of the breed have the brightest colors, while the female’s colors are a bit more muted. These birds can be recognized easily by their mohawks and orange-reddish beaks.

Cardinals don’t migrate, so you can see this bird in your backyard in Georgia all year long.

These birds visit about any seed feeder, but you can entice them to yours by keeping a steady supply of black sunflower seeds and mixed seed blends on hand.

---

6. Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove is around the same size as a Robin and is very common in Georgia backyards. You’ll also see this bird perched on telephone wires and clotheslines and gathered in groups in the trees.

These birds are mostly a grey color, with black spots. These birds live in Georgia all year long. They can often be found at feeders and prefer ground feeders. You can entice them to your feeder with a mixed seed blend. You can also just scatter some seeds on the ground, as they prefer to scour the ground for seeds anyway.

---

7. House Finch

The House Finch is another bird that’s very common in Georgia. They are considered to be an invasive species to Georgia. However, they aren’t hated like most invasive birds seem to be.

It’s important to note here that if you attract a House Finch to your backyard, and it’s really easy to attract them, you’ll end up with a whole large flock of them in your yard, taking the food from your feeder.

Males are more of a streaked brown, while the females of the species are an all-brown color. This breed lives in Georgia year-round. As with other Finches, House Finches like thistle feeders the best. If you have yours stocked with black sunflower seeds, these little birdies are sure to pay your yard a visit.

---

8. Indigo Bunting

Indigo Buntings are gorgeous birds that travel at night from their home in Mexico to spend the winter in Southern Georgia. The females of the breed are brown, with a few hints of blue thrown in. The males, however, or a brilliant, bright blue that is breathtaking to behold for most birdwatchers.

You can see them mostly in the summer in fields and woods, where they’ll be singing up a storm. This breed isn’t big on going to feeders in people’s backyards; you might be able to entice them if you keep your feeder full of nyjer and mixed seeds, though. You can see these gorgeous birds in the spring and summer in Southern Georgia.

---

9. Northern Flicker

The Northern Flicker is a medium to large size woodpecker. These woodpeckers are seen in backyards all over the United States. You can find them in Georgia backyards all year long, but they aren’t extremely fond of eating out of bird feeders.

Their main diet is insects, but you can still see them in your backyard if you know what you’re looking for. The woodpecker with the solid black bib, black spots on its belly, and black and gold wings is the one you’re looking for.

If you have a suet feeder in the yard, you might find one there, but they truly enjoy hunting for their own food. However, if you want to attract the Northern Flicker to your yard, adding a birdbath might just do the trick.

---

10. Chipping Sparrow

The Chipping Sparrow is recognizable by its grey breast and its brown wings run through with tan streaks. This is a common sparrow that prefers to get its food on open ground. Their colors are more muted during the winter but vibrant during the summer season.

You can find this sparrow in your backyard all year in Georgia, but they’re more commonly found in the Southern tip of the state when the weather gets cold.

While these birds can be seen at a backyard feeder, it’s usually on the ground picking through whatever has fallen. You can entice them to your yard with sunflower seeds and mixed seeds, especially if you scatter them on the ground for them to eat.

---

11. Brown-Headed Nuthatch

The Brown-Headed Nuthatch can be identified by its black body, chisel-like beak, and light-colored chest, not to mention its blue-grey back. You can find this bird hopping from tree to tree, looking for insects to eat, all year long in the pine forests of Georgia.

If you hear squeaking noises like someone squeezing a rubber duck in the backyard, you know the Brown-Headed Nuthatch is visiting your suet feeder! While they mainly stay in the pine forests, you can attract them with the suet feeder at times.

---

12. European Starling

The European Starling is found in all of the states of America. They were released into New York in the 1890s. At the time, there were only 100 of birds but they expanded rapidly.

This bird will destroy other birds’ nests, kill their babies, and chase other birds away from your feeders so they get all the food. Most of these birds are dark with white specks and have yellow feet and beaks. However, these birds can also be a green and purple color that is actually quite pretty and makes them easy to identify.

These birds will eat about anything. They are considered an invasive species and will hurt or run off any other birds you have in your yard, so it’s best not to attract them if you can help it.

---

13. American Robin

The American Robin is extremely common in backyards in Georgia. You can easily identify the robin bouncing around your yard, looking for worms to eat, by its bright red body, round stomach, and yellow beak.

You won’t see this bird at your bird feeder very often, as they usually don’t eat seeds. However, if you want to attract the bird to your yard, install a birdbath and provide them with mealworms and native plants that produce fruit. This breed can be found in Georgia all year long, especially on the southern tip.

---

14. Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrasher is a brown bird with a strongly streaked belly and breast. They have black beaks and yellow eyes. Accomplished singers, this bird is believed to have over 1,100 songs to sing! These birds live in Georgia year-round.

While they don’t typically eat from bird feeders, they will pick up seeds off the ground. If you have seeds in fallen leaves, then they may eat them as they burrow through to find insects to eat instead.

---

15. Eastern Bluebird

The Eastern Bluebird is just as pretty as it sounds, with a royal blue top and rusty chest, and belly that’s white in color. They are common in backyard birds in Georgia, no matter what time of the year it is.

They don’t eat out of feeders very often, but if you put a birdhouse in your yard, you could end up with a mating pair of Eastern Bluebirds living in it and will soon have baby birds as well.

Since they really don’t eat seeds, you could put some mealworms in your feeder or in a tray or bowl to attract them to your home as well.

---

16. Pine Warbler

The Pine Warbler has a yellow body and gray wings. The gray wings have two white wing bars on each side. This bird prefers to spend its time high up in pine trees searching for insects. This bird is in Georgia all year round and will visit your feeder if it’s full.

They particularly like suet feeders if they have millet, peanuts, and sunflowers available.

---

17. Common Grackle

The Common Grackle is considered to be a bully bird, just as the starling is. These birds are gorgeous, however, with iridescent feathers that are extremely pretty when the light hits them just right. Sometimes the Grackle travels in flocks of millions of birds as well.

These solid blackbirds are easy to identify by their solid color and their yellow-ringed eye. They can be found in Georgia all year long and are considered to be pests by many. They’ll also eat whatever they can find, including the food from your feeder.

---

18. Downy Woodpecker

The Downy Woodpecker is an extremely common bird to find in your backyard. These are actually the smallest woodpeckers to reside in North America. They are identifiable by their white underbodies, the white spots on their black wings, and the red spot on the back of their heads.

They are in Georgia all year and are the first and most common birds you’ll find in your yard when you put up a new bird feeder.

---

19. Red-Bellied Woodpecker

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird and pretty common at feeders throughout Georgia. You’ll notice a bright red streak at the back of this bird’s head, which makes it easy to identify. The bird is also a plain white beak and lives in Georgia all year round.

This bird prefers suet feeders but will eat out of seed feeders, especially if you have it stocked with peanuts.

---

20. Northern Mockingbird

Most bird lovers know that Mockingbirds get their name because they are able to mock almost any bird’s song. The same is true for the Northern Mockingbird as well. These are medium-sized grey birds that live in Georgia all year long.

They are common in backyards but not so much in feeders. However, you can entice them to your yard with a birdbath and trees that bear fruit.

---

21. White-Breasted Nuthatch

The White-Breasted Nuthatch is another bird species that are found all year long in Georgia. They are common to feeders in the backyard and tend to hide their food under tree bark, specifically nuts and seeds.

As previously stated, they have a white breast and a thick black stripe on their heads. They will visit most any feeder but will quickly snatch the food up and run to hide it, making them fun to watch.

---

22. White-Throated Sparrow

The White-Throated Sparrow is common in Georgia, but only in the winter months because in the summer they migrate to Canada for breeding purposes. This bird has a white throat patch that makes them easy to recognize.

They visit feeders often and will even pick up seeds that have fallen on the ground.

---

23. Carolina Wren

The Carolina Wren is a reddish-brown on top and a lighter color of orange on the bottom. They have a bold, pure white eyebrow that makes them easy to recognize. However, since they hide in bushes and are a little hard to see, you’ll have to listen for the teakettle sound they make when they sing.

This bird can be seen in the backyards of Georgia all year long. These birds like suet feeders above all others, so if you want to entice them, then try putting out one.

---

24. American Crow

The last bird on our list of the most common backyard birds in Georgia is the American Crow. You can find these birds in trees, on powerlines, or even perched on fences throughout the state.

They can be seen in Georgia year-round in the woods, at the beaches, and in towns. They will willingly come to your feeder. They eat just about any type of food, from insects to worms and seeds to young turtles.

It’s pretty common to find these birds in your backyard all of the time. Attract them to your yard with seeds such as sunflowers and a birdbath to bathe in.

Conclusion

This concludes our guide on the most common backyard birds in Georgia. Whether it’s the Northern Cardinal or the American Crow, there’s a bird for everyone in the peach state.

If you’re looking to attract common birds to your backyard in Georgia, keep the type of feed and feeders that particular breed of bird enjoys. For some, it’s as simple as erecting a birdbath or a birdhouse for mating in your backyard.

---

Featured Image Credit: GAIMARD, Pixabay