Everyone who has turned up so far.
Kept in the order they were first recorded. Updated whenever someone new arrives — which, heading into autumn migration, should be often.
11species to date
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisYear-round
- American GoldfinchSpinus tristisDaily regular
- House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusYear-round
- Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillusYear-round
- Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorMost days
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristataYear-round
- White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisYear-round
- Northern FlickerColaptes auratusGround feeder
- Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraYear-round
- American RobinTurdus migratoriusSpring–fall
- House SparrowPasser domesticusYear-round
Notes on the regulars
American Goldfinch
The most reliable visitor in the yard. Males are brilliant yellow through summer and fade to olive in winter, which catches people out — the drab winter bird at your feeder in January is often the same one that dazzled you in July.
Northern Cardinal
Doesn't migrate, so it's here in every season. The red comes from pigments in what they eat, which means a bird on a poor diet is genuinely duller. Females sing, which is unusual among North American songbirds.
Black-capped Chickadee
Weighs about as much as two nickels and survives Michigan winters by dropping its body temperature overnight. It also grows new brain cells each autumn to remember where it cached food.
Northern Flicker
A woodpecker that hunts ants on the ground, which is why it's usually spotted in the grass rather than on a trunk. The flash of gold under the wings in flight is the giveaway.
Tufted Titmouse
Takes a single seed, carries it to a branch, and hammers it open rather than eating at the feeder. Often travels with chickadees in mixed winter flocks.
Still hoping
The nest box was built and sited for Eastern Bluebirds — 1.5-inch hole, steel pole, predator baffle, entrance facing east. Tree Swallows are the other realistic tenant and would be just as welcome.
Heading into autumn, Dark-eyed Juncos usually arrive in Michigan around October and stay the winter. Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers should both find the suet. Anything unexpected gets added here the same day.