Top 12 Common Birds You Can Spot with a Bird Feeder Camera

In this guide, we’ll explore the top 10 common backyard birds you’re likely to spot, describe their behaviors, favorite foods, and feeder preferences, and provide expert tips to help you attract birds to your feeder.

Top 12 Common Birds to Spot with a Bird Feeder Camera

1. Northern Cardinal

Cardinals are like, the most well-known backyard birds. You can spot them super easy because of their vivid red plumage and striking black masks. The female cardinals are cool too, with their brownish color and little bits of red. They are often active in early morning and late afternoon, singing melodious tunes.

What they love to eat: Black-oil sunflower seeds

Best feeders to use: Flat or hopper feeders

How to watch them: Put feeders by bushes or trees so they can hide. Cardinals like to eat by themselves, so don't pack the feeder too full.

2. Blue Jay

The beautiful blue feathers and bold personalities of the blue jays catch attention. They are intelligent, social, loud, and playful, even a little mischievous. It is really fun to watch them cache peanuts or chase other birds.

What they love to eat: Peanuts (unsalted), sunflower seeds, corn

Best feeders to use: Hopper and peanut feeders

How to watch them: Blue Jays prefer to have feedings near trees to have quick cover. A clever bird feeder will capture their antics ranging from dramatic wing flaps to intricate caching behavior.

3. American Robin

The American Robin is one of the most recognizable backyard birds in North America, famous for its bright orange-red breast and gray-brown back. It is found across North America in backyards, parks, and gardens.

What they love to eat: Mealworms, raisins, berries, chopped apples.

Best feeders to use: Platform feeders, ground feeders, or feeding tables with fruit offerings.

How to watch them: Robins are often spotted foraging on lawns for worms, especially in the morning. Placing fruit and mealworms in open feeders and providing a birdbath will increase their visits to your bird feeder camera.

4. House Finch

Small and gregarious, house finches do best in backyard environments. They make for interesting observations because they frequently feed in flocks and have streaked bodies and red heads that add subtle color.

What they love to eat: Sunflower seeds and mixed seeds

Best feeders to use: Tube or platform feeders.

How to watch them: To lessen competition, set up several feeders. In the morning and late afternoon, they are especially active. You can learn a lot about social bird behavior by observing how they interact.

5. American Goldfinch

Goldfinches are like little sunbeams in your yard, with their bright yellow feathers. They're fun to watch because they do these acrobatic moves, like hanging upside down when they eat. You can really get a good look at their antics if you set up a bird feeder camera.

What they love to eat: Nyjer seeds

Best feeders to use: Tube feeders with small holes

How to watch them: You'll find the most goldfinches in the summer. They like feeders that are close to bushes, so they can quickly hop over. A camera lets you see all the little things they do and how they hang out with each other.

6. Chickadee

These little birds are curious and easy to spot with their black caps and bibs. They're not shy at all and will often come right up to feeders, even when you're nearby.

What they love to eat: Black oil sunflower seeds and peanuts.

Best feeders to use: Hopper or tube feeders.

How to watch them: Put up feeders that have a few perches. Chickadees are fun to watch and photograph because they're early birds and full of energy when they're in groups. It's really fun to watch them dart around so quickly.

7. Northern Mockingbird

These birds are super popular in America because they sound amazing! You can tell them apart pretty easy as the colors of them are gray with white spots on their wings. Plus, they chill out where you can see them, so your bird feeder cam will get good shots.

What they love to eat: They love berries (holly and mulberry are their favorites). And when it gets cold, they like suet and mealworms.

Best feeders to use: Flat ones or just put the food on the ground. Fruit trays work great.

How to watch them: Put your bird feeder out in the open, near bushes or small trees – mockingbirds like to sing from there. The best time to catch them singing is early in the morning.

8. Downy Woodpecker

These little guys are full of energy! They’ve got black and white stripes on their wings, and the male has a cool red spot on his head. You'll find them hanging on feeders all the time, searching for food.

What they love to eat: Suet, peanuts

Best feeders to use: Suet or peanut feeders

How to watch them: Put feeders near trees or anything that's standing up straight – that's where they normally look for chow. Try taking pictures so you can check out how they peck!

9. Tufted Titmouse

The curious and gregarious Tufted Titmice are gray with a small crest. They frequently feed with chickadees and are active, hopping from perch to perch.

What they love to eat: peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet

Best feeders to use: hopper or tube feeders.

How to watch them: Place feeders close to tiny bushes. Their playful moves and vibrant social interactions are captured with the aid of a camera.

10. Mourning Dove

Mourning Doves are these chill, grayish-brown birds that make a soft, cooing sound. Mostly, they eat off the ground, though you might see them at low platform feeders sometimes.

What they love to eat: Seeds that have fallen, millet, and sunflower seeds.

Best feeders to use: Ground or low platforms.

How to watch them: Scatter some seeds on a flat area. Make sure there's open space so they can get away from predators quick. Seeing them quietly eating while all the other birds are going wild? It just makes watching birds in your yard that much more relaxing.

11. Red-bellied Woodpecker

The red-bellied Woodpeckers are medium-sized birds with bold black-and-white striped wings and eye-catching red caps. They are energetic and acrobatic, and they often visit peanut and suet feeders.

What they love to eat: fruit, peanuts, and suede

Best feeders to use: peanut and suet feeders.

How to watch them: To replicate natural foraging behavior, position feeders close to tree trunks. You can appreciate their rapid movements and accurate pecking skills by filming their visits.

12. House Sparrow

These little guys are tough and can make a home just about anywhere. You'll see them a lot in the suburbs, grabbing a bite at pretty much any feeder. They're small and like to hang out together, so they're always around.

What they love to eat: Seed mixes, millet, and cracked corn

Best feeders to use: Flat, tube, or even just scattering food on the ground

How to watch them: Put out several feeders to keep them from fighting over food. Usually, they get along well with other types of birds, so you will have fun watching them on camera.

Bonus Tips to Attract More Birds with Your Smart Bird Feeder

Combine Multiple Feeder Types: Put out a few types of feeders – tubes, hoppers, platforms, and suet ones. This will pull in all kinds of birds.

Change the Food: Switch up the seeds depending on the time of year. Birds like different stuff at different times.

Location Matters: Set up feeders close to bushes or trees, but where birds can still see them easily. Try different heights for birds that eat on the ground and others that like to perch.

Keep It Clean: Give your feeders a cleaning once a week to stop mold and sickness.

Watch at the Right Time: You'll see the most birds in the early morning and late afternoon.

How WoBirdy Smart Bird Feeder Enhances Your Birdwatching Experience

Features

2.5K HD Camera with Night Vision: Crystal-clear footage, even in low light or at dawn and dusk.

AI Bird Species Recognition: Automatically identifies species, creating a detailed log of your common backyard birds.

Real-Time Alerts: Anti-Squirrel Alarm: Instant notifications and a one-touch alarm to keep pesky squirrels away.

Solar Powered for 24/7 Watching: Continuous operation without frequent recharging.

Cloud + SD Storage for Up to 30,000 Bird Videos: Safely store months of visits for review and sharing.

WoBirdy makes birdwatching effortless and rewarding. The combination of high-definition footage, AI identification, and user-friendly design ensures every visit is captured and appreciated.