28 Backyard Birds in Kentucky (Pictures)

Kentucky is home to many different species of wild birds. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the more recognizable and well-known birds found in the state. Some of these species live in Kentucky year-round, while others are migratory and only part-time residents of the bluegrass state. In this article, we’re going to take a look at 28 backyard birds in Kentucky and learn a little about each species.

Stick around until the end of the lost and I’ll show you how to attract some Kentucky birds to your yard, the 10 different types of bird feeders you can use to do so, and even mention a few local birdwatching hotspots.

How many different species of wild birds are in Kentucky?

It’s difficult to get an exact number on how many bird species are found in North America, the United States, or even in the state of Kentucky. However, according to Wikipedia as of November 2019, there are at least 391 species of birds in the state of Kentucky.

Most reputable sources believe there are between around 800 – 1100 species of birds in North America. For the purposes of this article, we will mainly look at the most commonly seen (plus a couple that are more elusive) species found in Kentucky.

28 backyard birds in Kentucky

Below we’ll look at 28 species of backyard birds in Kentucky, some are year-round residents and some aren’t. These obviously aren’t all the species in the state, or even close to it, but they are some of the more notable and recognizable Kentucky backyard birds. Without any further delay, let’s take a look!

Jump to species show

1. Northern Cardinal

Scientific name: Cardinalis cardinalis
Length: 8.3-9.1 in
Weight: 1.5-1.7 oz
Wingspan: 9.8-12.2 in

Northern Cardinals are among the most recognizable and common backyard birds in North America. They are actually the state bird of Kentucky! Males have bright red feathers and a black mask, females have duller colors and are more pale tawny brown with some reddish coloring. Both males and females are easily recognized by their “mohawks” and reddish orange beaks.

Northern Cardinals are found throughout the Kentucky year-round.

Cardinals will visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends and black sunflower seeds.

2. Tufted Titmouse

Scientific name: Baeolophus bicolor
Length: 5.5-6.3 in
Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz
Wingspan: 7.9-10.2 in

These little birds are very common at feeders and in backyards within their range. Like Cardinals, they have a small crest (the “mohawk”) that helps you tell them apart from other birds. Both male and female Titmice are silver-gray on top and lighter on bottom, with a black patch just above their beaks.

The Tufted Titmouse is found throughout the state of Kentucky all year.

Titmice will readily visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends and black sunflower seeds.

3. Carolina Chickadee

Start feeding birds today with a window feeder!

Window Bird Feeder by Bird Feeder Hub

✔ ️inexpensive
✔️ easy to setup
✔️ attaches right to your window

Buy Now and Get $3 Off

Scientific name: Poecile carolinensis
Length: 3.9-4.7 in
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz
Wingspan: 5.9-7.9 in

Chickadees are tiny little birds that are very easy to recognize because of their “black cap” and black bib. Their cheeks are solid white, their wings and backs are blackish gray, and their underbodies are puffy and whitish.

Carolina Chickadees, not to be confused with their nearly identical neighbors to the north Black-Capped Chickadees, are found throughout the state of Kentucky. They are very common at bird feeders and are often seen darting back and forth from a feeder to cover and back again for more. Chickadees are always among the first birds I see visiting a new feeder in my yard.

Chickadees will visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends and black sunflower seeds.

4. Blue Jay

blue jay at feeder — Image: PilotBrent | pixabay.com

Scientific name: Cyanocitta cristata
Length: 9.8-11.8 in
Weight: 2.5-3.5 oz
Wingspan: 13.4-16.9 in

Another very well-known bird species in North America and the U.S. is the Blue Jay. They have a large blue crest on top of their heads with mostly blue feathers on top and white feathers on bottom. They also have a black ring around their necks that looks like a necklace. Their wings are barred white, blue, and black. They can be quite loud and their chirps sometimes have a metallic sound to them. They are also quite good at impersonating the calls of hawks.

Blue Jays are another year-round resident to the entire state of Kentucky. They are common in backyards and at feeders.

Blue Jays like platform feeders, peanut feeders, and feeders with large perches. Offer them black sunflower seeds, mixed seeds, and peanuts.

5. Eastern Bluebird

Scientific name: Sialia sialis
Length: 6.3-8.3 in
Weight: 1.0-1.1 oz
Wingspan: 9.8-12.6 in

True to their name, bluebirds are all blue on top with rusty reddish-orange bellies. Females and males share the same coloration, however the females colors appear much duller and more faded, especially the blue. They are just about the most sought after tenants of birdhouses in the U.S. making the bluebird house industry pretty booming. They are very common in backyards, though not so much at feeders. Put up a birdhouse and try your luck in attracting a mating pair, I was able to with this birdhouse on Amazon.

In certain parts of North America bluebirds do migrate, but not in Kentucky. Here the Eastern Bluebird can be found year round.

Bluebirds don’t typically eat seeds, but can be enticed to visit feeders with mealworms on a tray feeder or in a dish.

6. White-breasted Nuthatch

Scientific name: Sitta carolinensis
Length: 5.1-5.5 in
Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz
Wingspan: 7.9-10.6 in

White-breasted Nuthatches are very common feeder birds found in most backyards within their range. They get their name from the fact that they stuff nuts and seeds under tree bark, then use their sharp beaks to hatch them back out. I’ve noticed that they also have the ability to walk vertically on trees better than many other types of birds. They have a thick black stripe on top of their heads, with white on either side and on their bellies. Their wings are mostly gray and black.

White-breasted Nuthatches are found year-round throughout Kentucky.

Nuthatches will visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends, black sunflower seeds, peanuts, or suet. They usually like to grab and run, taking a seed and immediately flying off to eat it or cache it in a nearby tree.

7. American Robin

Scientific name: Turdus migratorius
Length: 7.9-11.0 in
Weight: 2.7-3.0 oz
Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in

Highly common in backyards, Robins are mostly seen hopping around the grass looking for worms and other invertebrates to eat. While they will occasionally visit bird feeders, they do not typically eat seeds. Their bright red, round bellies, and yellow beaks make them easy to identify.

Robins live all year in Kentucky, although you may see them less frequently in your yard during the winter.

American Robins do not often visit bird feeders, so attract them with mealworms, native fruit-bearing plants, leaf-litter for foraging, or a bird bath.

8. Mourning Dove

Scientific name: Zenaida macroura
Length: 9.1-13.4 in
Weight: 3.0-6.0 oz
Wingspan: 17.7 in

About the size of a robin, doves are very common in backyards and will often sit perched on telephone wires or in groups in trees. I sometimes see them on my tray feeder, but more often they like to hang out underneath feeders and pick up the seeds that fall to the ground. Mourning Doves are mostly gray with black spots on top and a pale peachy color below. They have a pale blueish-gray eye ring and pink legs.

Mourning Doves are found all year throughout Kentucky.

Doves will often visit seed feeders, but prefer scouring the ground for seeds that have fallen. Try a ground feeder with a mixed seed blend, or simply scatter some seeds on the ground.

9. European Starling

Scientific name: Sturnus vulgaris
Length: 7.9-9.1 in
Weight: 2.1-3.4 oz
Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in

100 starlings were set loose in New York in the 1890s and they have since taken over the country. They destroy other birds’ nests, kill their young, and will overtake feeders not allowing other birds to get any of the food that you put out. They are mostly all dark with white specks on their backs and wings, and have yellow beaks and feet. While Starlings often look black, they are actually iridescent and in the right lighting can have pretty purple and green plumage.

Unfortunately starlings are found in every one of the lower 48 states year-round, Kentucky included.

European Starlings will eat almost anything, but are especially fond of suet. They are an invasive species so we suggest you do not attempt to attract them, they’ll show up anyway.

10. American Goldfinch

Scientific name: Spinus tristis
Length: 4.3-5.1 in
Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz
Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in

Goldfinches are among my favorite birds to see at feeders, especially when they have their bright yellow feathers in the Spring and Summer. During this period breeding males become mostly yellow, or “gold”, with black-tipped wings and black cap on top of their heads. Females and juveniles are not as bright yellow and they lack the black cap. In the winter they will molt and lose these flashy colors and have more dull brownish or olive colors. You can always recognize them any time of year by the black on their wings, and their finch-like beaks.

Goldfinches are found all year in Kentucky.

Goldfinches prefer thistle feeders, they may also eat sunflower chips but a thistle feeder is your best chance to attract them.

11. House Finch

Scientific name: Haemorhous mexicanus
Length: 5.1-5.5 in
Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz
Wingspan: 7.9-9.8 in

The House Finch is yet another very common backyard bird in Kentucky. Though they are invasive to the eastern U.S., they are not universally hated like House Sparrows, and do not cause the problems that the sparrows do. If you attract them, which is fairly easy to do, they may show up in large flocks and mob your feeders. Males are mostly streaked brown in color with some red on the head and chest, females are all brown.

House Finches are common all year throughout Kentucky.

Like other finches, House Finches often visit thistle feeders. They are seen at seed feeders more than Goldfinches, so try some black sunflower seeds to attract them as well.

12. House Sparrow

Scientific name: Passer domesticus
Length: 5.9-6.7 in
Weight: 0.9-1.1 oz
Wingspan: 7.5-9.8 in

Generally looked at as pests, Houses Sparrows are the only other species of wild birds in the U.S. besides starlings that you can legally trap and humanely kill. Like starlings, they were introduced to the U.S. in New York in the 1800s and have since spread across our country like wildfire.

They’re mostly brown in color, with some black and brown streaking on their wings and buffy chest. House sparrows are quite aggressive towards other birds, especially around nests. They are known to evict other birds nesting in birdhouses.

House Sparrows are found throughout Kentucky, especially around areas of human activity. If you see drab brown birds hanging out around shopping areas and building nests inside of storefront signs, they are likely House Sparrows.

Like the European Starling, House Sparrows are invasive and pose a threat to native species. They will eat almost anything.

13. Eastern Towhee

Scientific name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Length: 6.8-8.2 in
Weight: 1.1-1.8 oz
Wingspan: 7.9-11.0 in

The Eastern Towhee is a lovely species of backyard bird that is always a treat to see. Both sexes have a dark head and back with white wing spots, orange sides and a white belly. However the dark color on males is black while on females it is brown. They have a beautiful song that is a familiar sound in the woods during spring and summer. Master foragers, towhees search through leaf litter and vegetation for insects, seeds and berries. If you want a better chance of attracting towhees to your yard, leave some brushy edges and leaf litter along your yard line.

Eastern Towhees can be found year round throughout Kentucky.

Eastern Towhees do not eat directly from bird feeders very often in my experience, but I regularly see them hopping around the ground beneath my feeders. So bird feeders may attract towhees in that sense.

14. Carolina Wren

Scientific name: Thryothorus ludovicianus
Length: 4.7-5.5 in
Weight: 0.6-0.8 oz
Wingspan: 11.4 in

Carolina Wrens are small, stocky little birds. They have chestnut brown wings and back with a lighter buffy chest, and a noticeable white stripe that runs along their whole head above the eye. You will often see them sitting with their tail cocked upwards. They like to forage for food in shrubs and thickets, where they blend in well and are hard to see. Although tiny, they sing fairly often and quite loudly for their size.

Carolina Wrens are found throughout Kentucky all year long.

Carolina Wrens won’t often come to your feeder for seed, but they do like suet and will visit suet feeders.

15. Song Sparrow

Scientific name: Melospiza melodia
Length: 4.7-6.7 in
Weight: 0.4-1.9 oz
Wingspan: 7.1-9.4 in

These sparrows are mostly brown on the back and wings, with heavy brown streaks on a white breast. Song Sparrows are very common throughout most of North America and their plumage can vary a bit from region to region. The male of the species uses his song to attract females as well as to defend his territory.

Song Sparrows are found year round in Kentucky.

Song Sparrows will sometimes visit bird feeders and snack on mixed seeds and sunflower seeds.

16. Red-bellied Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes carolinus
Length: 9.4 in
Weight: 2.0-3.2 oz
Wingspan: 13.0-16.5 in

These medium-sized woodpeckers are fairly common at feeders and in backyards in general. Though they are described as “red-bellied” you may first notice the bright red streak along the back of their heads. They have a plain white breast with an area of pink lower down in their “belly” area which is often not visible. Their wings are what really makes them easy to identify though, with the white and black barring.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are found year round in Kentucky.

Attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers with a suet feeder, though they will also sometimes eat at seed feeders if you offer sunflowers and peanuts.

17. Downy Woodpecker

Scientific name: Picoides pubescens
Length: 5.5-6.7 in
Weight: 0.7-1.0 oz
Wingspan: 9.8-11.8 in

Downy’s are very common backyard birds that love to visit bird feeders. They are the smallest woodpeckers in North America and are always one of the first species I see at a new bird feeder. You can easily ID a Downy by their all white underbodies, black wings with white spots, black and white striped heads, and the red spot on the back of their heads (in males, females have no red). They look nearly identical to the Hairy woodpecker, but are noticeably smaller.

Downy Woodpeckers are found all year throughout the whole state of Kentucky.

Downy Woodpeckers are very common at most types of bird feeders. Offer them mixed seed, black sunflower seed, and suet.

18. Common Grackle

Scientific name: Quiscalus quiscula
Length: 11.0-13.4 in
Weight: 2.6-5.0 oz
Wingspan: 14.2-18.1 in

Though they fall into the bully bird category like the starling does, Grackles are also quite pretty in the right light with their iridescent feathers. Overall they appear mostly black in color and will roost with other types of blackbirds, sometimes in massive flocks numbering in the millions of birds. They are easy to identify by their solid coloring, yellow ringed eye.

Grackles are found year round in Kentucky.

Grackles are foragers and will eat just about anything, they are often thought of as pests.

19. Indigo Bunting

Scientific name: Passerina cyanea
Length: 4.7-5.1 in
Weight: 0.4-0.6 oz
Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in

These beautiful buntings migrate at night, traveling up from their wintering grounds in Mexico and southern Florida. While females are mostly brown with just hints of blue, males are bright blue all over with some black on their wings. This coloring comes from the way their feathers reflect light rather than blue pigment. Look for them in summer singing along the edges of fields and woods.

Indigo Buntings can be found throughout Kentucky during the spring and summer.

While not as common at feeders, they will sometimes visit especially if you offer mixed seed and nyjer.

20. Dark-eyed Junco

Scientific name: Junco hyemalis
Length: 5.5-6.3 in
Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz
Wingspan: 7.1-9.8 in

Juncos are often thought of by people in the U.S as winter birds, since they spend their summers up in Canada. They have dark gray heads and are overall a dark slate-gray on top, but a lighter grayish white on their bottom half, with a light pink beak. Females and immatures can appear more of a buffy brown color. They are most common in forests and wooded areas where they can often be seen hopping around on the ground.

Dark-eyed Juncos only visit Kentucky during the late fall and winter months.

Juncos will sometimes visit feeders, but prefer to eat seeds on the ground. You will often see them picking up the spilled seeds on the ground directly under bird feeders.

21. Northern Mockingbird

Scientific name: Icterus galbula
Length: 6.7-7.5 in
Weight: 1.1-1.4 oz
Wingspan: 9.1-11.8 in

They are a medium sized bird with an overall gray color that is slightly darker on the back and lighter on the chest. Northern Mockingbirds have a bold white stripe on each wing and the outside edges of their tail, although these are not very visible unless the bird has its wings extended or is flying. They are known for their songs, where they “mock” or imitate the songs of other birds, usually performing several bird songs in a long string.

Northern Mockingbirds are found in Kentucky all year round.

Mockingbirds don’t usually visit bird feeders. You can help attract them by having fruiting trees and shrubs in the yard. Often you can see them hopping around on the lawn, or perched on tall shrubs and poles.

22. Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The Ruby-Throated, common visitor of eastern North America. (Image credit: birdfeederhub)

Scientific name: Archilochus colubris
Length: 2.8-3.5 in
Weight: 0.1-0.2 oz
Wingspan: 3.1-4.3 in

Though only common in the eastern half of the United States, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are the most abundant species of hummingbirds in the country. They are also the only breeding species of hummingbird found in the Eastern U.S. They get their name because males have a bright ruby-red throat. Ruby-throated Hummers are emerald-green on their backs, wings, and heads with white under-parts. Females lack the red throat feathers.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive in Kentucky beginning in mid April and stay until late summer.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are very common in backyards if you put out nectar feeders.

23. Brown Thrasher

Scientific name: Toxostoma rufum
Length: 9.1-11.8 in
Weight: 2.1-3.1 oz
Wingspan: 11.4-12.6 in

The Brown Thrasher is a warm brown with a heavily streaked breast and belly. They have a sturdy black beak and a yellow eye. I assume they are called thrashers because of the way they will thrash through fallen leaves looking for bugs, don’t quote me on that though. Brown Thrashers are accomplished songbirds and are believed to have over 1100 different songs, including those of other bird species.

These birds can be found in Kentucky any time of year, but may only be present during the summer in the northeastern corner of the state.

Brown Thrashers don’t usually visit bird feeders but may pick up seeds on the ground. They mainly dig through leaves and sticks looking for bugs to find their food.

24. Brown-headed Cowbird

Image: Patricia Pierce / flickr / CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Molothrus ater
Length: 7.5 – 8.7 in
Weight: 1.5 – 1.8 oz
Wingspan: 12.6 – 15.0 in

Brown-headed cowbirds are often lumped into the “blackbirds” category not only due to the color of the males, but also because they travel in large flocks (sometimes mixed with actual blackbirds) and can mob your feeders. Males have an iridescent black body with dark brown head. Females are an all-over lighter brown.

Unfortunately, cowbirds are “nest parasites” and lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, reducing the other species numbers. Sometimes they sneak in and lay one egg among the others, sometimes they kick other eggs out of the nest to make room for their own. Many birds do not recognize the imposter egg and will raise the chick as their own.

Cowbirds are found all year in Kentucky.

Brown-headed cowbirds will readily visit feeders, sometimes in large groups. They will eat just about any type of mixed seed.

25. Northern Flicker

Scientific name: Colaptes auratus
Length: 11.0-12.2 in
Weight: 3.9-5.6 oz
Wingspan: 16.5-20.1 in

These medium to large sized woodpeckers are quite common in backyards throughout the United States, though not extremely common at feeders. In my opinion they are also among some of the most colorful birds in North America. Flickers feed mainly on insects and are slightly less common at feeders than the other woodpecker species on this list, but if you know where to look you will still spot them in your backyard. Identify them by their black spots on their bellies, solid black bib, red patch on the back of their necks, and barred black and gray wings. In Kentucky you get the “yellow-shafted” variety, and they have bright yellow feathers on the underside of their wings.

Northern Flickers are common all year throughout Kentucky.

Northern Flickers will visit a suet feeder, but more often than not they find their own food. Unlike other woodpeckers, they often search for bugs on the ground. They will however visit a bird bath if you have one out.

26. Chipping Sparrow

Scientific name: Spizella passerina
Length: 4.7-5.9 in
Weight: 0.4-0.6 oz
Wingspan: 8.3 in

Chipping sparrows have their most crisp feathers in the summer, with a buffy gray breast, brown and tan streaked wings, rusty red cap, and a black line through the eye with white above. In winter their markings may appear less defined and their coloring more buffy-brown. They are common sparrows that like to feed on open ground.

Chipping Sparrows are found throughout Kentucky only during the spring and summer months.

Chipping Sparrows are common at backyard feeders, and often like to remain on the ground picking up what has spilled. Attract them with sunflower and mixed seed, especially scattered on the ground.

27. White-throated Sparrow

Scientific name: Zonotrichia albicollis
Length: 6.3-7.1 in
Weight: 0.8-1.1 oz
Wingspan: 7.9-9.1 in

White-throated sparrows are common across much of the U.S. during the winter, and then migrate to Canada in the summer to breed. Their white throat patch makes them easier to identify among sparrows, along with their bold facial pattern of black and white stripe with yellow spots between the eyes. The females often nest on or just above the ground in hidden areas of dense brush and vegetation.

White-throated sparrows are common throughout Kentucky, but only during the winter months.

White-throated sparrows readily visit feeders and like to pick up fallen seed below feeders. Offer sunflower, millet and mixed seed blends.

28. Scarlet Tanager

Scientific name: Piranga olivacea
Length: 6.3 to 7.5 inches
Weight: 0.8 to 1.3 ounces
Wingspan: 9.8 to 11.8 inches

The Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) is a medium-sized songbird notable for its vivid red body and black wings in males, while females don a more subdued olive-yellow. Inhabiting deciduous forests across eastern North America, they are summer residents in Kentucky, arriving in late April or early May and departing by September. Their presence is most notable in mature woodlands, where they favor high canopies for nesting and foraging.

In Kentucky, the best time to spot Scarlet Tanagers is during their breeding season, from late spring through summer. They are more often heard than seen, with their distinctive, robin-like song serving as a clue to their presence high in the leafy treetops.

Scarlet Tanagers are not typical visitors to backyard feeders, as their diet primarily consists of insects during the breeding season, and fruit in other times. You might offer fruit like halved oranges or a mixed fruit feeder. Additionally, planting native berry-producing shrubs and trees can provide a natural food source and encourage visits from these and other bird species.

Bird watching in Kentucky

Kentucky is a wonderful state for birding if you want to go take your hobby outside of your own backyard. The Kentucky Ornithological Society has chapters around the state and is always having meetups, workshops, field trips, and birding tours, should you want to get a little more involved.

If you are a Kentucky resident and would like to add some new species to your life list, then take a look at this list I’ve compiled some popular birding locations in Kentucky.

Kentucky birding locations

Learn more about what each of these locations has to offer from birdwatchersdigest.org

You can also check out Kentucky Audubon’s Important Bird Areas.

Melanie Cruff

Melanie is an environmental scientist, birdwatcher, and amateur photographer. She’s been a birding hobbyist for years and loves feeding and learning about birds of all types. Over the years, Melanie has identified more than 250 bird species, with sightings of the Atlantic Puffin, Hawaiian Goose, and Arctic Tern among her most cherished.

5 key tips to attract birds to your yard

Interested in attracting some of these birds to your backyard? Take a look at these 5 simple tips, starting with the most obvious.

1. Put out bird feeders

The best and most obvious way to attract birds to your yard is to put out a bird feeder or two. I suggest starting with a simple tube feeder, hopper feeder, platform feeder, or a window feeder. See below for suggestions for each.

2. Add a water source

A pedestal birdbath like this one on Amazon is great, but you can also use something as simple as a terra cotta flower pot saucer, like this one. Birds need water not only to bathe in but also to drink and adding a water feature to your yard will only increase your chances of attracting birds. Also consider adding a solar fountain since moving water will entice the birds to visit the water even more.

3. Offer birdhouses

Many species of birds will readily take up residence in birdhouses if put out in the right spot at the right time of year. Eastern Bluebirds are among the most common sought after birds to attract to birdhouses. I have this birdhouse in my backyard and a mating pair of bluebirds were checking it out the same day I installed it.

4. Provide shelter

Make sure that your yard has trees, bushes, and shrubs that the birds can dart back and forth to when they sense danger. This is their main defense from predators. If your yard is perhaps in a new subdivision with no mature trees then do your best to add some landscaping features that will allow birds to look at your yard as safe.

5. Add native plants

For many birds that eat nuts, berries, and seeds, having native plants that produce these things will only aide your efforts to attract more birds. Try to avoid invasive and non-native plants as they can be harmful to native birds who are not used to these plant species.

10 different types of bird feeders

Here are 10 of the most common bird feeders people set up in their yards.

Hopper feeder - Hopper feeders get their name because they have a compartment in the middle, the hopper, that holds the bird seed. There are perches on the sides for birds to land on and eat from. Many hopper feeders are in the shape of a house and are covered on top to keep the seed dry. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed bird seed for this type of feeder. Here's one of my favorite hopper feeders, it's squirrel-proof too.
Platform feeder - Sometimes called tray feeders, platform feeders are open on top and can usually be hung from a tree or hook, or pole-mounted. They are great for feeding most types of birds and are easy to get set up. Though since they are completely open, every animal in your yard that can reach them will eat from them. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed for this type of feeder. I'm using this platform feeder in my backyard right now.
Tube feeder - Tube feeders are nothing more than clear plastic tube-shaped bird feeders. They can range in size from holding a few cups of seed to holding 5 lbs or more. They are great because they keep your seed fresh and dry while also allowing you to easily seed when it needs to be refilled. Many types of birds will use a tube feeder. You can use black sunflower seeds and mixed seeds in tube feeders. Squirrel Buster makes some of the best tube feeders on the market, this one is great and is of course squirrel proof.
Suet feeder - Suet feeders are for one type of bird food, suet cakes. They are a very simple concept, usually made of nothing more than a metal wire cage, sometimes with a tail-prop coming down for larger birds. Suet feeders are popular in the winter time when birds are looking for high-fat foods and are frequently visited by woodpeckers. I suggest getting a suet feeder with a long tail prop so you can attract larger woodpeckers, like the Pileated and Northern Flicker.
Window feeder - Window feeders are small bird feeders that typically mount right onto a glass window by means of suction cups. They are similar to tray feeders in that they are open on top and you just pour the seed into the tray area to refill them. These feeders are popular with many different types of birds, are super easy to get started with, and great for people who don't have big yards. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed for this type of feeder. This is by far the most popular window feeder on Amazon, and maybe the most popular bird feeder on Amazon overall.
Thistle feeder - Thistle feeders, aka Nyjer feeders, are specialized bird feeders made especially for thistle seed. The main types of birds that thistle feeders attract are birds in the finch family, which includes the American Goldfinch and House Finch whom are both on this list. Thistle feeders are often in a tube shape and have tiny holes all along the sides of the tube allowing the birds to pick out the thistle. Here's a good thistle feeder from Droll Yankees.
Ground feeder - Ground feeders are more or less tray feeders that sit on ground level. They will be very popular with birds like Mourning Doves and Juncos as well as squirrels, raccoons, and any other type of ground animal. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed for this type of feeder. You might like this ground feeder made from recycled plastic.
Oriole feeder - Oriole feeders are another type of specialty feeder for pretty much one type of bird, orioles. The feeder itself is often orange in color and usually has little plastic or glass dishes made for holding jelly, which orioles love. They also allow you to stick orange halves onto the feeder, another food that orioles relish. Here's a simple oriole feeder with 4 jelly trays that holds for orange halves.
Hummingbird feeder - Nectar feeders, aka hummingbird feeders, are designed specifically for hummingbirds to extract sugar water. Even though they are designed for hummingbirds, I frequently see Downy Woodpeckers at mine who also loves that sweet nectar. See this article to learn how to make hummingbird nectar without boiling the water. Hummingbird feeders are simple and inexpensive so there's no need to spend much on one, here's one that I've personally used and had success with.
Peanut feeder - Similar to thistle feeders, peanut feeders are tube-shaped and usually composed of a metal wire mesh material. Only the holes in the wire mesh are much further apart to allow for either whole unshelled or shelled peanuts to pass through the holes. These feeders attract birds like Blue Jays and as the name suggests, should be filled with peanuts. If you want to keep squirrels out of your peanut feeder, then this one by Squirrel Buster is your best bet. Otherwise this simple one will do the trick.