25 Backyard Birds in Texas (With Pictures)

Texas is home to many different species of wild birds from common to rare. 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 Texas all year long, others are migratory and only part-time residents to the state. In this article, we’re going to take a look at 25 backyard birds in Texas and learn a little about each species.

After that I’ll show you how to attract them to your yard, give you a crash course in the 10 different types of bird feeders you can use to do so, and even mention a few birdwatching hotspots in Texas. 

How many different species of wild birds are in Texas?

The Texas Bird Record Committee updated the state’s list to 655 species in December 2020. This puts Texas in second place in the nation, behind only California. That doesn’t mean all 655 species are common. In fact, over 150 birds on the list are considered rare and may have only had one confirmed sighting. Texas’s position along the Mexican boarder and Gulf coast means you may be able to catch some southern species here that you won’t find in other states. 

25 backyard birds in Texas

Below we’ll look at 25 species of backyard birds in Texas, 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 Texas backyard birds. Without any further delay, let’s take a look!

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. Males have bright red feathers and a black mask, females have duller colors and are more pale brown with some reddish coloring. Both males and females are easily recognized by their “mohawks” and reddish orange beaks. 

Northern Cardinals are found throughout almost the entire state of Texas year-round.  

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

2. Black-crested Titmouse

Scientific name: Baeolophus atricristatus
Length: 5.9 in
Weight: 0.5-0.7 oz
Wingspan:9.1-9.8 in

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

The Black-crested Titmouse is found throughout much of Texas all year, however they aren’t found in any other state aside from a small area in Oklahoma.

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

3. Carolina Chickadee

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 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 Black-capped Chickadees, are common in Eastern Texas. 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

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. 

Blue Jays are another year-round resident to most of Texas, though not as common in East Texas. 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. 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. 

Eastern Bluebirds are a common species throughout Texas, though they aren’t as prevalent in far West Texas. 

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-winged Dove

Scientific name: Zenaida asiatica
Weight: 4.4-6.6 oz
Wingspan: 18.9-22.8 in

Like their cousins the Mourning Doves, White-winged Doves are commonly seen pecking around on the ground for food rather than at bird feeders. These doves are mostly pale-brown all over but have white-tipped tails and white inner wings, with black outer wings. Though White-winged Doves do visit backyards, they are often found in the Sonoran Desert where they feed on saguaro cactus fruits. 

White-winged Doves are common in the southwestern United States, especially in Texas. 

White-winged Doves do not often visit seed feeders, but they’ll pick up scraps on the ground around them. 

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 in most of Texas all year long, some of the birds in West Texas may migrate north for the winter. 

American Robins do not often visit bird feeders, so attract them with mealworms, native fruit-bearing plants, 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 then not they are seen walking around on the ground. Mourning Doves are mostly gray with black spots on top and a pale peachy color below. 

Mourning Doves are found all year throughout the whole state of Texas.

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. Starlings can also be a purple and green iridescent color and in the right light can actually be quite pretty.

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

European Starlings will eat almost anything. 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 they are mostly yellow, or “gold”, with black-tipped wings and black cap on top of their heads. 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 in the majority of Texas, they have non-breeding range so look for them in the winter. 

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 Texas. Locally populous in western Texas, they stay year round living in urban and suburban areas easily. 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 mainly found in the western half of Texas, and are considered rare along most of the eastern edges of the state and Gulf coast. 

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 look 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 in New York in the 1800s and have since spread across our country like wildfire. They are mostly brown in color, with some black and brown streaking on their wings and buffy chest. Males have black mask and chest. They are overall aggressive towards other birds, especially around nests. 

House Sparrows are found throughout all areas of Texas year round. They can be found in especially high numbers in agricultural areas and in the High Plains region are believed to be hosts to the viruses that mosquitoes pick up and transmit to humans such as western and St. Louis encephalitis. 

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

13. Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes aurifrons
Length: 8.7 – 10.2 inches
Weight: 2.6 – 3.5 ounces
Wingspan: 16.5 – 17.3 inches

These beautiful woodpeckers can have slightly different coloring in different areas of their range. Texas is the “northern” group, and here the Golden-fronted woodpeckers have yellow (sometimes a golden orange) above their beak, on the nape of the neck and on their lower belly. Mainly birds of Mexico and Central America, Texas is one of the only states you will find this bird in the U.S. They commonly nest in both live and dead trees as well as utility poles and nestboxes.

Golden-fronted Woodpeckers can be found year-round in Texas. They are more common along the center of the state from south to north, and considered rare in the far eastern, far western and northern panhandle areas of Texas.  

Golden-fronted woodpeckers eat fruit, nuts and insects. Try a good fruit and nut blend at feeders or in suet. 

14. American Crow

Scientific name: Corvus brachyrhynchos
Length: 15.8-20.9 in
Weight: 11.2-21.9 oz
Wingspan: 33.5-39.4 in

American Crows are solid black in color, and quite large in size. They are also know for being highly intelligent problem solvers, like their cousin the Raven. Crows will roost higher up in the tree tops in large groups where they can get a birds eye view of everything below. If an owl or a hawk shows up, the roost will call out and let everyone known that there is danger nearby. 

American Crows are year-round residents of eastern Texas and the Texas panhandle. 

American Crows are omnivorous and generally do not visit bird feeders, they are much too large.  

15. Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Scientific name: Selasphorus platycercus
Length: 3.1 – 3.5 inches
Weight: 0.1-0.2 ounces

Mainly green and white bodies with buffy sides, the males sport a magenta throat. During spring and summer, males produce a loud metallic “trilling” sound with special feathers on their wingtips. These feathers wear down by winter, and are re-grown again for the next spring breeding season. They can breed at high elevations where nighttime temperatures fall below freezing. They enter a state of torpor, a semi-hibernation, to conserve energy in cold temperatures until the sun comes back up. 

Broad-tailed hummingbirds can be found in western Texas during breeding and migration seasons. They migrate north into Texas starting at the end of March, and then head south again by October / November. Although some have been known to stick around and spend the winter at feeders. 

Broad-tailed Hummingbirds will visit backyards if you put out nectar feeders, in most cases this should be done in early April. 

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 break with an area of pinkish red 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 in most of eastern Texas all year, but aren’t common in central or western parts of the state. 

Attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers with a suet feeder, though they will also sometimes eat at seed feeders. 

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. They are easily identifiable 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). Though they do closely resemble the Hairy Woodpecker, Downy’s are smaller. 

Downy Woodpeckers are found all year throughout the eastern half of Texas.

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

18. Green Jay

Scientific name: Cyanocorax luxuosus
Length: 11.4 inches
Weight: 2.3 – 3.9 ounces

Texas is the only U.S. state where you may catch a glimpse of this tropical looking jay. Green Jays are mainly found along the Gulf coast in Mexico and Central America, but have a footprint in southern Texas. If you don’t live in the area, one of the best places to visit to see the Green Jay is the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. Greens Jay’s are actually known to use tools, picking up sticks and using them to pry loose bark off of trees to reach insects. 

Green Jays are only seen at the far southern tip of Texas. 

Green Jays may visit open-style bird feeders such as platform feeders. They have also been known to visit nectar feeders. 

19. Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Scientific name: Amazilia yucatanensis
Length: 3.9 – 4.3 inches
Weight: 0.1 ounces

Buff-bellied hummingbirds are one of the largest hummingbirds present in the U.S. Mainly found along the Gulf Coast in Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, there is a population that calls southern Texas home. They seem to have a rare quirk amongst hummingbirds of traveling north after the breeding season. Not too far north as far as the U.S. is concerned, but into the northern Gulf coast regions of Texas as well as Louisiana and Florida. 

Buff-bellied hummingbirds are typically only seen in southern and coastal areas of Texas. They can remain year round at the southern tip, and tend to travel north along the coast after their breeding season is over in August. 

Buff-bellied Hummingbirds will visit backyard nectar feeders.

20. Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Scientific name: Dryobates scalaris
Length: 6.3 – 7.1 inches
Weight: 0.7 – 1.7 ounces
Wingspan: 13.0 inches

When you think woodpeckers you probably think of dense forests thick with tall trees. But the Ladder-back has specialized to live in the scrubby desert areas of the south. Once called the “cactus woodpecker”, they can be found in deserts and scrubland. In Texas they love undeveloped scrubland dominated by mesquite and prickly pear cactus. They are named for the horizontal striping on their back that can appear like “rungs on a ladder.”

Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are found all year in most of Texas except for the far eastern boarder. The western and southern parts of the state provide the most habitat.   

Ladder-backed Woodpeckers may visit feeders if you live near their habitat. Like many woodpeckers they will eat suet, and may even visit nectar feeders. 

21. Painted Bunting

Scientific name: Passerina ciris
Length: 4.7 – 5.1 inches
Weight: 0.5-0.7 ounces 

The Painted Bunting is one of the most colorful and recognizable songbirds. Males sport an artists palette of yellow, green, red and blue. Females and immatures are a uniform bright yellowish-green. Lucky for Texas, Painted Buntings breed throughout the state during the spring and summer months. In fact, Texas has the highest population of breeding Painted Buntings of any U.S. state. They like dense foliage for their nesting sites. 

Painted Buntings are migratory and arrive in Texas starting in March. They stay for the spring and summer and begin to head back south between July and October.  

Painted Buntings love seeds and will readily visit seed feeders. These birds may be flashy but their seed of choice isn’t. Their favorite is white millet, a common “filler” ingredient in most seed mixes.  

22. Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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.

Texas is split into thirds when it comes to these hummingbirds. The eastern third of the state has a breeding population from April – September, the middle portion of the state only sees them during spring and fall migration, and the western part of the state doesn’t tend to see them at all. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are very common in backyards if you put out nectar feeders, in most cases this should be done in mid-March in Texas. 

You may like: Facts, Myths, and FAQ about hummingbirds

23. Northern Mockingbird

Scientific name: Mimus polyglottos
Length: 8.3 – 10.2 inches
Weight: 1.6 – 2.0 ounces
Wingspan: 12.2 – 13.8 inches

A medium sized bird with a big personality. Northern Mockingbirds are slender and gray with a long tail. Each wing has a bold white-stripe that is only seen when flying. They are fierce nest defenders and will dive bomb animals or people that get too close. Perhaps their most amazing trait is their song. Both males and females sing, and will sing any time of day and even sometimes at night. They often string together 10-15 distinct phrases that can include imitations of sounds they’ve heard or the songs of other birds. 

Northern Mockingbirds are found throughout the state of Texas all year.

Mockingbirds can commonly be seen in backyards, but they don’t often visit bird feeders. To attract them plant fruiting trees and berry bushes. 

24. Carolina Wren

Scientific name: Thryothorus ludovicianus
Length: 4.7 – 5.5 inches
Weight: 0.6 – 0.8 ounces
Wingspan: 11.4 inches

A very common bird in the eastern half of the United States, these small warmly colored wrens have a loud and familiar song. Their small size and ability to dart quickly through brush can make them hard to find even when they sound like they are right in front of you. All Carolina Wren’s have barring on their tail and wings. However in southern Texas this barring can be much more pronounced, appearing heavier and brighter. 

Carolina Wren’s are found year-round in the eastern and southern half of Texas. 

Carolina Wren’s eat mainly insects so they don’t often visit birdseed feeders. However they do like suet and will readily visit suet feeders. 

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 as the other woodpecker species on this list, but if you know where to look you will still spot them in your backyard.

Northern Flickers have black bands across their back, black spots along their belly and a black bib around the neck. There are two varieties of the Northern Flicker depending on what part of the country you live in, and each variety has subtle differences in facial coloring. The simplest way to tell them apart is the color of the feathers under their tails and wings. The eastern half of the U.S. gets the “yellow-shafted” variety while the western half of the country gets the “red-shafted” variety. 

In Texas you actually get both the “yellow-shafted” and “red-shafted” variety. Some of the yellow-shafted flickers remain in Texas all year, especially in the north. However both can be found in larger numbers in the state during the winter. 

Northern Flickers occasionally visit a suet feeder, but more often than not they find their own food and you may see them on the ground digging around for bugs. They will however visit a bird bath if you have one out. 

Bird watching in Texas

Texas is a wonderful state for bird watching. Its position along the southern boarder of the U.S. makes it a unique spot to see some Mexican and Central American species that don’t visit anywhere else in the country. The Texas Audubon Society has many locations and is always having meetups, workshops, field trips, and birding tours, should you want to get a little more involved.

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

Texas birding locations

To learn more about what each of these locations has to offer and check out Texas birding festivals visit birdwatchersdigest.org

• Sam Houston National Forest
• Big Bend National Park
• Lost Maples State Natural Area
• Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
• Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
• Padre Island National Seashore 
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park
• Brazos Bend State Park
• Goose Island State Park