Delaware has a diverse range of backyard birds. And In this article, I’ll list and explain all the backyard birds in detail.
Note: If you’re short on time I have compiled a table of all the backyard birds with identification and their Diet. You can also read about these birds in detail below.
| Backyard Birds Of Delaware | Length | Weight | Identification(Color) | Diet/Favorite Food |
| Northern Cardinal | 21-24 cm | 43 gm (1.51oz) | Males are red with a black patch around their faces. Females have brown shades with red highlights and beaks. | Sunflower seeds, millet, milo, peanut hearts. |
| Mourning Dove | 22-36 cm | 120 gm (4.2 oz) | Soft brown in color with hints of black on the wings. | Millet, black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, peanut hearts. |
| American Robin | 23-28 cm | 77 gm (2.7 oz) | These birds have black heads and backs with a hint of red or orange on their breast. | Mostly insects, berries, earthworms. In early summer, insects make up the majority of the diet; they also feed on many earthworms, snails, spiders, and other invertebrates. |
| Carolina Wren | 12-14 cm | 18-23 gm (0.6-0.8oz) | Shy Birds with Brownish feather tones, white eyebrow stripes, and an upright tail. | Insects, spiders, caterpillars, crickets, beetles, moths, and Grasshoppers. |
| American Goldfinch | 11-13 cm | 14 gm (0.49oz) | They are quite popular, with bright yellow and black colors in males. The female counterparts however tend to be dull brown in shade. | Mostly seeds, some insects. Diet is primarily seeds, especially those of the daisy (composite) family, also those of weeds and grasses, and small seeds of trees such as elm, birch, and alder. Also eats buds, the bark of young twigs, maple sap. |
| American Crow | 40-53 cm | 320-620 gm (11.28-21.86oz) | These birds are large with all black bodies. They are found on treetops, beaches, and towns. | Earthworms, seeds, insects, fruits, fish, young turtles, clams, eggs, mussels, and nestlings of different species of birds. |
| White-throated Sparrow | 15-19 cm | 21 gm (0.74oz) | These birds have a distinctive black and white combination on throats, heads, and bills. They also exhibit tones of brown and gray. | They feed on seeds of grasses and weeds, and fruits like sumac, grape, mountain ash, blackberry blueberry along with various seeds. |
| Song Sparrow | 12-17 cm | 19 gm (0.67oz) | Brown streaked birds and are well known for singing all day just in order to attract mates during the season. | They eat a wide variety of insects like caterpillars, beetles, midges, spiders, and earthworms, along with buckwheat, raspberries, sunflower, wild cherries, wheat, and rice. |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 24cm/37cm | 85 gm (2.9oz) | All black only with a bright red and yellow patch on the top of their wings. The female is pale brown. | Mixed grains. |
| Common Grackle | 28-34 cm | 110 gm (3.88oz) | Tall blackbird with a long tail and glossy texture. These birds move in huge flocks. | Eats mostly insects, berries, seeds, fruit, bird eggs, although it is also known to eat frogs and snakes. |
| Gray Catbird | 21-24 cm | 35 gm (1.23oz) | Their songs sound like a cat’s mew. Gray in color with a black cal and reddish patch on the tails. | Fruits like dogwood, winterberry, and serviceberry. |
| Blue Jay | 22-30 cm | 65-110 gm (2.2- 3.8oz ) | Blue crest, black backs, and white undersides. | Acorns, insects, grain, nuts, and seeds. |
| European Starling | 22 cm | 58-100 gm (2.04- 3.5oz) | These birds are stocky black, with a purple, green and blue hue. These birds are famous for their aggressive behavior. | They eat insects like flies, beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, and spiders, along with fruits like cherries, holly berries, mulberries, Virginia Creeper, sumac, blackberries, and even seeds and grains. |
| Carolina Chickadee | 12 cm | 10 gm (0.3oz) | Tiny birds with significantly large heads with a black cap and neck and white cheeks and belly, gray back, tail, and wings. | Black oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer seeds, Suet seeds, and peanuts. |
| Barn Swallow | 15-20 cm | 17-20 gm (0.59-0.70oz) | These are small birds in a combination of deep blue, black, and reddish-brown. Their tails have long outer feathers. | Ground-up eggshells are their favorite. |
| Tufted Titmouse | 15-17 cm | 21 gm (0.74) | Gray backs with a hint of white underneath and large eyes. | Insects like caterpillars, ants, beetles, spiders, snails, and wasps. Also nuts, berries, seeds, and shelled seeds. |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 23-27 cm | 72 gm (2.5oz) | A pale red belly with a red cap b&w stripped back. | Insects, spiders, nuts, seeds, acorns, pine cones, grapes, oranges, hackberries, mangoes, sunflower seeds, peanuts. |
| Indigo Bunting | 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm) | 0.4-0.6 oz (12-18 g) | This bird is covered in blue color, with slightly shiny blue on his head and a shiny, silver-gray bill. | This bird’s diet mostly consists of insects, seeds, and berries. |
| Chipping Sparrow | 13-15 cm | 12 gm (0.4oz) | Slender long-tailed birds that have a gray belly and a streaked back with a rusty crown and blackish eyeliners. | They largely feed on insects. |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 12-16 cm | 19 gm(0.67oz) | These are dark-eyed variants of Sparrows. These birds are long-distance migratory birds. | Black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, millet, and peanuts. |
| Downy Woodpecker | 14-17 cm | 21-28 gm (0.74-0.98oz) | They are b&w in color with patches of red here and there. They are found in woodlots, in backyards, and along streams. | Insects, beetle larvae, acorns, berries and grains, black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, millets. |
| House Finch | 14 cm | 19-22 gm (0.67-0.77oz) | These birds have a redhead and breast in the males and a brown streak of colors in females. They are generally noisy and move in flocks. | Seeds, buds, and fruits like thistle, cactus, cherries, apricots, plums, blackberries, figs, and strawberries. |
| Northern Mockingbird | 21-26 cm | 47-51 gm (1.6-1.7oz) | Small heads and long tails, with gray-brown body color. They have white wing bars. | Hawthorns, mulberries, blackberry brambles. |
| Eastern Bluebird | 16-21 cm | 30 gm (1.05oz) | These birds are small thrushes with comparatively bigger heads that are round in shape, with large bellies and large eyes. The males are deep blue and red whereas the females are gray and blue, with a hint of orange-brown. | They eat a wide variety of insects and mealworms. |
| Northern Flicker | 30-35 cm | 120 gm(4.23oz) | Large woodpeckers, with a size in between crows and Robins, with brown body color and black spots, bars, and crescents all over their bodies along with a red nape. They also have hints of yellow on their bodies as well. | Black oil sunflower seeds are their favorite. |
Backyard Birds Of Delaware In Summer:
- Northern Cardinal (49%)
- American Robin (49%)
- Mourning Dove (48%)
- Barn Swallow (45%)
- American Goldfinch (42%)
- Gray Catbird (42%)
- Common Grackle (40%)
- European Starling (35%)
- Northern Mockingbird (34%)
- Carolina Wren (32%)
- Indigo Bunting (31%)
- Eastern Kingbird (29%)
- Song Sparrow (28%)
- American Crow (26%)
- House Wren (25%)
- House Finch (25%)
- Carolina Chickadee (24%)
- Blue Jay (24%)
- House Sparrow (23%)
- Chipping Sparrow (22%)
- Tufted Titmouse (21%)
- Eastern Towhee (20%)
- Brown-headed Cowbird (20%)
Backyard Birds Of Delaware In Winter:
- Northern Cardinal (43%)
- White-throated Sparrow (38%)
- Dark-eyed Junco (36%)
- Carolina Chickadee (35%)
- Song Sparrow (34%)
- Mourning Dove (31%)
- Carolina Wren (29%)
- Tufted Titmouse (29%)
- European Starling (27%)
- Downy Woodpecker (26%)
- House Finch (26%)
- Blue Jay (25%)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (25%)
- American Robin (24%)
- American Crow (23%)
- American Goldfinch (22%)
- Northern Mockingbird (20%)
Backyard Birds Of Delaware In Detail
Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinals are among the most well-known and widely distributed garden birds. Males have brilliant red feathers and a black mask, while females have duller, lighter brown feathers with a reddish pattern.
Both males and females have beautiful orange beaks and distinctive “mohawks.” Northern Cardinals may be seen all year in almost every region of the United States.
Northern Cardinals are attracted to backyard feeders with sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, millet, and milo.
Mourning Dove
The mourning dove belongs to the Columbidae family of birds. Rain dove, wetland dove, turtle dove, and, most often, mourning dove have all the names given to the mourning bird.
It’s popular right now in the Southeast, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, California, and Ontario, Canada. It also visits large cities, meadows, farm fields, parks, resorts, and even residential neighborhoods.
You may attract more Mourning Doves to your yard by scattering millet on the ground or utilizing platform feeders. Among other things, they’ll eat black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, and peanut hearts.
American Robin
American Robins are distinguished by their reddish-orange breasts and black feathers on the head, back, wings, and tail. Their beaks are massive and sharp, and their wings are white with white borders.
They are woodland creatures who like to live outside. They are herbivores in their native environment, eating berries, leaves, and insects.
Sunflower seeds, suet and peanut hearts, fruit, and mealworms are among the foods consumed by American Robins. It’s ideal for eating when seated on the ground or on platforms.
You can also grow berry-bearing trees and shrubs such as juniper, sumac, hawthorn, and dogwood.
Carolina Wren
The Carolina Wren looks like an American Goldfinch or a House Finch. They have a spherical body, a short neck, a flat head, and a fluttering tail.
Its upper body is reddish-brown, with black stripes on its wings and tail. A white brow line and a buff underbelly. They are common at backyard feeders and can be found in forests or densely wooded regions.
Use suet feeders, hulled sunflower seeds, or peanut hearts in big tube feeders or on-platform feeders to attract more Carolina Wrens to your backyard feeders.
American Goldfinch
The goldfinch, sometimes known as the black-throated goldfinch, is a delightful little bird. Each year, they have been known to travel considerable distances, with some traveling as far north as southern Mexico and as far south as the eastern side of the Canadian border.
To mention a few habitats, they like marshes, backyards, meadows, woodlands, brushlands, fields, hedgerows, tall grasses, and oaks.
They prefer spruce and oak trees, as well as creeks, rivers, and streams.
You can grow thistles and milkweed in your yard to attract more American Goldfinches. They feed on sunflower and Nyjer seed and are drawn to the majority of bird feeders.
American Crow
The plumage of the American Crow is vividly colored. This is one of the most frequent birds in the region, and you may see it almost anywhere.
Birdwatchers have seen these birds mating in trees near motorways and even in people’s backyards. The nectar of flowers is a nice addition to their diet of tree and plant roots.
They are one of the most active bird species, which means they are always looking for fresh food.
If you want to attract American Crows to your backyard then scatter peanuts and seeds in your yard.
White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrows are distinguished by their black and white striped heads, glittering white throats, and yellow between the eye and bill. Their backs are brown and their undersides are grey.
White-throated Sparrows can be seen in huge flocks on the ground in woods and along edges.
White-throated Sparrows can be attracted to your garden feeders by using millet and black oil sunflower seeds on platform feeders.
Song Sparrow
The song sparrow is a little bird found solely in the Americas. It is unquestionably one of the most abundant, diverse, and adaptable native bird species in the United States.
It’s amazing to think that if this beautiful bird decides to make our backyard its permanent home, we may be the first to see it. Their favorite environments include tree bark, rocks, logs, and even steep rocky outcrops.
Use black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and nyjer on platform feeders to attract more song sparrows to your backyard feeders.
Red-winged Blackbird
The red-winged blackbird’s all-black plumage is marked by vivid red and yellow shoulder patches. Women seem dull in comparison to the males’ streaky brown coloring.
During mating season, males will fiercely protect their territory, even battling anyone who comes too close to nests. During the winter, they gather and fly in massive flocks.
To attract more Red-winged blackbirds to your yard, scatter mixed grain and seeds on the ground.
Common Grackle
The Common Grackle is a visually appealing bird with a unique cry. They’re purple and blue all the way through, but unless you look carefully, they appear black.
Their color darkens from the breasts up, with a deeper blue saturation towards the face. They are distinguished by their large wings, medium-sized tails, bronze-metallic eyes, and a big, straight black beak. Females seem duller, but young individuals have darker skin and eyes.
White Proso millet, wheat, oats, and Black Oil Sunflower seeds are favorites of this bird. Combine at least one-grain offering with the seeds for best results.
Gray Catbird
Gray Catbirds get their name from their characteristic catty mew song, which may last up to ten minutes. They’re medium-sized songbirds with slate grey plumage, a black crown and tail, and a scarlet spot underneath their tails.
Gray Catbirds may be found in thick shrubs, tiny trees, forest borders, and hedgerows.
Fruit and fruit trees or shrubs like dogwood, winterberry, and serviceberry can attract more Gray Catbirds to your backyard feeders.
Blue Jay
Blue jays are a beautiful bird genus that may be found in large numbers in parks, near water sources, and in human-populated places.
This plant grows well in rocky areas with exposed soil and cliffs. Travelers go to view it, and photographers have always been drawn to its vivid, colorful plumage.
Blue jays are often regarded as the best bird for bird watchers and hikers due to their shyness and ability to hide in tall grass and oak trees.
They consume a variety of seeds, but their favorite is sunflower seeds. They consume berries, suet, insects, worms, and carrion, among other things. If you give blue jays peanuts, sunflower seeds, or other seeds, they will come to your yard.
European Starling
European Starlings may be identified by their purple-green plumage when examined closely. Their entire body is coated with it, but their long, straight yellow bills are a distinguishing feature. In the winter, they shed their gleaming plumage and replace it with a brown coat flecked with white spots.
This kind of bird may be found almost anywhere. They flourish in man-made habitats like farms, towns, and cities.
These birds consume a wide range of foods. They consume berries, seeds, grains, and other things when they are not eating insects.
Carolina Chickadee
Chickadees are distinguished from other birds by their black crest and bib. Their underbodies are bulbous, and they have entirely white cheeks. The backs and wings of these animals are dark greys in color.
Use black oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer seeds, suet feeders, or peanuts to attract more Carolina Chickadees to your backyard feeders. Tube feeders, suet cages, and platform feeders are all efficient.
Barn Swallow
The back, wings, and tail of the Barn Swallow are dark blue, with a reddish-brown underside and across the face. The long outer feathers of the tail form a deep fork.
They breed in North America before migrating to Central and South America to breed. They are frequently seen soaring above meadows, farms, and fields in search of insects, and they construct mud nests in man-made buildings such as barns.
To attract additional Barn Swallows, utilize nest boxes or cups, as well as ground-up eggshells on a platform feeder.
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouses look exactly like chickadees, but they have a crest instead of a black bib.
They are a little yet enormous titmouse, bigger than chickadees and the size of a junco or House Finch. The body is spherical, with a gigantic tail, a big head, and long legs.
They are light blue-gray on the bottom and dark blue-gray on top. The black feathers that surround the eye emphasize its size. They are found in parks and densely forested deciduous forests.
Tufted Titmice will come to your backyard feeders if you put sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts in tube feeders or suet cages.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
The male red-bellied woodpecker has a reddish-brown head and stomach. Because their bellies are rarely crimson, inexperienced bird observers may mistake them for red-headed. The rest of their body is a magnificent crosshatch of black and white stripes.
Their red heads are visible at first look, although they are not to be confused with Red-headed Woodpeckers.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers have color on their stomachs, albeit it is a light red that might be missed when perched against a tree or feeder. To recognize them, look for black and white barred wings and a red mohawk along their neck.
They like deciduous forests or suburban areas and are drawn to bird feeders, especially those holding peanuts and sunflower seeds.
Indigo Bunting
Indigo Buntings are distinguished by their dazzling blue males and brown females, as well as their black wings and tail stripes.
They migrate from their nesting areas in the eastern United States to Florida, Central and South America, and the Caribbean during the winter.
Indigo Buntings can be spotted in weedy fields and shrubby areas eating seeds and insects. Small seeds, such as nyjer and thistle seeds, might help attract more wildlife to your yard.
Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrows are distinguished by long, thin tails, a greyish belly, a brown and black-streaked back, a rusty cap, and a black eye line. In the winter, the colors are more muted.
They breed over the majority of North America and Canada before migrating to Mexico, Florida, or farther south for the whole year.
They can be spotted in small groups on open terrain and will visit backyards in search of different varieties of birdseed.
Dark-eyed Junco
Little dark-eyed birds like gardens with few open spaces, such as meadows, where they may feed on a wide variety of plant species.
Seed, particularly sunflower seeds, is the most common diet for these birds, but nectar and even caraway appear to be effective favorites as well.
To attract more Dark-eyed Juncos to backyard feeders, try black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, millet, and peanuts. You can either use a platform feeder or distribute food on the ground.
Downy Woodpecker
The downy woodpecker can frequently be heard shrieking or chirping in a high, difficult-to-reach tree. They live in sagebrush thickets and woods.
They have red backs, white underbodies, black wings with white markings, and black and white striped heads. Females do not have a red mark on their wings, however, males do.
Downy Woodpeckers like suet feeders, but platform feeders also offer them black oil sunflower seeds, millet, and peanuts.
House Finch
It was once exclusive to the western United States, but it is now found throughout the country. Although there are several species of red finches, house finches are the most common in cities.
It has a medium-length notched tail and a medium-sized body. The shape is conical. Males have blood-red heads, breasts, and backs. On wires, tree limbs, and plants, small flocks can be spotted.
Deserts and grasslands once thrived in these places. They are currently most frequent in both rural and urban locations.
House Finches may be attracted to backyard feeders using black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube or platform feeders.
Northern Mockingbird
Mockingbirds get their name from their ability to replicate the tunes of other birds. A male mockingbird may learn up to 200 distinct songs throughout his lifetime, according to researchers.
These medium-sized backyard birds stand out because of their grey and white feathers, as well as their lengthy tail feathers. They like thickets and are hostile to invading birds.
Although Northern Mockingbirds are widespread in backyards, they rarely frequent bird feeders. You can grow fruit-bearing plants or place a birdbath, to entice them to your yard.
Eastern Bluebird
Before traveling south, Eastern Bluebirds breed in the northern United States and Canada.
Males have a bright blue head and back with rusty red below, resembling a little thrush. Females have a white top surface with an orange-brown bottom, azure wings and tails, and an orange-brown underside.
They can be found in open places eating insects or sitting on power wires and fences.
Northern Flicker
Northern Flickers are large woodpeckers about the size of a robin or a crow, with brownish plumage with black spots, bars, and crescents, as well as red on the throat.
The undersides of eastern birds’ tails and wing feathers are dazzling yellows, whilst those of western species are red. They can be found searching for ants and beetles on the ground in forests or forest borders.
Northern Flickers will flock to your garden feeders if you give them suet and black oil sunflower seeds.
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