Kentucky has a wide range of backyard birds. And In this article, I’ll list and explain all the backyard birds of Kentucky 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 in Kentucky | Length | Weight | Identification(Color) | Diet/Favorite Food |
| Northern Cardinal | 21-24 cm | 43 gm (1.5 oz) | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| American Goldfinch | 11-13 cm | 14 gm (0.4oz) | 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. |
| 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. |
| Tufted Titmouse | 15-17 cm | 21 gm (0.74 oz) | 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. |
| Downy Woodpecker | 14-17 cm | 21-28 gm (0.7-0.9oz) | 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. |
| American Crow | 40-53 cm | 320-620 gm (11.2- 21.8oz) | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Song Sparrow | 12-17 cm | 19 gm (0.60z) | Brown streaked birds 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. |
| Common Grackle | 28-34 cm | 110 gm (3.8oz) | 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. |
| Barn Swallow | 15-20 cm | 17-20 gm (0.5-0.7oz) | 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. |
| House Finch | 14 cm | 19-22 gm (0.6-0.7oz) | 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 (1.4-1.7oz) | Small heads and long tails, with gray-brown body color. They have white wing bars. | Hawthorns, mulberries, blackberry brambles. |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 7.5-8.7 in (19-22 cm) | 1.5-1.8 oz (42-50 g) | This bird has a glossy black plumage and a rich brown head. | This bird mostly eats seeds and insects. |
Backyard Birds Of Kentucky In Different Seasons
Winter Backyard Birds
- Northern Cardinal (60%)
- Dark-eyed Junco (53%)
- Blue Jay (44%)
- Downy Woodpecker (43%)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (41%)
- Tufted Titmouse (40%)
- American Goldfinch (36%)
- European Starling (34%)
- American Crow (34%)
- Mourning Dove (33%)
- White-throated Sparrow (33%)
- American Robin (30%)
- White-breasted Nuthatch (30%)
- Carolina Wren (27%)
- House Sparrow (25%)
- House Finch (24%)
Summer Backyard Birds
- Northern Cardinal (67%)
- Mourning Dove (56%)
- American Robin (52%)
- Indigo Bunting (48%)
- Blue Jay (41%)
- American Goldfinch (39%)
- Tufted Titmouse (36%)
- Carolina Wren (35%)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (35%)
- Barns Swallow (35%)
- Common Grackle (32%)
- Brown-headed Cowbird (32%)
- American Crow (31%)
- European Starling (30%)
- Downy Woodpecker (29%)
- House Finch (21%)
- Northern Mockingbird (20%)
Backyard Birds Of Kentucky In Detail
Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinals are one of the most well-known and common garden birds in North America. Males have brilliant red feathers and a black mask, while females have duller colors and are more pale brown with some reddish pattern.
Males and females are easily distinguished by their “mohawks” and brilliant orange beaks. Northern Cardinals may be seen in practically every part of the country all year.
Northern Cardinals are drawn to backyard feeders with sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, millet, and milo.
Mourning Dove
The mourning dove is a native bird of the Columbidae family. The species is known as the mourning dove, rain dove, wetland dove, turtle dove, and, more recently, just the mourning dove.
The southeastern United States, as well as Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, California, and Ontario, Canada, are now largely aware of it. It also visits large cities, as well as meadows, farm fields, parks, resorts, and even some residential neighborhoods.
You can attract more Mourning Doves to your yard by scattering millet on the ground or utilizing platform feeders. They also eat black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, and peanut hearts.
American Robin
The American Robin is a little songbird that is a member of the Turdidae family and the genus Thrush.
Their breasts are reddish-orange, with black feathers covering their head, back, wings, and tail. They also have large, pointed beaks and white patterns on the wing borders.
They are shy and prefer to live in wooded areas. In their natural habitat, they are herbivores, consuming berries, leaves, and insects.
If you want to attract American Robins to your backyard then try feeding them sunflower seeds, suet, peanut hearts, fruit, and mealworms.
You can either distribute food on the ground or use a platform feeder. Plant berries-bearing plants such as juniper, sumac, hawthorn, and dogwood.
Blue Jay
The blue jay is a beautiful bird genus that can be found in large flocks in parks, near bodies of water, and near human settlements. This species is found in mountainous areas with steep cliffs and exposed soil.
It’s a popular visitor’s bird, and its vibrant, colorful plumage has long made it a photographer’s favorite. Blue jays are frequently regarded as the best bird for bird watchers and walkers due to their timidity and ability to hide in tall grass and oak trees.
They eat a variety of seeds, but their favorite is sunflower seeds. They eat berries, suet, insects, worms, and carrion, among other things.
Feeding peanuts, sunflower seeds, or suet to Blue Jays will attract more of them to your yard.
Indigo Bunting
Indigo Buntings are little birds with vivid blue males and brown females that have black stripes on their wings and tails.
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 on seeds and insects. Small seeds, such as nyjer and thistle, may help you attract more to your yard.
American Goldfinch
The American goldfinch, often known as the black-throated goldfinch or just the goldfinch, is a charming little bird.
They are known to travel long distances each year, some as far north as southern Mexico and all the way down to the eastern edge of the Canadian border.
They prefer marshes, backyards, meadows, forests, brushlands, fields, hedgerows, long grasses, and oaks as a habitat. They do, however, favor spruce and oak trees and can be found in groves along creeks, rivers, and streams.
To attract more American Goldfinches, grow thistles and milkweed in your backyard. They are attracted to most bird feeders and like sunflower and Nyjer seed.
Carolina Chickadee
Chickadees are little birds with a black crest and bib that distinguishes them. Their underbodies are bulbous, and they have entirely white cheeks. Their wings and backs have a dark greyish color.
They’re frequent bird feeders and may be seen flying back and forth from one feeder to the next, looking for food.
If you want to attract Carolina Chickadee to your backyard then feed them black oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer seeds, suet feeders, or peanuts. You can use tube feeders, suet cages, and platform feeders.
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouses are similar to chickadees, except they feature a crest instead of a black bib.
They are small birds, but massive titmouse; larger than chickadees, they are the size of a junco or House Finch. The body is rounded, with a long and full tail, a huge head, and long legs.
They have a dark blue-grey top and a pale bottom. The black feathers surrounding the eye emphasize their magnitude.
They can be found in parks and densely forested deciduous woods. Their range is expanding northward and westward, with roots in the eastern and southeastern United States. Backyard bird feeders could be supporting this species’ northward migration.
Sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts on tube feeders or suet cages can attract Tufted Titmice to your backyard feeders.
Downy Woodpecker
In a high, difficult-to-reach tree, the downy woodpecker can frequently be heard screeching or chirping. They can be found in sagebrush thickets and forests.
They feature a red patch on the back of their heads, white underbodies, black wings with white spots, and black and white striped heads. Males have a red mark on their wings, while females do not.
Suet feeders will attract more Downy Woodpeckers to your yard, but they will also eat black oil sunflower seeds, millet, and peanuts from platform feeders.
American Crow
The American Crow is a vibrantly colored bird. This is one of the most frequent birds in the area, and you may see it all across the province. Birders frequently see these birds breeding in trees along highways or even in people’s backyards.
They typically graze on the roots of trees and plants, although they rarely nectar from flowers. They are one of the most active species of these birds, which means they are constantly on the lookout for new foods.
By throwing peanuts in your yard, you can attract additional American Crows.
Carolina Wren
The Carolina Wren is a little bird that is around the size of an American Goldfinch or a House Finch. They feature a spherical body, a short neck, a flat head, and a fluttering tail.
Their upper body is rusty brown, with black bands on the wings and tail. A white brow line and a buff underbelly.
They are common at backyard feeders and can be found in wooded or thickly overgrown areas.
Suets, hulled sunflower seeds, or peanut hearts in large tube feeders or on-platform feeders can all be used to attract more Carolina Wrens to your backyard feeders.
European Starling
When inspected closely, European Starlings can be recognized by their purple-green plumage. Their entire body is covered in this, but their long, straight yellow bills are another noticeable trait.
They molt out of their sparkling plumage in the winter and replace it with a brown coat dotted with white spots. These birds have wingspans ranging from 12.2 to 15.8 inches from wingtip to wingtip and lengths ranging from 7.9 to 9.1 inches.
These birds can be found practically anywhere. They prefer human-made environments, whether on a farm, in a village, or in a city.
Because their extensive cohabitation has made them highly accustomed to human contact, you might see one on a phone line or roaming down the street.
These birds eat a wide variety of foods. When they are not eating insects, they enjoy berries, seeds, cereals, and other foods. Grains are an excellent option.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are fairly large for a backyard bird. They are roughly the size of a Starling and an American Robin. They are a little form of the Northern Flicker.
They’re bulky and have a large head and a short tail. With short stiff tails and robust short legs, they cling to tree trunks.
They have a pale grey body with multiple thin black-and-white bands running across the back and wings. Males have a red nape that protrudes forward from the crown.
These birds live in a range of environments, including oak, hickory, and pine forests. In traditional woodpecker fashion, it clings to the tree trunk and larger branches.
Suet feeders will attract more Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and they will occasionally eat from your hummingbird feeders.
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged blackbirds are easily distinguished by their all-black plumage, save for the bright red and yellow shoulder patches. In comparison to the males’ streaky brown coloring, the females are relatively drab.
They are usually spotted perched on telephone lines, and during mating season, males will fiercely defend their territory, even assaulting anyone who approaches too close to nests.
During the winter, they congregate in massive flocks that number in the millions. Red-winged Blackbirds can be found throughout the United States.
If you want to attract Red-winged birds to your backyard then start by spreading mixed grain and seeds on the ground or you can use a platform/tube feeder.
Song Sparrow
The song sparrow is a medium-sized New World bird. The Song Sparrow is one of the least well-known and popular birds in North America. It is without a doubt one of the most numerous, diverse, and adaptable species of North American native birds.
And it’s thrilling to think that if this beautiful bird decides to make a home in our backyard, we might be among the first to see it. They can be found in a variety of environments, including tree bark, rocks, logs, and even steep rocky outcrops.
If you want to attract Song sparrows to your backyard then feed them some black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and nyjer on platform feeders.
Common Grackle
The Common Grackle is a beautiful bird that is simple to identify. They’re purple and blue all throughout, yet they appear black until you look carefully.
Their color tends to darken from the breasts up, with a higher blue saturation from here on out and towards the face.
They feature large wings and medium-sized tails, as well as bronze-metallic eyes in front of a big, straight black beak. Females have less luster, but young ones have darker skin and eyes.
Grackles are urbanized and clever, scavenging at agricultural feeding stations. When they’re out in the woods, they favor high trees, riverbanks, and other spots where they can get a good look before venturing out to forage.
The bird likes white Proso millet, wheat, oats, and Black Oil Sunflower seeds. For optimal results, combine at least one-grain offering with the seeds.
Barn Swallow
Barn Swallows have a dark blue back, wings, and tail, as well as a reddish-brown underbelly and across the face. The tail’s long outer feathers form a deep fork.
They breed throughout most of North America before moving to Central and South America to reproduce.
They are frequently observed soaring above meadows, farms, and fields in search of insects, and they build mud nests in man-made structures such as barns.
Put up nest boxes or cups to attract additional Barn Swallows, and they may eat ground-up eggshells on a platform feeder.
House Finch
It was originally a Western bird, but it is now distributed throughout the United States. Other types of red finches exist, but house finches are the most likely to be seen in residential areas.
The House Finch is around 6 inches long from beak tip to tail tip. The House finch has a medium-sized build and a medium-length notched tail. With a conical head. Males have a blood-red head, breast, and back
Small flocks can be seen on wires, on treetops, and in shrubs. Originally, these areas were deserts and grasslands. They’re presently most frequent in rural and urban locations.
Black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube feeders or platform feeders can attract more House Finches to backyard feeders.
Northern Mockingbird
Northern mockingbirds sing from exposed perches all year, but especially at night. They have an inexhaustible supply of their own peculiar short phrases, which they repeat three times each, but they frequently intersperse other birds’ songs.
They are slim with long legs and have long tails. The wing and tail are grey with white dots, while the top is darker.
Edge habitats, parks, and residential areas with distributed trees and bushes are ideal. They can be found in the eastern and southern United States, the West Indies, and even Mexico.
This Bird moves a little further north in the summer. They bravely defend their nests against invaders like other birds and cats.
They don’t come to feeders very regularly, although they will come to open grass areas. If you want to attract Northern Mockingbirds to your backyard then grow fruiting trees or shrubs, such as hawthorns, mulberries, and blackberry brambles.
Brown-headed Cowbird
The Brown-headed Cowbird looks like a Blackbird from a distance, but when you go close, you’ll notice a small difference.
The male Cowbird has a completely black back, long black wings, a short black tail, breast, and underside, and a plain brown head. While Female Cowbirds, on the other hand, are completely brown, with lighter brown on their heads, breasts, and undersides, as well as some streaking on the underbelly.
These birds range in size from 7.5 to 8.7 inches in length, with wingspans ranging from 12.6 to 15 inches.
Cowbirds prefer wide areas and to graze on the ground, but they also favor towering trees for surveying. These birds have a bad reputation for consuming the eggs of other species.
These birds prefer insects, fruits, and grains, so if you want to entice one, try some chopped apples and White Proso millet.
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