Louisiana has a diverse range of backyard birds. And In this article, I’ll list and explain all the backyard birds of Louisiana 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 Louisana | 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. |
| 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. |
| Mourning Dove | 22-36 cm | 120 gm (4.23oz) | Soft brown in color with hints of black on the wings. | Millet, black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, peanut hearts. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 14 cm | 12.5 gm (0.44oz) | Gray with flashes of yellow, with slightly brownish tones in females. | Insects and fruits like wax myrtle and bayberry. |
| 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. |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 9-11 cm | 6.8 gm (0.23oz) | These are small songbirds, olive green in shade with a striking red crown. | They feed on hulled sunflower seeds, mealworms, and peanuts. |
| 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. |
| 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, and 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. |
| Eastern Phoebe | 6-7 inches | 20 gm (0.70oz) | Grayish-brown towards the back and whitish underneath. | Flying insects, spiders, small fruits, and seeds. |
| House Sparrow | 14-18 cm | 24-40 gm (0.84-1.41oz) | These birds are extremely common and would literally eat out of your hand. They are mostly found in busy areas close to human existence. | They feed on all grains and seeds, like birdseed, millet, corn, and sunflower seeds along with discarded food. |
| 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, and maple sap. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| European Starling | 22 cm | 58-100 gm (2.04-3.52oz) | 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. |
| 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. |
| Brown-Headed Cowbird | 19-22 cm | 43 gm (1.51oz) | The male version of these birds has black bodies and brown heads, with short tails and thick heads. Females are all brown with slight streaks. | Mostly seeds and insects. Seeds (including those of grasses, weeds, and waste grain) make up about half of the diet in summer and more than 90% in winter. The rest of the diet is mostly insects, especially grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars, plus many others, also spiders and millipedes. |
Backyard Birds Of Louisiana In Different Seasons
Winter Backyard Birds
- Northern Cardinal (59%)
- Yellow-rumped Warbler (55%)
- Northern Mockingbird (53%)
- Blue Jay (52%)
- Mourning Dove (46%)
- Carolina Chickadee (45%)
- Carolina Wren (42%)
- American Crow (41%)
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet (41%)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (40%)
- Eastern Phoebe (37%)
- American Goldfinch (35%)
- White-throated Sparrow (34%)
- American Robin (33%)
- Downy Woodpecker (31%)
- European Starling (31%)
Summer Backyard Birds
- Northern Cardinal (66%)
- Northern Mockingbird (59%)
- Mourning Dove (59%)
- Blue Jay (56%)
- Carolina Wren (50%)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (44%)
- Carolina Chickadee (44%)
- American Crow (43%)
- Barn Swallow (36%)
- Purple Martin (35%)
- Tufted Titmouse (34%)
- House Sparrow (33%)
- European Starling (33%)
- Downy Woodpecker (32%)
- Eastern Kingbird (31%)
- Common Grackle (31%)
- Brown-headed Cowbird (28%)
- White-eyed Vireo (28%)
Backyard Birds Of Louisiana In Detail
Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinals are one of the most well-known and popular 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 can be seen all year in almost every region of the United States.
If you want to attract Northern Cardinals to your backyard feeders then feed them sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, millet, and milo.
Northern Mockingbird
Mockingbirds get their name from their ability to replicate the tunes of other birds. A male mockingbird can learn up to 200 distinct songs throughout his lifetime, according to researchers.
These medium-sized backyard birds stand out thanks to their grey and white feathers, as well as their lengthy tail feathers. They favor thickets and are territorial of intruding birds.
In backyards, Northern Mockingbirds are plentiful, but they rarely frequent bird feeders. You can either grow fruit-bearing plants or set up a birdbath, to entice them to your yard.
Mourning Dove
The Columbidae family of birds includes the mourning dove. Rain dove, marsh dove, turtle dove, and, most commonly, mourning dove are all names given to the mourning bird.
It’s very popular right now throughout the Southeast, as well as in Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, California, and Ontario, Canada. Visits are made to large cities, meadows, farm areas, parks, resorts, and even residential neighborhoods.
If you want to attract Mourning Doves to your yard then start by scattering millet on the ground or utilizing platform feeders. You can also feed them black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, and peanut hearts.
Blue Jay
Blue jays are a beautiful bird genus that can be found in large numbers in parks, near water sources, and in human-populated places. This plant prefers rocky areas with exposed soil and cliffs to grow.
It attracts tourists, and photographers have long admired 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 long 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. If you give blue jays peanuts, sunflower seeds, or other seeds, they will come to your yard.
Carolina Wren
The Carolina Wren looks similar to an American Goldfinch or a House Finch. They are characterized by a spherical body, a short neck, a flat head, and a fluttering tail.
Its top body is reddish-brown, with black stripes on the 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 forested areas.
Use suet, hulled sunflower seeds, or peanut hearts in large tube feeders or on-platform feeders to attract more Carolina Wrens to your backyard feeders.
Yellow-rumped Warble
Winter visitors to southern treetops and weedy regions include the yellow-rumped warbler. They are smaller than juncos and House Finches. With plumpness, a shorter tail, and no neck.
In the spring, the breeding plumage is blue-grey on top with black flanks and breast, yellow on the rump, and yellow on the sides. Both species have grey-brown top plumage and creamy cream bottom plumage in the winter.
If you want to attract Yellow-rumped Warblers to your yard feed them sunflower seeds, suet, raisins, and peanut butter.
Carolina Chickadee
Chickadees are distinguished from other birds by their black crest and bib. Their cheeks are totally white, and their underbodies are bulbous. The backs and wings of these creatures are dark greys in color.
If you want to attract Carolina Chickadees to your backyard feeders then feed them black oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer seeds, suets, and peanuts.
You can use any feeder for this bird Tube feeders, suet cages, and platform feeders are all excellent options. They’ll also build their nests in nest boxes or tubes.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are small olive-green songbirds with a lovely crimson crown that is usually flat and hard to detect, but spectacular if you do.
Before wintering in the southern and southwestern states, as well as Mexico, they breed in Canada and the western highlands. When they are in great numbers, they are also noticeable during migration.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are fast-moving, quiet birds that forage for spiders and insects in the foliage of lower branches of shrubs and trees.
They look for hulled sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, and mealworms in suet or platform feeders.
American Crow
The plumage of the American Crow is vividly colored. This is one of the most commonly seen birds in the area, and it can be seen almost anywhere.
These birds have been seen mating on trees near motorways and even in people’s backyards, according to birdwatchers.
The nectar from flowers is a nice addition to their diet of tree and plant roots. They’re one of the most active bird species, which means they’re always looking for new food.
If you want to attract American Crows to your yard then feed them peanuts.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are massive for a backyard bird. Their size is comparable to that of a Starling or an American Robin. A smaller version of this species is the Northern Flicker.
He has a massive head and a short tail, and he is hefty and stocky. They cling to tree trunks with their short stiff tails and sturdy short legs.
Their bodies are pale grey, with black and white stripes on their backs and wings. The males’ crown has a red nape that protrudes.
Hang a Suet feeder or hummingbird feeder to attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers.
Red-winged Blackbir
The red-winged blackbird has an all-black plumage that is marked by vivid red and yellow shoulder patches. Females appear dull in comparison to the males’ streaky brown coloring.
During mating season, males will fiercely guard their territory, even battling anyone who approaches nests too close. During the winter, they cluster in massive flocks.
If you want to attract Red-winged blackbirds to your yard then scatter mixed grain and seeds on the ground.
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Phoebes are buffy beautiful songbirds with greyish-brown backs, pale underparts, and a darker head.
They are migratory birds that breed in the northeastern United States and into Canada before traveling to the south-eastern United States for the winter.
They like to be found alone in peaceful woods, waving their tails from low perches, rather than in couples or flocks. They frequently build mud and grass nests on bridges, barns, and homes. A nest box might attract them to your property.
House Sparrow
The house sparrow is a beautiful little bird. The house sparrow, like most members of its genus, has a tiny incisor beak that it uses to break open fruits and pick at little seeds.
The house sparrow, unlike most other birds, exhibits a high level of intellect. They are a sociable species that, rather than mating, form lifelong relationships. They nest on trees in the spring but return to their natal holes in the fall.
Most bird seeds can attract more House Sparrows to your backyard feeders, including millet, maize, and sunflower seeds.
American Goldfinch
The American goldfinch, sometimes known as just the goldfinch, is a lovely little bird. Each year, they’ve 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 name a few habitats, they prefer marshes, backyards, meadows, woodlands, brushlands, fields, hedgerows, tall grasses, and oaks. Spruce and oak trees, as well as creeks, rivers, and streams, are ideal habitats for them.
If you want to attract American Goldfinches to your yard then grow thistles and milkweed in your yard. You can also feed them sunflower and Nyjer seeds.
Barn Swallow
A Barn Swallow’s back, wings, and tail are dark blue, with a reddish-brown underside and face. The tail’s long outer feathers form a deep fork.
Before moving to Central and South America to reproduce, they breed across the majority of North America.
They are commonly observed soaring above meadows, farms, and fields in search of insects, and they build mud nests in man-made structures like barns.
Nest boxes or cups, as well as ground-up eggshells on a platform feeder, can be used to attract more Barn Swallows.
White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrows have black and white striped heads, glittering white throats, and yellow between the eye and bill. Their backs are brown and their undersides are grey.
Large groups of White-throated Sparrows can be observed on the ground in forests and along the margins.
White-throated Sparrows will come to your garden feeders if you use millet and black oil sunflower seeds on platform feeders.
Downy Woodpecker
The downy woodpecker can often be heard shrieking or chirping in a high, difficult-to-reach tree. In sagebrush thickets and wooded places, they can be found.
Their underbelly is white, their backs are red, their wings are black with white patterns, and their heads are black and white striped. Females do not have a red mark on their wings, but males do.
You can attract Downy woodpeckers to your yard by feeding them black oil sunflower seeds, millet, and peanuts.
European Starling
European Starlings can be identified by their purple-green plumage when examined closely, It covers their entire body. But it’s their long, straight yellow bills that distinguish them.
During the winter, they shed their sparkling plumage and replace it with a brown coat flecked with white patches.
This particular bird species can be found almost anywhere. They flourish in man-made surroundings like farms, towns, and cities.
These birds eat a wide range of foods. They eat berries, seeds, grains, and other foods when they aren’t consuming insects.
Common Grackle
The Common Grackle has a distinct call and is a striking bird. They’re purple and blue all the way through, but unless you look closely, they appear black.
Their color darkens from the breasts up, with a deeper blue saturation towards the face. They have large wings, medium tails, bronze-metallic eyes, and a big, straight black beak. Females have a duller appearance, whereas young ones have darker skin and eyes.
White Proso millet, wheat, oats, and Black Oil Sunflower seeds are favorites of the bird. Combine at least one-grain offering with the seeds for best results.
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird males have brown heads and black bodies, as well as short tails and big heads. Females are brown with a smattering of stripes.
They are often considered a nuisance since they eat the eggs of smaller songbirds in order to lay their own eggs in the nest and have the bird rear their children.
They reproduce in most of North America’s north and west before migrating south, though they stay in the Eastern and Southern states, as well as along the Pacific Coast, for the full year.
They eat mostly on grass and weed seeds and can be found in grassland and woodland borders, pastures, and backyards.
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