10 Birds You Can Still See in Your Backyard This Fall

Just because the leaves are dropping does not mean your backyard is going quiet.

In fact, fall is one of my favorite seasons to birdwatch. There’s a different kind of energy in the air. Fall migration is happening, food sources are shifting, and some birds that stuck around all summer are starting to act a little differently. But here’s the fun part: not all birds fly south.

Many stay right here through the crisp, cool months fluffing up their feathers, caching seeds, and filling the backyard with soft calls and quick flicks through the trees.

So, if you’ve been wondering whether to pack up the bird feeders for the season, don’t! These 10 birds are still showing up in my yard this fall, and chances are, they’re visiting yours too.

1. 

Black-Capped Chickadee

These tiny fluff balls are heart of the fall feeder scene. Always curious and never too shy, chickadees are year-round residents that get even cuter in cooler weather when they puff up like little feathered marshmallows. I’ve watched them stash sunflower seeds under bark like it’s a game and they always come back for more.

2. 

Northern Cardinal

Their bright red feathers against gold leaves or fresh snow? Stunning. Male cardinals are especially showy this time of year, and I’ve found they tend to visit feeders more frequently as the temperature drops. A little black oil sunflower seed, and they’re yours.

3. 

Downy Woodpecker

If you hear a soft tapping on a tree nearby, there’s a good chance it’s a downy woodpecker. These little drummers are regulars at suet feeders in fall. They’re not just cute they’re also important bug-eaters as they prep for winter.

4. 

White-Breasted Nuthatch

With their upside-down antics and nasal “yank-yank” calls, nuthatches are hard to miss. I call them the acrobats of the bird world. They’re caching seeds like crazy in the fall, wedging them into tree bark to snack on later.

5. 

American Goldfinch

While they lose their bright yellow color in fall, goldfinches don’t go far. Their fall and winter plumage is more of a soft olive or brown, but you’ll still spot them if you leave your thistle feeder out a little longer.

6. 

Blue Jay

Loud, bold, and impossible to ignore, blue jays are around all year but I especially love watching them in fall as they cache acorns in the ground and carry peanuts off in their beaks. They’re clever, loudmouths, and completely entertaining.

7. 

Dark-Eyed Junco

When I see juncos, I know cold weather isn’t far off. These little slate-colored snowbirds usually show up in my yard in late fall, scratching around under feeders or poking through leaf litter. They love millet and cracked corn and apparently, my garden beds.

8. 

Mourning Dove

Often overlooked, mourning doves are calm, gentle presences in the backyard. I hear their soft cooing early in the morning and see them basking in patches of sun. They’ll stick around all fall and beyond especially if you sprinkle seed on the ground for them.

9. 

Tufted Titmouse

One of my personal favorites with big eyes, a cute crest, and endless energy titmice are like chickadees’ slightly bolder cousins. I love watching them grab a sunflower seed, fly off to a branch, and hammer it open like it owes them money. They’re a fall staple at my feeders.

10. 

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Not just a woodpecker with a red head his one has a faint blush on its belly, and a call that sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi movie. They’re larger than downies, and they love suet and peanuts. I always get excited when I see one glide into my yard with that zebra-striped back and bright red crown.

Final Thoughts

Fall birding is quieter, slower but in the best way. It invites you to pay attention, to notice the subtler behaviors, and to appreciate the birds that stay behind when the skies clear of migrating flocks.

So keep your feeders full, your binoculars nearby, and your ears open. You might just find that fall is the season where you connect with your backyard birds the most.

Let me know what birds you’re seeing this fall I’d love to hear!