26 Birds That Spend Their Winters in Kentucky

According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, over 350 chicken species make Kentucky their home. There’s tons to identify when you fancy some chilly climate chicken watching. Here are 26 birds that spend their winters in Kentucky.

1.     House Finch

Redheaded and breasted home finches aren’t native to Kentucky however they thrive there and spend their winters in parks, forest edges, and backyards, chattering in noisy teams.

Female home finches don’t have the pink branding, they’re merely brown-streaked.

2.     European Starling

Another non-native to Kentucky is the European starling. These iridescent beauties stay in all of North America and flock in massive numbers. At sundown, you may spot big murmurations of swooping starlings earlier than they roost.

3.     Northern Flicker

Northern sparkles are 10-12-inch-long brown woodpeckers with yellow and pink flashes on the tail and wings. In the japanese states, sparkles have yellow flashes, however within the western states, they’re pink!

Flickers eat all kinds of meals together with seeds, nuts, fruits, and hatchlings.

4.     Blue Jay

Blue jays spend winter in Kentucky in massive noisy household teams. These clever corvids have blue crests, blue backs, and vibrant white undersides.

Anything goes in terms of a blue jay’s weight loss program, particularly in Kentucky winters when temperatures drop and meals is scarce.

5.     Northern Cardinal

Cheerful pink northern cardinals brighten up Kentucky winters. Males seem vibrant pink, however females are duller. Both are large nest defenders – they’ll even attack their reflections in chick season.

6.     Eastern Bluebird

Eastern bluebirds spend winters in Kentucky’s yards and meadows. They like to hunt bugs by standing inventory nonetheless on wires and posts earlier than dive-bombing the hapless bugs.

As per their identify, these engaging birds have blue plumage with pink underbellies. Males are brighter than females and juveniles.

7.     American Goldfinch

American goldfinches are widespread winter birds in Kentucky. The vibrant males and duller females desire weed-filled arable land, however reap the benefits of yard feeders too.

Help chilly goldfinches out with sunflower seeds and crushed peanuts.

8.     Northern Mockingbird

Gray-brown northern mockingbirds have a large music repertoire. Some males have been recorded singing over 100 completely different songs.

Mockingbirds are floor feeders, they get your hands on fruit and seeds from woods, forests, arable land and again yards.

9.     Mourning Dove

9-13 inch lengthy mourning doves often present up in pairs. When Kentucky’s winter arrives they’re typically noticed in chicken baths and forging again yards for seeds.

Gentle mourning doves’ bobbing heads and chubby plumpness make them some of the cute birds round.

10. Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied woodpeckers have faint pink bellies, however vibrant pink caps, so that they’re typically confused with red-capped woodpeckers. However, the rosy bellied ones are a lot smaller. They don’t get bigger than 8-10 inches lengthy.

This woodpecker makes use of a barbed tongue and sticky spit to extract bugs from tree crevices!

11. Song Sparrow

Gray and brown striped music sparrows mix into their surroundings like masters of disguise. Most Kentucky people hear them, relatively than spot them, as a result of these diminutive 4-6 inch lengthy birds sing almost always.

12. Dark-eyed Junco

In the japanese states dark-eyed juncos have slate-colored foliage, whereas within the east, they’re brown, black, and white striped.

Dark-eyed juncos stay in Kentucky all yr spherical foraging seeds, nuts, and bugs from partially wooded areas and tree-filled backyards.

13. Red-tailed Hawk

With a particular vast, however quick, pink tail, this magnificent hawk is unmissable. It patrols Kentucky winter skies trying to find small mammals, reptiles, and birds.

If you are taking a automotive journey, look over the passing fields and chances are you’ll spot a pink tailed hawk circling or perched on a fence publish.

14. American Robin

Worms, bugs, and snails present American robins with lots to eat, however winter instances are exhausting. Pop a number of meaty flavored cat biscuits, suet, or sunflower seeds exterior to maintain this widespread United States’ native completely happy.

15. Nuthatch

Busy little nuthatches often seem the other way up. They run up fences and tree trunks in quest of bugs and seeds at nice pace.

Nuthatches stay throughout the United States and two species stay in Kentucky. The red-breasted nuthatch prefers coniferous forests, however the white-breasted tends to desire deciduous woods.

16. Tufted Titmouse

A grey and white tufted titmouse is fairly cute, however this little chicken is hardcore. It has no drawback chasing chickadees and finches away from meals and stealing it for themselves.  Despite their cute look, a tufted titmouse munches down on wasps and ants!

17. American Crow

Corvid American crows stay in Kentucky all yr spherical. They eat most meals from nuts to rodents to picnic stays.

Crows stay in treetops and name “caw-caw” plus many clicks and purrs to speak with prolonged relations.  

18. Mallard

Mallard geese stay on Kentucky’s waterways year-round. The males have iridescent inexperienced heads, vibrant blue wing flashes (known as speculums), and cheerful yellow payments. Females are mottled brown with orange payments however they’ve the blue speculum too.

These typically pleasant geese eat aquatic weeds and invertebrates. Rather than bread in winter, assist them out with sweetcorn and peas.

19. House Sparrow

Introduced home sparrows spend winters in timber and hedgerows chattering and warning the group of hazard. They eat seeds and nuts and profit from yard feeders.

Identify home sparrows by their brown and grey heads, white cheeks, and grey bellies

20. Northern Turkey Vulture

Northern turkey vultures are simple to acknowledge with their vibrant pink bald heads and large physique dimension. These birds attain 32 inches lengthy and like to stay close to cliffs and hilltops to assist take off. When flying, their wings kind a particular “V” form.

Carrion-eating turkey vultures roost in woodland, scrublands, and wetlands throughout the United States.

21. Downy Woodpecker

Black and white 5-7 inch lengthy downy woodpeckers have pink heads and fluffy, downy foliage as per their identify.

They eat acorns, bugs, seeds, and snails, and revel in flocking with songbird teams like titmouses and chickadees.

22. Chickadee

Tiny chickadees solely attain a diminutive 4 inches lengthy. Their white cheeks and bellies distinction with grey feathers and black caps, so that they stand out in backyards.

Chickadees eat bugs, larvae, seeds and nuts. In colds winters, suet and seed feeders are a lifeline.  

23. Carolina Wren

Mini Carolina wrens spend winters in Kentucky, and their distinctive spherical our bodies with vertical quick tails make them an easy-to-recognize yard chicken. If doubtful, pay attention out for his or her “tee-kettle” name word. Wrens are shy birds, however within the winter months, they’ll depart hedgerows to analyze seed feeders.

24. White-throated Sparrow

These fairly little sparrows have white throats, black and white striped heads, and yellow face flashes. They spend winters in Kentucky searching for out bugs, berries, and grass seeds.

25. Brown-Headed Cowbird

Brown-headed cowbird males have shiny black plumage and deep brown heads, however females are all darkish brown. This blackbird-sized brood parasite lays its eggs in different birds’ nests to keep away from the stress of elevating kids.

26. Common Loon

This Kentucky water chicken is a quick swimmer that chases fish with a excessive success fee. Their bones are strong to assist weigh them down on fish dives. To cease different birds stealing their hard-won dinner, loons swallow fish complete while nonetheless underwater!

The photograph featured on the prime of this publish is © Lester Graham/Shutterstock.com