By Paul Oliver, Founder of Urban Nature Store
One of the questions I hear regularly at Urban Nature Store is, “Paul, what birds can I attract to my backyard?”
My answer is usually, “That depends on what you're serving for lunch!”
Just kidding—or at least partly kidding. The birds that visit your yard depend on several things, including the food you offer, the feeders you use, the surrounding trees and shrubs, the availability of water and the time of year.
The good news is that you don't need a country property or a giant garden to enjoy backyard birdwatching. Even a small urban backyard, a suburban garden, or a townhouse patio can attract a surprising variety of birds.
Here are eight of my favourite Ontario backyard visitors, along with tips on how to identify them, what they eat and how you can encourage them to visit.
1. Northern Cardinal: The Backyard Celebrity
When will you see it? Year-round in southern Ontario.
What does it look like? The male Northern Cardinal is unmistakable, with brilliant red plumage, a prominent crest and a black mask around its face. The female is more understated, with warm brown feathers and reddish highlights on her wings and tail.
What does it eat? Their favourites include our premium sunflower hearts, safflower seeds, out of the shell peanuts, along with berries and insects.
Cardinals are among the most recognizable birds in Ontario. Their bright colour makes them especially appealing against a snowy winter landscape.
If you want to attract cardinals, try a sturdy hopper feeder like the Arundale Sky Cafe, or a Kingsyard Recycled Platform Feeder with Adjustable Dome which have enough room for these larger songbirds to perch comfortably.
Cardinals often prefer feeding locations with nearby shrubs or trees where they can retreat between visits. You may soon find yourself watching the same cardinal couple visit every morning.
2. Black-capped Chickadee: Small Bird, Big Personality
When will you see it? Year-round.
What does it look like? This small, round-bodied bird has a black cap and bib, white cheeks and greyish wings. Its familiar “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call is often one of the first bird sounds people learn to recognize.
What does it eat? Sunflower hearts, out of the shell peanuts, Mill Creek Insect and Nut, and Premium Peanut suet, and insects.
Chickadees are among my favourite backyard visitors. They're curious, active and remarkably comfortable around people once they become familiar with a feeding station.
Brome’s Squirrel Buster Legacy, Standard, Nut, and Suet Feeders would all work well.
Chickadees also benefit from having shrubs and trees nearby. They often grab a seed and fly off to eat it somewhere else, so don't assume they're ignoring your feeder just because they don't sit there for long!
My recommendation: If you’re just starting to feed the birds, a Brome Squirrel Buster Standard feeder with sunflower hearts would be sure to attract them. It's a practical starting point for people who want to enjoy smaller songbirds while reducing access by squirrels.
3. American Goldfinch: A Little Flash of Yellow
When will you see it? Throughout the year, although movements and local numbers vary seasonally.
What does it look like? In summer, breeding males are bright yellow with a black forehead and black wings. Females are duller yellow-green. During winter, both sexes become much less colourful, so don't be surprised if your familiar summer goldfinches look like entirely different birds!
What does it eat? Primarily seeds, including nyjer and sunflower hearts.
Goldfinches are particularly attracted to feeders that offer small seeds suited to their feeding habits. If you'd like to see more goldfinches, consider adding a dedicated finch feeder rather than relying on a general mixed-seed feeder.
A specialized feeder such as the BirdQuest Spiral Thistle Feeders with small openings, or a fine mesh design like the Aspects Quick Clean Nyjer Tube Spruce feeder would be good choices.
My recommendation: Explore Nyjer Seed or our Finch and Friends Mix. They will also be attracted to a feeder such as the Squirrel Buster Standard with our Premium Sunflower Hearts.
4. Blue Jay: Bold, Beautiful and Impossible to Ignore
When will you see it? Year-round.
What does it look like? Blue Jays are relatively large birds with blue, white and black plumage, a crest and a distinctive black marking across the throat.
What does it eat? Whole peanuts, out of the shell peanuts, Black Oil Sunflower and Sunflower Hearts.
Blue Jays are intelligent, vocal and sometimes a little bossy around feeders. Their size and strong bills allow them to handle larger food items that smaller songbirds may struggle with.
Whole peanuts, including peanuts in the shell, are popular options for attracting jays. The sturdy Bird’s Choice Large Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Green Recycled Plastic or a dedicated whole peanut feeder such as the Pine Bush Peanut Wreath Feeders will work well.
If you're hoping to encourage chickadees and finches as well, you may want to offer peanuts at a separate feeding station so the larger birds don't dominate the entire buffet.
My recommendation: Explore Whole Peanuts and choose from the feeders mentioned above.
5. Downy Woodpecker: The Little Drummer
When will you see it? Year-round.
What does it look like? The Downy Woodpecker is a small black-and-white bird with a short bill. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head.
What does it eat? Insects, larvae, Mill Creek Suet, Out of the Shell Peanuts, and Premium Sunflower Hearts.
Downy Woodpeckers are common visitors to Ontario gardens, especially where mature trees provide habitat. They often climb tree trunks and branches in search of insects.
To attract them, try a simple suet feeder such as Songbird Essential’s Suet Feeder with Tail Prop. Locally made Mill Creek Suets provide a useful source of energy, particularly during cold weather when birds need to maintain their body temperature.
My recommendation: Explore suet cakes and suet feeders. Suet is also popular with chickadees, nuthatches and several other backyard birds.
6. White-breasted Nuthatch: The Upside-Down Specialist
When will you see it? Year-round.
What does it look like? This compact bird has a blue-grey back, white face and underparts, and a dark cap. Its most entertaining trick is walking headfirst down tree trunks.
What does it eat? Sunflower Hearts, out of the shell peanuts, suet and insects.
Nuthatches are active little birds that move quickly between tree trunks, branches and feeders. They're particularly enjoyable to watch because they often approach food from unusual angles.
My recommendation: Offer sunflower hearts or Mill Creek Insect and Nut Suet from a suitable feeder for them to cling to such as the Wildlife Science Double Suet Cake Feeder and keep an eye on nearby tree trunks. You might spot a nuthatch working its way down a tree while the other birds are busy at the feeder.
7. Dark-eyed Junco: A Winter Visitor on the Ground
When will you see it? Commonly during autumn and winter in southern Ontario.
What does it look like? The Dark-eyed Junco is a small, compact bird, usually with slate-grey upperparts, a white belly and a pale pinkish bill.
What does it eat? Seeds, including White Millet and Sunflower Hearts.
Juncos are often called “snowbirds” by backyard birders because they become familiar visitors as colder weather arrives in southern Ontario. Many breed farther north and move south for winter.
Unlike birds that spend much of their time clinging to hanging feeders, juncos typically feed on or near the ground. A low platform feeder such as the Kingsyard Recycled Plastic Ground Bird Feeder can make food easier for them to access.
Keep the feeding area clean and remove wet or spoiled seed regularly, particularly when snow and moisture accumulate.
My recommendation: Try a Ground Platform Feeder with Sunflower Hearts, or sprinkle some White Millet on the ground for them. When juncos visit, you may notice them hopping around beneath your other feeders, collecting fallen seeds.
8. House Finch: The Cheerful Little Neighbour
When will you see it? Year-round in many southern Ontario communities.
What does it look like? House Finches have brown, streaked bodies. Males typically show reddish colouring on the head, throat and rump, while females are more uniformly brown and streaked.
What does it eat? Sunflower Hearts and Safflower Seeds.
House Finches are regular visitors to urban and suburban gardens. They often arrive in small groups and can become frequent guests once they discover a reliable food source.
Brome Tube Solution Feeders, and Kingsyard Weatherproof Large Capacity Hopper Feeder are both good options. Sunflower hearts are convenient because birds can eat the kernels without leaving discarded shells beneath the feeder.
My recommendation: Start with Sunflower Hearts and the feeders mentioned above.
My Final Advice: Start Simple and See Who Visits
You don't need eight feeders and eight different types of seed to attract eight species of birds!
Start with a quality feeder, a good all-purpose food such as sunflower hearts, and a safe location with nearby shelter. Add suet for woodpeckers and nuthatches, peanuts for Blue Jays, or a nyjer feeder if you want to encourage goldfinches.
Don't forget water, either. A clean bird bath can attract birds that might not otherwise visit your feeders.
Remember that bird activity changes throughout the year. Some species remain in Ontario all winter, while others migrate or become more noticeable during particular seasons. The birds you see will also depend on local habitat and the food available naturally.
If you're just getting started, visit UrbanNatureStore.ca to explore our selection of feeders, seed, suet and birding accessories.
At Urban Nature Store, we're passionate about helping people discover the enjoyment of backyard birding. You may start out hoping to attract one beautiful cardinal, but before long, you'll be keeping a list of every feathered visitor—and wondering whether you have room for just one more feeder!
Happy birding!
Paul Oliver
Founder, Urban Nature Store
