Fall · September–November

Fall Birds

Fall birds are birds in transition: hummingbirds and orioles leaving, goldfinches going dull, robins gathering into roosts, cardinals and chickadees forming the flocks that will visit feeders all winter ³⁴⁵⁶.

The behavior below is from All About Birds species accounts [3–8], feeding advice from Project FeederWatch ², and the state-by-state numbers from eBird records on this site ¹.

American goldfinch on a seed head — fall birds shift from nesting to flocking and feeding — Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Fall birds that leave, and the ones that change

Ruby-throated Hummingbird males may begin migrating by early August, and the species winters in Mexico and Central America ³; Baltimore Orioles shift to nectar and ripe fruit in fall because their sugars convert readily to migration fat, then leave for Central America ⁴. American Goldfinches molt their body feathers in late summer, replacing the male's bright yellow with dull olive-brown, and in winter move south along a line that tracks a January minimum of about 0 °F ⁵. Thousands of Blue Jays migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes and Atlantic coasts, yet some stay all winter everywhere in the range, and the same bird may migrate one year and not the next ⁶.

Fall birds that flock up and stay

Northern Cardinals move in pairs during the breeding season but in fall and winter form flocks of a dozen to several dozen, sometimes foraging with juncos, sparrows, titmice and goldfinches ⁷. Black-capped Chickadees live in flocks that include woodpeckers, nuthatches, warblers and vireos, and because migrating songbirds join them, listening for chickadees in fall is a reliable way to find other species ⁸; they also begin hiding seeds to eat later, remembering thousands of spots ⁸. American Robins that stay north move to moist woods where berry-producing trees and shrubs are common and gather in roosts that can reach a quarter-million birds ⁹.

For the feeder, fall is when to restock: black-oil sunflower for the cardinals, chickadees and finches arriving, nyjer for goldfinches, siskins and redpolls, suet for the insect-eaters as insects vanish ². Take hummingbird feeders down only after the last bird has gone; keep them clean every couple of days until then ².

Fall birds by state

Birds regularly reported in each state from September–November, most-reported first, from eBird checklists 2020–2024 retrieved through GBIF. “Here for fall” birds are migrants or seasonal visitors; the rest stay all year.

Fall birds in Arizona (83 species)

Here for fall: White-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, , Turkey Vulture, , American Wigeon, Pied-billed Grebe, Broad-billed Hummingbird

Year-round: House Finch, Mourning Dove, Gila Woodpecker, Verdin, Lesser Goldfinch, Anna's Hummingbird, Common Raven, Curve-billed Thrasher

Fall birds in California (84 species)

Here for fall: White-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, , Golden-crowned Sparrow, Say's Phoebe, Yellow Warbler, Ruddy Duck,

Year-round: Black Phoebe, House Finch, , Anna's Hummingbird, , Common Raven, California Towhee, Song Sparrow

Fall birds in Colorado (79 species)

Here for fall: Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Ring-billed Gull, Mourning Dove, American Coot, Gadwall, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Wigeon

Year-round: , House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, Black-billed Magpie, Mallard, American Robin, Blue Jay, Canada Goose

Fall birds in Florida (85 species)

Here for fall: Palm Warbler, , Eastern Phoebe, Belted Kingfisher, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, House Wren, Northern Parula

Year-round: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, , Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Mourning Dove, White Ibis, Great Egret

(78 species)

Here for fall: , , , Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Palm Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet

Year-round: Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker, ,

(61 species)

Here for fall: Pacific Golden-Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Sanderling, Red-tailed Tropicbird

Year-round: Common Myna, Zebra Dove, Japanese White-eye, Spotted Dove, Cattle Egret, , Red-crested Cardinal, House Finch

Fall birds in Illinois (80 species)

Here for fall: Dark-eyed Junco, , , Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Double-crested Cormorant, ,

Year-round: Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Canada Goose, , Black-capped Chickadee, Red-bellied Woodpecker

(76 species)

Here for fall: Canada Goose, Turkey Vulture, Dark-eyed Junco, Ring-billed Gull, , Bald Eagle, ,

Year-round: Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, , , Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch

(82 species)

Here for fall: , Dark-eyed Junco, Turkey Vulture, , Ring-billed Gull, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Double-crested Cormorant, Song Sparrow

Year-round: Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, , Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Mourning Dove,

Fall birds in Oregon (80 species)

Here for fall: Golden-crowned Sparrow, , Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cackling Goose, American Wigeon, Turkey Vulture