Summer · June–August

Summer Birds

Summer birds are busy and quieter: cardinals on a second brood, chickadees and titmice eating almost nothing but insects, goldfinches only now starting to nest, and hummingbird males already heading south 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.

Ruby-throated hummingbird at a flower — among summer birds, one whose males leave by early August — Photo: Joe Schneid, Louisville, Kentucky, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Summer birds raising young

Northern Cardinals raise one to two broods a year; clutches of 2–5 eggs hatch in 11–13 days and the young leave after 7–13, fed mostly insects ³. Black-capped Chickadees eat 80–90 percent insects and spiders in spring, summer and fall and raise one brood ⁴; Tufted Titmice eat caterpillars, beetles, ants, wasps, stink bugs and treehoppers in summer, and occasionally a young bird stays to help raise the next year's brood ⁵. Baltimore Orioles feed their young protein-rich insects — beetles, crickets, moths, tent caterpillars — and visit fruit feeders less until late summer ⁶.

Summer birds on their own schedule

American Goldfinches breed later than most North American birds, waiting until June or July when milkweed, thistle and other plants have produced the fibrous seeds they weave into nests and feed to their young ⁷. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are the opposite: pairs stay together only days to weeks, and males may begin migrating by early August while females are still feeding young ⁸.

At the feeder, summer means heat: sugar water ferments rapidly to produce toxic alcohol in hot weather, so change it before it clouds and clean hummingbird feeders every couple of days ²⁸; clean seed feeders every week or two, more often in heavy use, and never let wet seed sit ².

Summer birds by state

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

Summer birds in Arizona (76 species)

Here for summer: , Turkey Vulture, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, Cassin's Kingbird, Yellow Warbler

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

Summer birds in California (77 species)

Here for summer: Barn Swallow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, Yellow Warbler, , Western Tanager, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Lazuli Bunting

Year-round: House Finch, Mourning Dove, , Anna's Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Lesser Goldfinch, California Towhee,

Summer birds in Colorado (76 species)

Here for summer: Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Mourning Dove, House Wren, Barn Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Western Wood-Pewee, Lesser Goldfinch

Year-round: American Robin, House Finch, , , Black-capped Chickadee, Black-billed Magpie, Mallard,

Summer birds in Florida (67 species)

Here for summer: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Great Crested Flycatcher, Northern Parula, , Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Summer Tanager, Belted Kingfisher, Black-and-white Warbler

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

(63 species)

Here for summer: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, White-eyed Vireo, , Barn Swallow, Great Crested Flycatcher, ,

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

(61 species)

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

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

Summer birds in Illinois (68 species)

Here for summer: , Barn Swallow, House Wren, , , Common Grackle, , Eastern Wood-Pewee

Year-round: American Robin, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, , Blue Jay, Song Sparrow,

(61 species)

Here for summer: , House Wren, , , Barn Swallow, Turkey Vulture, , Eastern Kingbird

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

(61 species)

Here for summer: Barn Swallow, Turkey Vulture, , Dickcissel, Common Grackle, , Eastern Kingbird, Baltimore Oriole

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

Summer birds in Michigan (72 species)

Here for summer: , Song Sparrow, Common Grackle, Cedar Waxwing, Red-eyed Vireo, , Eastern Wood-Pewee, Barn Swallow

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

(64 species)

Here for summer: , Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Barn Swallow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe

Year-round: Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren,

(62 species)

Here for summer: Mourning Dove, , Barn Swallow, Eastern Kingbird, Common Grackle, House Wren, Dickcissel,

Year-round: American Robin, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, , , , House Finch

Summer birds in Oregon (79 species)

Here for summer: Turkey Vulture, Barn Swallow, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Black-headed Grosbeak, Violet-green Swallow, Tree Swallow, Western Tanager

Year-round: American Robin, Song Sparrow, , , , Black-capped Chickadee, Steller's Jay, Dark-eyed Junco

Summer birds in Rhode Island (65 species)

Here for summer: , Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant, , Barn Swallow, Common Grackle, Great Egret, Yellow Warbler

Year-round: Song Sparrow, American Robin, American Herring Gull, American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Great Black-backed Gull, Carolina Wren

(72 species)

Here for summer: Mourning Dove, , Barn Swallow, Western Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Eastern Kingbird, Turkey Vulture,

Year-round: American Robin, American Goldfinch, Mallard, , , Blue Jay, ,

Summer birds in Tennessee (69 species)

Here for summer: , Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Barn Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, , Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo

Year-round: Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Mourning Dove, , Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Robin, Tufted Titmouse

Summer birds in Texas (65 species)

Here for summer: Barn Swallow, , Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Purple Martin, Brown-headed Cowbird, Summer Tanager

Year-round: Northern Cardinal, , Mourning Dove, , Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, Great-tailed Grackle

(66 species)

Here for summer: , Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo, , , Common Grackle, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Barn Swallow

Year-round: Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Mourning Dove, , American Goldfinch, American Robin, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay

(75 species)

Here for summer: Yellow Warbler, , Mourning Dove, Yellow-rumped Warbler, , Western Wood-Pewee, Violet-green Swallow, Western Meadowlark

Year-round: American Robin, Common Raven, Canada Goose, , , Mallard, ,

Summer birds in other states

Each state guide lists its birds month by month:

Mississippi North Dakota Oklahoma South Carolina West Virginia

Birds in other seasons

Spring birds →Fall birds →

Frequently asked questions

Why are there fewer birds at my feeder in summer?

Insects: chickadees, titmice, orioles and cardinals switch to insects to feed young, and natural food is everywhere; they return as it thins in fall ³⁴⁵⁶.

When do goldfinches nest?

June or July — later than almost any other North American songbird — once thistle and milkweed have set seed ⁷.

Summer Birds

Summer birds raising young

Summer birds on their own schedule

Summer birds by state

Summer birds in Arizona (76 species)

Summer birds in California (77 species)

Summer birds in Colorado (76 species)

Summer birds in Florida (67 species)

(63 species)

(61 species)

Summer birds in Illinois (68 species)

(61 species)

(61 species)

Summer birds in Michigan (72 species)

(64 species)

(62 species)

Summer birds in Oregon (79 species)

Summer birds in Rhode Island (65 species)

(72 species)

Summer birds in Tennessee (69 species)

Summer birds in Texas (65 species)

(66 species)

(75 species)

Summer birds in other states

Birds in other seasons

Frequently asked questions

Why are there fewer birds at my feeder in summer?

When do goldfinches nest?

Sources