10 Common Backyard Birds in Canada (With Pictures)

Canada is home to a wide variety of beautiful birds that often visit backyards, especially if there’s food, water, and a safe environment. Whether you're a beginner birdwatcher or just curious about your feathered visitors, this guide covers 10 of the most common backyard birds in Canada—with pictures, habits, and tips to attract them.

1. Black-capped Chickadee

These friendly birds are known for their black caps and cheerful “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call. They love suet and sunflower seeds.

• Scientific Name: Poecile atricapillus
• Where Found: Throughout Canada, especially in forests and backyards.
• Diet: Seeds, insects, suet.
• Fun Fact: Their “chick-a-dee-dee” call gave them their name!
• How to Attract: Offer black oil sunflower seeds in a tube or platform feeder.

2. Northern Cardinal

Easy to spot thanks to their vibrant red feathers and crested head. Cardinals enjoy safflower seeds and fruits.

• Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis
• Where Found: Southern Ontario and surrounding areas.
• Diet: Seeds, fruits, insects.
• Fun Fact: Males are bright red, while females are light brown with red highlights.
• How to Attract: Use sunflower seeds and install dense shrubs for shelter.

3. Blue Jay

Intelligent and bold, Blue Jays are often heard before they’re seen. They favor peanuts and corn.

• Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata
• Where Found: Eastern and central Canada.
• Diet: Nuts, seeds, insects.
• Fun Fact: Known for mimicking hawk calls to scare off other birds.
• How to Attract: Offer peanuts (shelled or unshelled) and corn.

4. American Goldfinch

With their bright yellow color, Goldfinches are hard to miss. They’re attracted to thistle and sunflower seeds.

• Scientific Name: Spinus tristis
• Where Found: Southern Canada, especially during summer.
• Diet: Thistle, sunflower seeds.
• Fun Fact: Bright yellow males molt into duller colors during winter.
• How to Attract: Use a nyjer seed feeder (finch feeder).

5. House Finch

Small red-headed birds that are common at feeders. They enjoy millet, sunflower seeds, and fruit.

• Scientific Name: Haemorhous mexicanus
• Where Found: Urban and suburban areas across Canada.
• Diet: Seeds, berries.
• Fun Fact: Males have a reddish chest, while females are brown-streaked.
• How to Attract: Provide tube feeders with sunflower or safflower seeds.

6. Downy Woodpecker

Small woodpeckers with black and white plumage. They love suet cakes and tree bark insects.

• Scientific Name: Dryobates pubescens
• Where Found: Forested areas, parks, and backyards.
• Diet: Insects, suet, seeds.
• Fun Fact: It’s the smallest woodpecker in North America.
• How to Attract: Hang suet feeders from tree branches or poles.

7. Mourning Dove

Soft gray birds with a gentle cooing call. They feed on cracked corn and millet on flat surfaces.

• Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura
• Where Found: Widely across Canada.
• Diet: Seeds, grains.
• Fun Fact: Their soft, sad-sounding cooing gives them their name.
• How to Attract: Scatter seeds on the ground or use platform feeders.

8. Song Sparrow

Known for their melodious singing. They enjoy small seeds and insects near ground level feeders.

• Scientific Name: Melospiza melodia
• Where Found: Gardens, parks, and wetlands across Canada.
• Diet: Seeds, insects.
• Fun Fact: Known for their beautiful, varied song.
• How to Attract: Use ground or platform feeders with millet and sunflower seeds.

9. Red-winged Blackbird

Recognizable by the red and yellow shoulder patches. They thrive near wetlands and enjoy mixed seeds.

• Scientific Name: Agelaius phoeniceus
• Where Found: Wetlands, fields, and suburban yards.
• Diet: Seeds, insects.
• Fun Fact: Males are black with bright red shoulder patches.
• How to Attract: Scatter grains like cracked corn or millet on the ground.

10. Dark-eyed Junco

Winter favorites, these birds sport gray and white feathers. They forage on the ground for millet and cracked corn.

• Scientific Name: Junco hyemalis
• Where Found: Most common in winter across Canada.
• Diet: Seeds, insects.
• Fun Fact: Often called “snowbirds” because they show up in the cold months.
• How to Attract: Sprinkle millet and cracked corn on the ground.

Tips to Make Your Backyard Bird-Friendly

• Install multiple feeder types: Tube, platform, and suet feeders.
• Provide fresh water: Use a birdbath, especially in winter.
• Plant native shrubs and trees: Offer shelter and natural food.
• Avoid pesticides: Harmful to both birds and the insects they eat.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re watching from your kitchen window or logging bird sightings on your phone, birdwatching can be a calming and educational hobby. With a little effort, your Canadian backyard can become a paradise for many of these beautiful birds.