33 Winter Birds in Georgia

Georgia's idea of a hard winter is a morning when you need a jacket and the grocery store runs out of bread (I'm not judging, I've been that person in the bread aisle). So the winter birds in Georgia aren't really here to tough it out. A lot of them are northern birds on vacation, which honestly makes Georgia the Florida of the bird world for anyone flying in from Canada.

The state bird is a local, though. The Brown Thrasher has been Georgia's official state bird since 1970, and it lives here year-round, from the northwest mountains all the way to St. Marys on the coast. In winter it keeps a low profile, scratching through leaf litter under shrubs, so you'll often hear it rustling before you see it.

Types of Winter Birds in Georgia

There are 3 types of birds in Georgia in winter you'll see on this list:

Resident Georgia Birds – species that live here all year and make up most of the feeder crowd
Winter Migrants / Visitors – birds that breed farther north and come to Georgia for the cold months, from juncos and kinglets to ducks, loons, and Sandhill Cranes. Coastal refuges like Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge are at their best for waterfowl in December and January
Irruptive Species – birds like Pine Siskins and Purple Finches that show up in big numbers some winters and barely at all in others, depending on seed crops up north

Each entry covers ID, male vs female, calls, where to find the bird in Georgia, and what it eats at feeders if it visits them. If you're curious why half the Northeast seems to end up in your backyard, here's where birds go in the winter.

1. Northern Cardinal

Family – Cardinalidae
Species – Cardinalis cardinalis
Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Northern Cardinal tops the list for a reason: it was the most widespread bird in Project FeederWatch's Southeast rankings, seen at nearly 98% of the region's counting sites. It's a seed eater with a thick, orange bill built for cracking sunflower hulls.

Males are bright red with a black mask around the bill. Females are a warm tan with reddish edges on the wings, tail, and crest, plus the same orange bill. Both keep that pointed crest, which looks like they've just come back from a very confident salon visit.

The Northern Cardinal song is a loud, clear whistle, often written as birdie-birdie-birdie or cheer-cheer-cheer, and both sexes sing. Their call is a sharp, metallic chip.

In Georgia winters, cardinals are everywhere: suburban yards, thickets, woodland edges, and farm hedgerows from Rabun County to the coast. They like to feed early and late, so the first and last light of the day is your best window.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, safflower, cracked corn on a platform

2. Carolina Chickadee

Family – Paridae
Species – Poecile carolinensis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

If you're used to Black-capped Chickadees from up north, this is the Georgia version. The Carolina Chickadee is the only chickadee that lives in the state, and it acts as the ringleader of winter mixed flocks, with titmice, nuthatches, kinglets, and warblers tagging along behind it.

It's a tiny gray bird with a black cap, black bib, and white cheeks. Males and females look the same.

The Carolina Chickadee call is a fast, buzzy chick-a-dee-dee-dee, and the song is a four-note whistle, fee-bee fee-bay. (Black-capped Chickadees only sing two notes, which makes the Carolina the overachiever of the family.)

In Georgia winters, it's common statewide in woods, parks, and wooded neighborhoods. Chickadees grab one seed at a time and fly off to eat or hide it, so a single bird can look like a whole flock.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, shelled peanuts

3. Tufted Titmouse

Family – Paridae
Species – Baeolophus bicolor
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Tufted Titmouse is the chickadee's sidekick, a little bigger and a lot more opinionated. It eats insects, seeds, and nuts, and it's a regular in Southeast feeder counts, landing in the top five in FeederWatch's regional list.

It's soft gray above and pale below with peachy flanks, a pointed crest, and big black eyes that give it a permanently surprised look. Males and females are identical.

The Tufted Titmouse song is a whistled peter-peter-peter, and it scolds with harsh, chickadee-like notes when something annoys it (usually me, refilling the feeder too slowly).

In Georgia winters, titmice are found statewide in deciduous and mixed woods, parks, and leafy yards, usually traveling with chickadees.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, peanuts, suet

4. Carolina Wren

Family – Troglodytidae
Species – Thryothorus ludovicianus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Carolina Wren is a small bird with a big voice and a habit of exploring places it shouldn't, like garages, flowerpots, and the pocket of a jacket hanging on the porch. It mainly eats insects and spiders, but in winter it'll come to suet.

It's warm rusty brown above and buffy orange below, with a bold white eyebrow stripe and a tail it often cocks upward. Males and females look alike.

The Carolina Wren song is a loud, rolling teakettle-teakettle-teakettle, and it's one of the few birds you'll hear singing on a cold January morning in Georgia. Pairs stay together year-round and often call back and forth.

In Georgia winters, look for it statewide in brushy yards, thickets, and woodland edges, especially near brush piles and tangles of vines.

Feeder favorites: suet, mealworms, peanut pieces

5. Mourning Dove

Family – Columbidae
Species – Zenaida macroura
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Mourning Dove is the bird most likely to be sitting on your power line looking deeply calm about everything. It's a ground-feeding seed eater that stuffs its crop fast and then flies off to digest somewhere quiet, which is a strategy I've used at more than one buffet.

It's slim and soft gray-brown, with black spots on the wings and a long, pointed tail edged in white. Males have a slightly pinkish breast and a bluish crown, while females are a touch browner.

The Mourning Dove call is a low, mournful coo-OO-oo, oo, oo that people often mistake for an owl. Their wings make a whistling sound when they take off.

In Georgia winters, doves are common statewide, especially in farm fields and suburbs, where they gather in loose flocks around feeders.

Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn, black oil sunflower on the ground or a platform

6. American Goldfinch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Spinus tristis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird (more numerous in winter)

The American Goldfinch in winter is a bit of a letdown if you only know it in summer. The bright lemon yellow fades to a dull olive-tan, and suddenly half the people in Georgia think they've got a new mystery finch. Numbers jump in winter as northern goldfinches move in.

In winter, males have a yellowish face and throat and dark wings with crisp white bars, while females are grayer and plainer. Both have a small, pale, cone-shaped bill.

The American Goldfinch call is a cheerful po-ta-to-chip given in their bouncy, roller-coaster flight.

In Georgia winters, goldfinches turn up statewide in weedy fields, woodland edges, and any yard with a tube feeder, often in flocks.

Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips, black oil sunflower

7. Red-bellied Woodpecker

Family – Picidae
Species – Melanerpes carolinus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is named after a field mark you'll almost never see, a faint pinkish wash on the lower belly. (Bird naming committees and I have this in common: we both get attached to the first detail we notice.) It eats insects, acorns, nuts, and fruit, and it stores food in bark crevices.

It has a black-and-white barred back and a pale face. Males have red from the bill all the way over the crown to the nape, while females only have red on the nape.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker call is a rolling kwirr or churr, plus a sharp chiv-chiv.

In Georgia winters, it's common statewide in woodlands, river swamps, and suburbs with mature trees.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower

8. Downy Woodpecker

Family – Picidae
Species – Dryobates pubescens
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America, and it's light enough to feed on weed stems and thin twigs that bigger woodpeckers can't use. It eats insects and larvae and is a regular at suet feeders.

It's black and white with a white stripe down the back and a short, stubby bill. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head, while females don't.

The Downy Woodpecker call is a soft pik and a high, whinnying rattle that falls in pitch.

In Georgia winters, it's found statewide in woods, parks, and backyards, often traveling with chickadees and titmice.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower

9. Blue Jay

Family – Corvidae
Species – Cyanocitta cristata
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Blue Jay is smart, loud, and dramatic about all of it. It eats acorns, seeds, fruit, and insects, and it buries acorns for later, which means a lot of Georgia oaks were planted by jays who forgot where they put things (relatable).

Both sexes are bright blue above and white below, with a black necklace and a crest. Males and females look alike, though males average a little larger.

The Blue Jay call is a harsh jay-jay, but it also gives soft gurgles, squeaky-gate calls, and a convincing imitation of a Red-shouldered Hawk.

In Georgia winters, jays are found statewide in oak woods, neighborhoods, and parks.

Feeder favorites: peanuts in the shell, black oil sunflower, suet

10. House Finch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Haemorhous mexicanus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The House Finch is originally a western bird that spread across the East after being released in New York in the 1940s. It's a seed eater that loves busy feeders and often hangs out in noisy little groups.

Males have a red to orange-red head and breast with blurry streaks on the belly, while females are plain gray-brown and streaky all over.

The House Finch song is a long, jumbled warble that often ends on a rising or buzzy note, and its call is a chirpy cheep.

In Georgia winters, House Finches are found in towns, suburbs, and farmyards statewide, rarely far from people.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, nyjer

11. Brown Thrasher

Family – Mimidae
Species – Toxostoma rufum
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Georgia State Bird (resident)

The Brown Thrasher earned its name from the way it thrashes through dead leaves with its long, curved bill, flinging them aside to find insects, worms, and spiders. In winter it adds berries, fruit, and nuts. Thrashers used to be shy around feeders, but Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division notes they're now often seen at them, especially for suet.

It's a long-tailed bird, rich rusty brown above with two white wing bars, heavy dark streaks on a pale breast, and bright yellow eyes. Males and females look alike.

The thrasher is a mimic like its cousin the mockingbird, and its song is a long string of phrases, each usually repeated twice. In winter it's mostly quiet, giving a loud, sharp smack call from inside a shrub.

In Georgia winters, Brown Thrashers live statewide in thickets, hedges, and brushy yards. They stay low and close to cover, so a feeder near dense shrubs is your best bet.

Feeder favorites: suet (especially mixed with peanut butter), mealworms, seed on the ground

12. Northern Mockingbird

Family – Mimidae
Species – Mimus polyglottos
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of five other states, which suggests excellent PR. In Georgia it's simply a year-round neighbor. In winter it switches to a mostly fruit diet and will defend a holly or berry bush from every other bird in the yard like it's guarding the last sale item on Black Friday.

It's slim and gray with a long tail and big white wing patches that flash when it flies. Males and females look alike.

The Northern Mockingbird song is a long medley of other birds' songs, each phrase usually repeated three or more times. In winter you'll mostly hear a harsh chack call.

In Georgia winters, mockingbirds are common statewide in yards, parks, and open areas with shrubs and fruiting trees.

Feeder favorites: suet, mealworms, chopped fruit

13. Eastern Bluebird

Family – Turdidae
Species – Sialia sialis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Eastern Bluebird is a small thrush that hunts insects from low perches in summer and leans hard on berries in winter. Bluebirds also huddle together in nest boxes on cold nights, so a box left up after nesting season can turn into a winter bunkhouse.

Males are bright blue above with a rusty-orange throat and breast. Females are grayer with blue in the wings and tail and a paler orange breast.

The Eastern Bluebird call is a soft, rising tu-a-wee, and the song is a short, gentle warble.

In Georgia winters, look for small flocks statewide in open country with scattered trees, like pastures, golf courses, and rural roadsides.

Feeder favorites: mealworms, suet nuggets, chopped fruit

14. Dark-eyed Junco

Family – Passerellidae
Species – Junco hyemalis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Dark-eyed Junco is the bird many people call the "snowbird," which feels a little generous in a state where it might snow twice a year. Most of Georgia's juncos fly in from the north for winter and spend it hopping around on the ground under feeders.

Georgia's juncos are the slate-colored type, dark gray above with a white belly and a pale pink bill. Males are a crisp, dark slate, while females are paler gray with a brownish wash. Both flash white outer tail feathers when they fly.

The Dark-eyed Junco call is a sharp tick or smack, and the song is a quick, musical trill.

In Georgia winters, juncos are most common in the northern half of the state, in yards, woodland edges, and brushy fields, and they get scarcer the farther south you go.

Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips scattered on the ground

15. White-throated Sparrow

Family – Passerellidae
Species – Zonotrichia albicollis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The White-throated Sparrow is one of the most abundant winter birds in Georgia, arriving from Canada and the northern woods in fall. It scratches through leaf litter with a two-footed hop-and-kick move that sounds a lot bigger than the bird actually is.

Look for a clean white throat, a gray breast, and a striped head with a yellow spot between the eye and bill. Some birds have white head stripes and others have tan ones. That's not a male-female difference: both sexes come in both forms.

Its whistled song, Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada, is a nice reminder of where it came from. Winter birds also give a sharp chink call and a thin tseet.

In Georgia winters, it's common statewide in thickets, brush piles, and woodland edges, and it loves the ground under a feeder.

Feeder favorites: millet, sunflower chips, cracked corn on the ground

16. Chipping Sparrow

Family – Passerellidae
Species – Spizella passerina
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird (more numerous in winter)

The Chipping Sparrow is a slim little sparrow that's easy to know in spring and surprisingly tricky in winter. Georgia has breeders, and in winter they're joined by northern birds that form flocks on lawns, fields, and the ground below feeders.

In spring it has a bright rusty cap and a black line through the eye. In winter that cap fades to brown and streaky, and the face gets duller, so look for the dark eye line and plain gray breast. Males and females look alike.

The Chipping Sparrow call is a high, thin tsip, and the song is a dry, rapid trill (which you'll mostly hear as spring comes on).

In Georgia winters, flocks are common statewide in open woods, pine stands, farm edges, and suburban lawns.

Feeder favorites: millet, sunflower chips, cracked corn on the ground

17. Eastern Towhee

Family – Passerellidae
Species – Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Eastern Towhee is a big, flashy sparrow that forages by scratching backward with both feet at once, like a kid who's been told not to kick the furniture. You'll usually hear it rustling in the leaves before you spot it.

Males have a black hood, back, and tail, rusty sides, and a white belly. Females have the same pattern, but rich brown replaces the black.

The Eastern Towhee song is the classic drink-your-tea, and its call is a rising chewink.

In Georgia winters, towhees live statewide in thickets, shrubby edges, and overgrown fields, and they'll come into yards with dense cover.

Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips on the ground

18. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Family – Parulidae
Species – Setophaga coronata
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

Most warblers leave the country for winter, but the Yellow-rumped Warbler stays put in the South, and it's an abundant winter visitor to Georgia. Its secret is a digestive system that can handle the waxy berries of wax myrtle and bayberry, which most birds can't.

In winter, both sexes are streaky brown-gray with a bright yellow rump patch and a little yellow on the sides. Males are a bit crisper and darker. Birders affectionately call them "butter butts," which is not the most dignified nickname, but they've earned it.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler call is a sharp, flat check, given often as they forage.

In Georgia winters, it's found statewide, from wax myrtle thickets along the coast to suburban yards and woodland edges, often in loose flocks.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanut butter mixes, mealworms

19. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Family – Regulidae
Species – Corthylio calendula
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a tiny, olive-green bird that flicks its wings so constantly it looks like it had three espressos before sunrise. It eats tiny insects and spiders picked from twigs and leaves, and it sometimes visits suet.

It's olive above with a broken white eye ring and a white wing bar next to a dark patch. Males have a red crown patch, but they keep it hidden most of the time, flashing it when excited. Females don't have the red.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet call is a husky, two-part ji-dit. Its surprisingly loud song is more of a spring thing.

In Georgia winters, it's common statewide in woods, thickets, and shrubby yards, and it often joins chickadee flocks.

Feeder favorites: suet, mealworms

20. Pine Warbler

Family – Parulidae
Species – Setophaga pinus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Pine Warbler is the warbler most likely to show up at a Georgia feeder. It's one of the few warblers that eats a lot of seeds, and it lives in the state's pine woods all year, so a yard with pines and a suet cake is prime real estate.

Males are bright yellow on the throat and breast with olive backs, blurry streaks on the sides, and white wing bars. Females are duller and grayer, and some young birds are so plain they could pass for a different species.

The Pine Warbler song is a soft, musical trill, and you may hear it on warm winter days.

In Georgia winters, it's common statewide wherever there are pines, from the Piedmont to the coastal plain.

Feeder favorites: suet, sunflower chips, peanut butter mixes

21. Brown-headed Nuthatch

Family – Sittidae
Species – Sitta pusilla
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird

The Brown-headed Nuthatch is a southeastern specialty that northern birders actually travel to see, so if you have one at your feeder, congratulations, you're a destination. It lives in mature pine forests and uses bits of bark as tools to pry off other bark scales and find insects.

It's tiny, with a brown cap, a white throat, and a blue-gray back. Males and females look alike.

The Brown-headed Nuthatch call sounds exactly like someone squeezing a rubber duck, given in a chattering series as a family group moves through the pines.

In Georgia winters, it's found in open pine woods across most of the state, especially in the Piedmont and coastal plain, and it'll visit feeders in yards with tall pines.

Feeder favorites: sunflower chips, suet, shelled peanuts

22. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Family – Picidae
Species – Sphyrapicus varius
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a migratory woodpecker that drills neat rows of small holes in tree bark, then comes back to drink the sap and eat the insects it attracts. Other birds, including kinglets, warblers, and even wintering hummingbirds, help themselves at these sap wells.

It's black and white with a bold white wing stripe, a red forehead, and a pale yellow wash on the belly. Males have a red throat, while females have a white throat.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker call is a nasal, cat-like mew. Its drumming is uneven, like someone tapping out Morse code while thinking of something else.

In Georgia winters, it's found statewide in woods and yards. Check trees for rows of tidy holes.

Feeder favorites: suet

23. American Robin

Family – Turdidae
Species – Turdus migratorius
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird (more numerous in winter)

The American Robin in Georgia is both a local and a tourist. Robins nest here, but in winter huge flocks of northern robins pour in, and they swap worms for berries, roaming in groups from holly to holly.

They have a warm orange breast, a gray-brown back, and a dark head. Males have darker heads and richer orange breasts, while females are paler overall.

The American Robin call in winter is a clucking tut-tut-tut and a high see-lip, though you might hear the full cheerily-cheer-up song on mild days.

In Georgia winters, look statewide in woods, river bottoms, and neighborhoods with fruiting trees and shrubs. A flock of robins can strip a holly bush in an afternoon.

Feeder favorites: chopped fruit, softened raisins, mealworms

24. Cedar Waxwing

Family – Bombycillidae
Species – Bombycilla cedrorum
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Cedar Waxwing is a rare nester in the Georgia mountains but common statewide in winter. It's a fruit specialist that travels in tight, roving flocks, landing in a berry tree all at once and vanishing just as fast.

It's sleek and silky tan with a crest, a black mask, a pale yellow belly, and a yellow-tipped tail. Many have bright red waxy tips on their wing feathers. Males and females look alike.

The Cedar Waxwing call is a very high, thin sree, so high some people can't hear it at all.

In Georgia winters, look for flocks anywhere there are cedars, hollies, or other fruiting trees, from city parks to the coast.

Feeder favorites: they rarely use feeders, but they'll visit a bird bath and berry-producing shrubs

25. Hermit Thrush

Family – Turdidae
Species – Catharus guttatus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Hermit Thrush is the only one of the spotted brown thrushes that winters in the U.S., and Georgia's woods are a favorite stop. It eats insects on the forest floor and switches to berries when it's cold.

It's brown above with a reddish tail, a spotted breast, and a thin pale eye ring. It has a habit of raising its tail and slowly lowering it, like it's thinking about something. Males and females look alike.

In winter it's mostly quiet, giving a low chuck call. Its famous flute-like song is saved for the breeding grounds up north (a shame, honestly).

In Georgia winters, it's found statewide in shady woods with thick understory, and sometimes in yards with dense shrubs.

Feeder favorites: mealworms, suet, berries

26. Purple Finch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Haemorhous purpureus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Irruptive Species (uncommon most winters)

The Purple Finch is an irruptive winter visitor in Georgia, so some years they show up at feeders all over the state and some years you'll barely see one. It eats seeds, buds, and fruit.

Males look like they've been dipped in raspberry juice, with color across the head, back, and breast. Females are brown and streaky with a bold white eyebrow and a strong face pattern. House Finches look similar, but Purple Finches have a cleaner, more raspberry color and less streaking.

The Purple Finch call is a sharp pik, and the song is a quick, rich warble.

In Georgia winters, look for them in woodland edges and at feeders, more often in the northern half of the state.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips

27. Pine Siskin

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Spinus pinus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Irruptive Species

The Pine Siskin is a small, streaky finch that only shows up in Georgia in irruption years, when cone crops fail in the north. When they come, they come in flocks and empty feeders fast.

It's brown and heavily streaked, with a thin, pointed bill and flashes of yellow in the wings and tail. Males tend to show more yellow than females.

The Pine Siskin call is a rising, buzzy zreeee, like a tiny zipper. Flocks keep up a steady twittering chatter.

In Georgia winters, siskins can appear anywhere in irruption years, especially at feeders and in pines and sweetgums.

Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips

28. Rufous Hummingbird

Family – Trochilidae
Species – Selasphorus rufus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (uncommon, statewide)

Yes, Georgia gets hummingbirds in winter. If you see one at your feeder between November and February, it's most likely a Rufous Hummingbird, a western species that winters in the Southeast in small numbers. Our guide to Hummingbirds in Georgia: Species, Season Dates, and the Best Native Plants covers the other western visitors that turn up, too.

Males are bright orange-rufous with a glowing red-orange throat. Females and young birds are green above with rusty flanks and rusty at the base of the tail.

The Rufous Hummingbird call is a hard chip, and males make a buzzy, whistling sound with their wings.

In Georgia winters, they show up at backyard nectar feeders all over the state. Keeping one feeder up through winter gives you a decent chance of hosting one.

Feeder favorites: sugar water (1 part sugar to 4 parts water), changed every few days

29. Sandhill Crane

Family – Gruidae
Species – Antigone canadensis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (plus a small resident population in the Okefenokee)

The Sandhill Crane is the bird people hear over Atlanta in November and assume is something mechanical. Nearly the entire Eastern population of cranes migrates over Georgia, many heading to winter in the Okefenokee Swamp and Florida, and a small group lives in the Okefenokee year-round.

It's a tall gray bird, almost four feet tall, with rusty patches on the body and a red crown. Males and females look alike, though males are a bit larger. In flight, look for outstretched necks and legs trailing behind.

The Sandhill Crane call is a loud, rattling gar-oo-oo that can carry more than a mile, so you'll almost always hear them before you see them.

In Georgia winters, look up on clear days in late November and December, especially along the I-75 corridor. On the ground, try Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, where cranes are one of the refuge's notable birds.

30. Bald Eagle

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Georgia Bird (plus winter visitors)

The Bald Eagle is a big fish-eating raptor that also scavenges and steals food from Ospreys, which is the kind of behavior we usually leave out of the national bird's résumé. In Georgia, eagles nest in winter, so this is actually their busy season.

Adults have a dark brown body, white head and tail, and a heavy yellow bill. Young eagles are mottled brown and white and take about five years to get the full adult look. Females are larger than males.

The Bald Eagle call is a weak, high-pitched series of chirps and whistles, surprisingly small for such a big bird.

In Georgia winters, look near large lakes, rivers, and coastal marshes, including Harris Neck NWR, where wintering eagles are part of the regular cast.

31. Northern Harrier

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Circus hudsonius
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Northern Harrier is a slim hawk that hunts by flying low and slow over marshes and fields, tilting side to side and listening for voles and mice. Its face has an owl-like disk that helps it hunt by sound.

Adult males are pale gray above and white below with black wingtips, earning them the nickname "gray ghost." Females are brown and streaky. Both have a bright white rump patch that's easy to spot.

Harriers are mostly silent in winter, though they'll give a rapid kek-kek-kek when disturbed.

In Georgia winters, they're common across most of the state in open fields, farmland, and coastal salt marshes.

32. Bufflehead

Family – Anatidae
Species – Bucephala albeola
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Bufflehead is a small diving duck with a big head, which is where the name comes from (it was originally "buffalo-head," which I'd argue is a little harsh). It dives for small invertebrates and is one of more than 15 duck species that can spend the winter in Georgia.

Males are bright white with a black back and a dark, glossy head with a big white patch behind the eye. Females are gray-brown with a neat white cheek spot.

Buffleheads are mostly quiet in winter, though you might hear a soft growl or squeak.

In Georgia winters, look on large lakes and along the coast. The ocean at Jekyll Island's South Beach is a good place to scan for Buffleheads with scoters, loons, and mergansers.

33. Common Loon

Family – Gaviidae
Species – Gavia immer
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Common Loon spends summers on northern lakes and winters on the water off Georgia's barrier islands and on big inland reservoirs. It's a diving fish-eater with solid bones that help it swim deep.

In winter, it trades its black-and-white checkerboard for plain gray-brown above and white below, with a heavy, dagger-like bill. Males and females look alike.

Loons are mostly quiet in winter. Their famous wailing call is a summer thing, so if you hear it on Lake Lanier in January, someone's phone is probably playing a nature documentary.

In Georgia winters, look on Lake Lanier, Lake Hartwell, and other large lakes, as well as offshore from Jekyll, Tybee, and the other barrier islands.

Georgia Winter Birds FAQ

What birds stay in Georgia during the winter?

Year-round residents like the Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Brown Thrasher, and Blue Jay stay put. They're joined by winter visitors from the north, including Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Heading north? Our guide to winter birds in North Carolina covers who shows up there.

What are the most common backyard birds of Georgia in winter?

In FeederWatch's Southeast list, the top 10 were Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch, and Carolina Chickadee. Black oil sunflower and suet will cover most of them. Fresh water matters too, but here's my honest take: unless you're in the north Georgia mountains, you probably don't need a heated bird bath. A regular one you refill on cold mornings works fine. If you do get hard freezes, see our list of 7 Best Heated Bird Baths for Winter (and Where to Put One).

Do hummingbirds stay in Georgia in winter?

Some do. Most of the winter hummingbirds in Georgia are Rufous Hummingbirds from the West, and a few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds skip migration. Leave at least one feeder up from November through February for a chance at one.

Does the Brown Thrasher stay in Georgia in winter?

Yes. Georgia's state bird lives here year-round. It just gets quieter in winter and spends more time under shrubs, so you'll find it by its smack call or the sound of leaves being tossed around.

When do Sandhill Cranes fly over Georgia?

Mostly from late November into December heading south, and again in late winter heading north. Listen for their rattling calls on clear days, often high over the I-75 corridor.

What Winter Birds Have You Seen in Georgia?

Winter in Georgia is a great time to get outside, since you won't need three layers and hand warmers to enjoy it. Share what's visiting your feeders on the Sparkbird App, and find other birders near you to swap sightings with.

And if you're still waiting on a Rufous Hummingbird in January, don't take it personally. Some of them breed as far away as Alaska, so it's probably just running late.