34 Winter Birds in Indiana

An Indiana winter is mostly gray sky, gray fields, and a gray-brown sparrow you can't quite name (I've made peace with this, mostly). Then a cardinal lands in the snow and the whole state remembers it has a color palette. The good news is that Indiana winter birds aren't hard to find, because a lot of them will come straight to your yard if you feed them.

That cardinal is the main character, too. The Northern Cardinal has been Indiana's official state bird since 1933, and it doesn't migrate, so it's here all winter. The Indiana DNR notes that winter cardinals roam more widely, and where food is good, flocks of 30 or more can gather. Below are 34 birds in Indiana in winter, each with ID tips, calls, where to look, and what they'll eat at a feeder.

Types of Winter Birds in Indiana

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

Resident Indiana Birds – species that live here year-round and often visit feeders
Winter Migrants / Visitors – birds that fly south to Indiana for the winter because, compared with Canada, Indiana is the mild option. (Every January I find this hard to believe.)
Irruptive Species – birds that show up in big, unpredictable numbers in some winters and barely at all in others, usually when seed and cone crops fail up north

Each entry covers ID, male vs female, calls, where to find the bird in Indiana, and feeder favorites if it visits feeders.

1. Northern Cardinal

Family – Cardinalidae
Species – Cardinalis cardinalis
Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
Diurnal
Indiana State Bird (Resident Indiana Bird)

The Northern Cardinal is a seed-cracking omnivore with a thick, cone-shaped bill. In summer it eats plenty of insects, but in winter it switches almost entirely to seeds and leftover fruit, which is why it's such a reliable feeder bird.

Males are bright red with a black face and a red bill. Females are warm tan-brown with red tinges on the wings, tail, and crest, plus the same orange-red bill. Both wear the crest, so the hairstyle isn't a giveaway.

The Northern Cardinal song is a loud, clear series of whistles like cheer-cheer-cheer or birdie-birdie-birdie, and the call is a sharp metallic chip. Females sing too, which isn't true of a lot of songbirds.

Cardinals are found statewide in Indiana, in yards, woodland edges, and anywhere with dense shrubs for cover. Interestingly, the bird isn't originally from here. Indiana Audubon notes cardinals moved north into the state in the late 1800s, around the time Amos Butler was writing his 1898 Birds of Indiana, and were far less common in winter a century ago than they are now. If you want more of them, here's how to attract cardinals in winter.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, safflower, cracked corn

2. Dark-eyed Junco

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

The Dark-eyed Junco is the bird that tells you winter is here. Juncos breed in northern forests and arrive in Indiana in fall, and they're the most widespread feeder bird in Project FeederWatch's Mid-Central region rankings, showing up at nearly 96% of sites.

Indiana's juncos are the "slate-colored" type: gray hood and back, a clean white belly, and a pale pink bill. Males are a darker, crisper gray, and females are paler and washed with brown. Both flash white outer tail feathers when they flush.

The Dark-eyed Junco call is a sharp tick or smack, often given as a flock takes off, and the song is a fast, even trill.

They're statewide in Indiana from about October to April, hopping around under feeders and along brushy edges in small flocks. They're ground feeders at heart, so seed on the ground or a low platform works better than a tube.

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

3. Downy Woodpecker

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

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America, and it'll work a weed stem or a skinny twig that a bigger woodpecker wouldn't bother with. In winter it picks insect larvae out of bark and goes all in on suet.

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, and females don't.

The Downy Woodpecker call is a soft pik plus a descending, whinnying rattle. It also drums on dead branches in late winter as the days get longer.

Downies are found statewide in Indiana in woodlots, parks, and backyards with a few mature trees. They often tag along with chickadee and titmouse flocks.

Feeder favorites: suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts

4. American Goldfinch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Spinus tristis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird

The American Goldfinch stays in Indiana all winter, it just swaps its lemon-yellow summer look for something closer to wet cardboard. It's a strict seed eater that loves thistle, coneflower, and sunflower heads.

In winter, males are olive-brown with a yellowish face and throat and jet-black wings with white bars. Females are duller and grayer, with brownish wings. Both have a small, pale, pointed bill.

The American Goldfinch call is a bouncy po-ta-to-chip given in its roller-coaster flight, plus a rising sweeee contact call.

Goldfinches are statewide in Indiana in weedy fields, gardens left standing, and anywhere with a tube feeder. Leaving your coneflowers uncut through winter gives them a free buffet.

Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips, black oil sunflower

5. Carolina Chickadee

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

The Carolina Chickadee is a tiny gray bird with the energy of someone on their fourth coffee. It eats seeds and dormant insects in winter and hides food in bark crevices to come back to later.

It has a black cap and bib, white cheeks, and a gray back. Males and females look alike. Indiana sits right where two chickadee species meet: Carolinas cover most of the state, and Black-capped Chickadees take over in the north, with a narrow contact zone in northern Indiana where they can be hard to tell apart.

The Carolina Chickadee song is a four-note fee-bee-fee-bay, while the Black-capped sings a two-note fee-bee. Both give a chick-a-dee-dee-dee call, but the Carolina's is faster and higher.

Chickadees are statewide in Indiana in woods, parks, and yards, and they're usually the first bird to find a new feeder.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts

6. House Finch

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

The House Finch is originally a western bird that spread east after being released in New York in the 1940s, and it's now one of the most common feeder birds in Indiana. It's a seed eater that travels in chatty little flocks.

Males have a red to orange-red head and breast with brown streaks on the belly. Females are plain gray-brown with blurry streaks and no strong face pattern.

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

House Finches are statewide in Indiana around towns, suburbs, and farms, wherever there are feeders and buildings to perch on.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, nyjer

7. Blue Jay

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

The Blue Jay is a loud, smart corvid that eats acorns, seeds, and insects, and stashes nuts for winter. Some Blue Jays migrate and some don't, and scientists still haven't fully figured out why, which is honestly how I make most of my travel plans.

Males and females look alike: bright blue above, white below, with a black necklace and a crest. Males are slightly larger.

The Blue Jay call is a harsh jeer, but it also gives soft gurgling notes and a convincing imitation of a Red-shouldered or Red-tailed Hawk.

Blue Jays are statewide in Indiana in oak woods, parks, and neighborhoods. They're often the first to sound the alarm when a hawk shows up.

Feeder favorites: peanuts, black oil sunflower, suet

8. Red-bellied Woodpecker

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

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is the bird people swear should be called the red-headed woodpecker. The red belly is real, it's just a faint pinkish wash you'll only see at the right angle.

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

The Red-bellied Woodpecker call is a rolling churr or kwirr, loud enough to carry across a neighborhood.

It's common statewide in Indiana in woodlands, river corridors, and suburbs with big trees. It eats acorns, nuts, and insects and stores food in bark cracks.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower

9. White-breasted Nuthatch

Family – Sittidae
Species – Sitta carolinensis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird

The White-breasted Nuthatch spends its winter walking headfirst down tree trunks, which lets it spot food that upward-climbing woodpeckers miss. It wedges seeds and nuts into bark and hammers them open.

It's blue-gray above with a white face and breast and a rusty wash under the tail. Males have a glossy black cap, and females usually have a grayer one.

The White-breasted Nuthatch call is a nasal yank-yank, like a very small, very polite car horn.

It's found statewide in Indiana in deciduous woods, parks, and yards with mature trees, often moving with chickadees and titmice.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, peanuts, suet

10. Tufted Titmouse

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

The Tufted Titmouse is a small gray songbird with a pointed crest and big dark eyes that make it look permanently surprised. It eats seeds, nuts, and insects and caches food for later.

It's soft gray above, pale below, with rusty-peach flanks. Males and females look alike.

The Tufted Titmouse song is a loud, whistled peter-peter-peter, and it scolds with harsh, chickadee-like calls.

Titmice are common across Indiana in woods, parks, and yards. They tend to grab one seed, fly off to eat or hide it, and come right back for another.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, peanuts, suet

11. Mourning Dove

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

The Mourning Dove is a ground-feeding seed eater that fills its throat pouch fast, then flies off to digest somewhere safe. In winter, doves often sit in a row on a wire, fluffed up like a shelf of gray dinner rolls.

It's slim and gray-brown with black spots on the wings and a long, pointed tail. Males have a rosy breast and a bluish crown, while females are browner overall.

The Mourning Dove call is a soft, mournful coo-OO-oo-oo-oo, often mistaken for an owl. Their wings make a whistling sound on takeoff.

Mourning Doves are statewide in Indiana in farm country, towns, and suburbs, often in flocks around feeders and grain fields.

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

12. Carolina Wren

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

The Carolina Wren is a small, round, rusty-brown bird with a cocked tail and a voice far too big for its body. It's mostly an insect eater, so hard winters with long ice and snow cover can knock back its numbers in the northern part of its range.

It's warm brown above, buffy below, with a bold white eyebrow. Males and females look alike.

The Carolina Wren song is a loud, rolling teakettle-teakettle-teakettle that you'll hear even in January. Mated pairs often stay together year-round.

Carolina Wrens are common in southern and central Indiana in brushy woods, overgrown yards, and woodpiles, and less common in the north. A brush pile in the corner of the yard is basically a wren hotel.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, mealworms

13. Northern Flicker

Family – Picidae
Species – Colaptes auratus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird (some migrate)

The Northern Flicker is a woodpecker that'd rather be on the ground. In warm months it eats mostly ants, and in winter it adds berries and seeds. Some Indiana flickers head south, but plenty stay.

It's brown with black bars and spots, a black bib, and a white rump patch you'll see when it flies. Indiana birds are the "yellow-shafted" form, with bright yellow under the wings and tail. Males have a black mustache stripe, and females don't.

The Northern Flicker call is a loud kyeer and a long, rolling wick-wick-wick-wick.

Flickers are found across Indiana in open woods, parks, and yards with lawns and big trees.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts

14. Hairy Woodpecker

Family – Picidae
Species – Dryobates villosus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird

The Hairy Woodpecker looks like the Downy Woodpecker after a growth spurt. Same black-and-white outfit, but bigger, with a much longer bill.

The bill is the giveaway: on a Hairy it's nearly as long as the head, while a Downy's is short and stubby. Males have a red patch on the back of the head, and females don't.

The Hairy Woodpecker call is a sharp, loud peek, louder than a Downy's, plus a rattle that stays on one pitch.

Hairies are found statewide in Indiana in mature forests and wooded neighborhoods, but they're less common at feeders than Downies.

Feeder favorites: suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts

15. American Robin

Family – Turdidae
Species – Turdus migratorius
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird

The American Robin doesn't leave Indiana in winter, it just stops showing up on your lawn. Frozen ground means no worms, so winter robins switch to fruit and travel in nomadic flocks between berry trees.

Robins have a dark gray back and a warm orange breast. Males have a darker, almost black head, while females are paler overall.

In winter you'll mostly hear the American Robin call, a low tut-tut and sharp peek, rather than its cheery spring song.

Look for robin flocks in Indiana woods and neighborhoods with crabapples, hawthorns, and cedar trees still holding fruit. They're a regular in FeederWatch counts but rarely eat seed.

Feeder favorites: chopped apples, softened raisins, mealworms

16. European Starling

Family – Sturnidae
Species – Sturnus vulgaris
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird (Non-Native Species)

The European Starling was introduced to North America in the 1890s and has since covered the continent. In winter it forms huge flocks that sweep across fields and sometimes swarm a suet feeder in seconds.

In winter, starlings are glossy black covered in white spots, with a dark bill. By spring the spots wear off and the bill turns yellow. Males and females look very similar.

The European Starling song is a messy mix of whistles, clicks, and rattles, and it's an excellent mimic of other birds and even car alarms.

Starlings are statewide in Indiana around farms, cities, and suburbs, especially near livestock and grain.

Feeder favorites: suet, cracked corn

17. House Sparrow

Family – Passeridae
Species – Passer domesticus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird (Non-Native Species)

The House Sparrow is a non-native seed eater that lives wherever people do. In winter it huddles in flocks in hedges, eaves, and barns.

Males have a gray cap, chestnut sides to the head, and a black bib. Females are plain buff-brown with a pale stripe behind the eye.

The House Sparrow call is a steady, repeated cheep or chirp, the soundtrack of every gas station parking lot.

House Sparrows are found statewide in Indiana in towns, cities, and farmsteads, and almost never far from buildings.

Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn, sunflower seed

18. White-throated Sparrow

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

The White-throated Sparrow is a winter visitor that scratches through leaf litter under shrubs for seeds. It's one of the easier sparrows to ID, which as a person who calls most sparrows "that brown one," I appreciate.

It has a crisp white throat and a yellow spot between the eye and bill. Adults come in two forms, one with white head stripes and one with tan head stripes, and both forms include males and females.

The White-throated Sparrow song is a clear whistle, often written as Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada. It even sings a bit on mild winter days.

In Indiana it winters in brushy edges, thickets, and yards with dense shrubs, and it's especially common in the southern half of the state.

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

19. American Tree Sparrow

Family – Passerellidae
Species – Spizelloides arborea
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The American Tree Sparrow breeds near the Arctic tree line and comes to Indiana for winter. Despite the name, it's usually on the ground, picking weed and grass seeds.

Look for a rusty cap, a rusty line behind the eye, a gray face, a two-toned bill (dark on top, yellow below), and a dark spot in the middle of a plain breast. Males and females look alike.

The American Tree Sparrow call is a high tseet, and winter flocks make a soft, musical twitter.

In Indiana it winters statewide in weedy fields, hedgerows, and marsh edges, and it'll visit feeders near brushy cover.

Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn scattered on the ground

Past the halfway mark. If you've spotted most of these from your kitchen window, congratulations on your very productive coffee breaks.

20. Eastern Bluebird

Family – Turdidae
Species – Sialia sialis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird (some migrate)

The Eastern Bluebird surprises a lot of people in winter. Some leave Indiana, but small flocks stick around, switching from insects to berries like sumac, dogwood, and cedar.

Males are bright royal 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, low tu-a-wee, and the song is a gentle, warbling chur-lee.

In Indiana, look for bluebirds perched on fences and wires along brushy field edges, orchards, and golf courses. On cold nights several will pile into one nest box to stay warm.

Feeder favorites: mealworms, suet, chopped berries

21. Red-breasted Nuthatch

Family – Sittidae
Species – Sitta canadensis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Irruptive Species

The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a northern conifer bird that moves south in big numbers when cone crops fail. Some winters Indiana has plenty, and others you'll barely see one.

It's blue-gray above with a black cap, a black stripe through the eye, a white eyebrow, and a rusty breast. Females have a grayer cap and paler underparts than males.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch call is a nasal yank-yank, higher and more tinny than the White-breasted's, like a toy horn.

In Indiana, check pine plantations, spruce trees in parks and cemeteries, and feeders near evergreens.

Feeder favorites: suet, shelled peanuts, black oil sunflower

22. Pine Siskin

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

The Pine Siskin is a small, streaky finch that wanders wherever the seed crop is good. In big flight years, flocks pour into Indiana feeders and take over the nyjer.

It's brown and heavily streaked with a thin, pointed bill and yellow edges on the wings and tail that flash in flight. Males and females look similar, though some males show more yellow.

The Pine Siskin call is a rising, buzzy zreeeee, like a tiny zipper, plus a lot of twittering.

In irruption years, siskins can show up anywhere in Indiana, especially at feeders and in conifer stands. It ranks in the top 20 Mid-Central feeder birds in FeederWatch counts, but it's a boom-or-bust bird.

Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips

23. Purple Finch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Haemorhous purpureus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (uncommon)

The Purple Finch is a northern finch that's easy to mistake for a House Finch, and an uncommon winter visitor to Indiana. Numbers vary a lot from year to year.

Males look like they were dipped in raspberry juice, with rosy-red color over the head, back, and breast and no brown streaks on the belly. Females are brown and white with bold streaks and a strong white eyebrow, which a female House Finch doesn't have.

The Purple Finch call is a short, dry pik in flight, and the song is a fast, rich warble.

In Indiana, look for Purple Finches at feeders near woods and in conifer and hardwood edges. Check every flock of House Finches, because Purple Finches often hide in plain sight.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, nyjer

24. Redpoll

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Acanthis flammea
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Irruptive Species (rare, mostly northern Indiana)

You may know it as the Common Redpoll or Hoary Redpoll, but in 2024 the American Ornithological Society lumped them into one species: the Redpoll. In Indiana it's a rare irruptive finch, showing up in flocks in some winters and not at all in others.

It's a small, streaky finch with a red cap and a black chin. Males have a pinkish wash on the breast, and females are streakier with little or no pink. Some birds are much frostier and paler than others, which is where the old Hoary name came from.

The Redpoll call is a dry, rattling chit-chit-chit and a buzzy, rising zweee.

When they come, redpolls are most likely in northern Indiana, feeding on birch seeds, in weedy fields, and at nyjer feeders. They've turned up as rarities at the nature center feeders at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips

25. Sandhill Crane

Family – Gruidae
Species – Antigone canadensis
Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (some overwinter)

The Sandhill Crane puts on Indiana's biggest bird show. Every fall, thousands stop at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northwest Indiana, peaking in late November or early December. The DNR's weekly count hit 32,938 cranes on November 28, 2023. And cranes don't always leave. Purdue's wildlife experts note that Sandhill Cranes now often stay in Indiana through the winter, moving south only when a hard freeze locks up open water.

It's a tall gray bird with long legs, a long neck, and a red crown. Many adults look rusty-brown because they preen iron-rich mud into their feathers. Males and females look alike, though males are a bit larger.

The Sandhill Crane call is a loud, rolling, trumpeting garoo-oo-oo you can hear from far away. Pairs call in sync, which is more teamwork than I manage when assembling furniture.

At Jasper-Pulaski, watch from the observation platform at sunrise as flocks leave for farm fields, or about an hour before sunset as they fly back in. The roosting marshes are closed to visitors, and that's how it should be. The cranes' rest comes before our photos, every time. Bring binoculars or a spotting scope, since the birds are usually several hundred yards out.

26. Bald Eagle

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird (more arrive in winter)

The Bald Eagle nests in Indiana year-round, and in winter more birds move in from the north, gathering wherever water stays open. It eats mostly fish, but it'll happily scavenge or steal a meal from another bird.

Adults have a dark brown body, a white head and tail, and a big yellow bill. Young eagles are mottled brown and white and take about five years to get the full adult look. Males and females look alike, but females are larger.

The Bald Eagle call is a surprisingly weak, high chittering, nothing like the scream movies give it (that's usually a Red-tailed Hawk).

In Indiana winters, look for eagles along big rivers, below dams, and on reservoirs with open water, often perched in tall trees near the shore.

27. Red-tailed Hawk

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Buteo jamaicensis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird

The Red-tailed Hawk is the hawk you see on every Indiana highway drive, sitting on a light pole or a lone tree like it's waiting for a bus. It hunts voles, mice, and rabbits in fields and road edges.

Most adults are brown above and pale below with a band of streaks across the belly and a brick-red tail. Males and females look alike, but females are larger.

The Red-tailed Hawk call is a hoarse, screaming kee-eeeer, the sound movies use for basically every bird of prey.

Red-tails are common statewide in Indiana, especially in farm country and along interstates. In winter, check every one closely, because a Rough-legged Hawk might be sitting on the next pole.

28. Cooper's Hawk

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Astur cooperii
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird

The Cooper's Hawk is the hawk most likely to visit your feeder, and not for the sunflower seeds. It hunts songbirds and doves, chasing them through branches at high speed. (In 2024, the AOS moved it into the genus Astur, so you may still see the old Accipiter name.)

Adults are blue-gray above with a reddish-barred breast, a dark cap, and a long, rounded tail. Females are noticeably bigger than males.

The Cooper's Hawk call is a loud, repeated kak-kak-kak, though it's mostly silent when hunting.

Cooper's Hawks are found statewide in Indiana, including in towns and suburbs where feeders concentrate prey. If your yard suddenly goes quiet, look up.

29. Rough-legged Hawk

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Buteo lagopus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (uncommon, open country)

The Rough-legged Hawk breeds in the Arctic and comes south to hunt rodents in open fields. It's one of the few hawks that hovers in place while it searches the ground.

It has feathered legs all the way to the toes, a small bill, and long wings with dark patches at the wrists. Light birds have a white tail with a dark band at the tip, and some are almost entirely dark. Females and young birds usually show a solid dark belly band, while adult males tend to look more mottled on the chest.

Rough-legs are mostly quiet in winter but can give a high, mewing whistle.

In Indiana, they're uncommon and most often in big grasslands and open farm country. Audubon's guide to birding in Indiana notes that in winter Rough-legged Hawks and Short-eared Owls hunt the grasslands at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area near Linton, and both turn up at Willow Slough too.

30. Short-eared Owl

Family – Strigidae
Species – Asio flammeus
Primary Activity Time – Dusk and Dawn
Crepuscular
Winter Migrant / Visitor (uncommon, grasslands)

The Short-eared Owl is an owl of open country, not woods. It hunts voles over grasslands and marshes, flying low with floppy, moth-like wingbeats, often starting before sunset on gray days.

It's tawny-buff with streaks, a pale face with dark rings around yellow eyes, and tiny ear tufts you rarely see. Females are usually darker and more buff, and males are paler.

Short-eared Owls are mostly quiet in winter, though they can give a raspy, barking kee-yow.

In Indiana they're uncommon but seen most winters, mainly in the northern half of the state and in large grasslands like Goose Pond. Watch from your car at dusk and keep your distance from roosts, since disturbing them costs energy they need to survive the cold.

31. Great Horned Owl

Family – Strigidae
Species – Bubo virginianus
Primary Activity Time – Night
Nocturnal
Resident Indiana Bird

The Great Horned Owl is Indiana's biggest common owl, and it nests absurdly early. Pairs start hooting in late December, and some are already sitting on eggs in January or February, often in an old Red-tailed Hawk nest.

It's mottled brown-gray with big ear tufts, yellow eyes, and a white throat patch. Males and females look alike, but females are larger. The male's hoot is deeper, even though he's the smaller bird.

The Great Horned Owl call is a deep, soft hoo-h'HOO-hoo-hoo, and pairs often call back and forth at dusk.

Great Horned Owls are statewide in Indiana in woods, farm groves, and even city parks.

32. Snowy Owl

Family – Strigidae
Species – Bubo scandiacus
Primary Activity Time – Day and Dusk
Diurnal
Irruptive Species (rare, mostly northern Indiana)

The Snowy Owl is an Arctic owl that hunts lemmings on the tundra. In some winters, a few wander south into Indiana, and it's a big deal when one shows up.

It's a large white owl with yellow eyes. Adult males can be almost pure white, while females and young birds have heavy dark barring. Unlike most owls, it often hunts in daylight.

Snowy Owls are mostly silent in winter.

A few reach Indiana most winters, but they're rare south of Indianapolis. Look in open, flat places that remind them of the tundra: big farm fields, airports, and the Lake Michigan shoreline. The National Park Service lists it among the winter visitors to look for at Indiana Dunes National Park, along with juncos. Give them lots of space, because a stressed owl burns calories it can't spare.

33. Horned Lark

Family – Alaudidae
Species – Eremophila alpestris
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident Indiana Bird (large winter flocks)

The Horned Lark is a ground bird of bare, open fields, and in winter it gathers in flocks that swirl up from plowed ground or roadsides. It eats weed seeds and waste grain.

It's sandy brown with a black mask, a black chest band, a yellowish face, and two tiny feather "horns." Males have bolder black markings and more obvious horns than females.

The Horned Lark call is a high, thin tinkling, and flocks twitter as they fly.

In Indiana, look for Horned Larks in big farm fields and along rural roads, especially after snow, when they move to bare spots. Check the flock for Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings, which sometimes mix in, mostly in the north.

34. Common Merganser

Family – Anatidae
Species – Mergus merganser
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Common Merganser is a big, sleek diving duck with a thin, serrated bill for gripping fish. It arrives in Indiana in late fall and sticks to open water as lakes freeze. (Think of it as a duck with a built-in bread knife, minus the bread, because we never feed birds bread.)

Males are mostly white with a dark green head and a bright red bill. Females are gray with a rusty, shaggy-crested head and a white chin.

Common Mergansers are usually quiet in winter, with males giving low croaks.

In Indiana, look for them on Lake Michigan, big reservoirs, and rivers with open water, often in groups diving in unison.

Indiana Winter Birds FAQ

What birds stay in Indiana in the winter?

Year-round residents include the Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and White-breasted Nuthatch. They're joined by winter visitors like Dark-eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, and White-throated Sparrows, plus irruptive finches in some years. Next door has a similar mix, so see our guides to winter birds in Ohio and winter birds in Illinois.

What birds come to feeders in Indiana in winter?

In FeederWatch's Mid-Central region, the top five feeder birds are Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, and chickadees. House Finch, Blue Jay, House Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and White-breasted Nuthatch round out the top 10. Black oil sunflower and suet will bring in most of them.

Do cardinals stay in Indiana in the winter?

Yes. Cardinals don't migrate, so Indiana's state bird is here all winter. They often gather in loose flocks in winter, so you may see a dozen at once around a good feeder with thick shrubs nearby.

Are there Snowy Owls in Indiana?

Yes, but only a few, and not every winter. They're most likely in northern Indiana, in big open fields, at airports, and along the Lake Michigan shore, and they're rare south of Indianapolis. If you're hoping for more chances, the shoreline in our winter birds in Michigan guide gets them more often.

Where can I see Sandhill Cranes in Indiana?

Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northwest Indiana is the top spot, with crane numbers peaking from late November to early December. Go at sunrise or about an hour before sunset and watch from the observation platform. Some cranes stay in Indiana all winter if water stays open.

What is the best bird seed for Indiana winter birds?

Black oil sunflower attracts the widest range of birds in Indiana. Add suet for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and wrens, nyjer for goldfinches and siskins, and millet on the ground for juncos and sparrows. Skip bread entirely, since it has almost no nutrition for birds.

What birds have you seen in Indiana lately?

Share your sightings on the Sparkbird App, and see what other Hoosier birders are spotting near you. It's free on the Apple App Store.

And if you drive out to Jasper-Pulaski and the cranes skip sunset, don't worry. You've still had a lovely evening standing in a field with strangers, which is what birding is, really.

Happy Birding.