Minnesota in January is the kind of cold that makes me reconsider every life choice that led me outdoors (I complain when my coffee goes lukewarm). And yet the winter birds in Minnesota look at minus 20 and decide to stay. This list covers 38 of them, from feeder regulars to the irruptive drop-ins that make birders cancel plans.
One famous name you won't find here: the state bird. The Common Loon became Minnesota's state bird in 1961, and it has the good sense to leave once the lakes freeze, spending winter on open water far to the south. If you've ever wondered where birds go in the winter, the loon is your poster child.
Every species that visits feeders gets a "Feeder favorites" line, so you know what to stock. Our guide to the best bird food covers the rest, and please skip the bread entirely: it fills birds up without actually feeding them.
The 4 Types of Winter Birds in Minnesota
- Irruptive Species – irregular, large movements of birds outside their normal winter range, usually driven by a "boom-and-bust" cycle in food like cones and seeds
- Resident Minnesota Bird – native or non-native species that stay year-round instead of migrating
- Native Minnesota Bird – birds that evolved or originated in Minnesota
- Migratory / Visitor – birds that migrate to Minnesota for winter from their breeding grounds
The formal term for a bird that's naturally from a region and lives there year-round is a Resident Bird, but for this guide we don't distinguish between native and resident birds.
1. Pileated Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Dryocopus pileatus
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native Minnesota Bird
The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America outside the Ivory-billed.
They feed heavily on carpenter ants, beetle larvae, and other wood-boring insects, but will also visit suet feeders in winter. Their dramatic excavations create important cavities for owls, ducks, and small mammals.
Feeder favorites: suet
Pileated Woodpecker - Male vs Female
Both have bold black plumage with white wing patches and a prominent red crest (how you'd think a stereotypical woodpecker looks). A male Pileated Woodpecker has a red stripe on its cheek, though, whereas a female Pileated Woodpecker has a black one.
A Pileated Woodpecker sounds like a ringing "kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk" that's reminiscent of a monkey. Similarly, a Pileated Woodpecker drumming sound on hollow trees is slower and more resonant than other woodpeckers.
In winter the Pileated Woodpecker's range spans the state wherever there are mature forests, wooded river corridors, and suburban areas with large trees.
2. Pine Grosbeak
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Pinicola enucleator
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
- Crepuscular
- Irruptive
The Pine Grosbeak is one of many irruptive winter birds in Minnesota. It's a stout finch that favors a granivorous and frugivorous diet, taking seeds, buds, and winter berries.
Its calm demeanor and slow feeding pace make it approachable in winter towns.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower on platform feeders
Males show a rosy-red wash over gray wings and tail, while females are olive-yellow with the same gray patterning. This irruptive Minnesota bird sounds like a mellow, whistled tee-tee-tew that carries on cold air.
In Minnesota winters the Pine Grosbeak range is across northern Minnesota, especially near conifer forests and towns with mountain-ash or crabapple trees.
3. Trumpeter Swan
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Cygnus buccinator
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native Minnesota Bird (some migrate short distances)
The Trumpeter Swan is North America's largest native waterfowl species. They're known for their dramatic recovery after near-extirpation. Extirpation is like extinction in a specific area, and for the Trumpeter Swan it was caused by unregulated hunting and habitat loss in the 1800s.
Which is why Trumpeter Swan hunting is illegal.
They're bright white with long necks and a stately silhouette. Their black bills distinguish them from Mute Swans, which have orange bills. Trumpeter Swan size is between 20 and 30 lbs with wingspans of 4 to 5 feet, which also makes them easy to tell apart from geese in flight.
A Trumpeter Swan call is a trumpet-like "honk" or "oooohp", hence the name.
Their winter range in Minnesota is mostly southern and central Minnesota, where waters stay partially unfrozen.
4. White-winged Crossbill
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Loxia leucoptera
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Irruptive
A granivorous cone specialist, the White-winged Crossbill targets spruce and tamarack cones, extracting seeds with its crossed bill. It may feed continuously through short winter days.
Males are pinkish-red with striking white wing bars, while females have yellowish feathers with the same bold wing pattern.
The White-winged Crossbill call is a short and shallow "jip jip jip". Some have even likened it to the sound of a cartoon laser beam. It's another distinct song among the Minnesota bird sounds that makes it an easy bird to ID by sound.
A White-winged Crossbill's range during irruption is irregular but centers on conifer bogs, spruce stands, and tamarack swamps.
5. European Starling
- Family – Sturnidae
- Species – Sturnus vulgaris
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Resident Minnesota Bird (Non-Native)
The European Starling is an introduced species that has spread widely as an invasive species that outcompetes native birds for nesting spots. These omnivores feed on insects, fruits, grains, and human refuse.
Starlings show iridescent dark plumage with speckled patterns in winter and pointed yellow bills in breeding season. Their triangular wings and rapid flight make them easy to identify in flocks.
A female European Starling is more brown than black on its back compared to a male European Starling.
Feeder favorites: suet (often more of it than you planned to share)
The European Starling bird call is extensive: whistles, clicks, harsh notes, and even mimicry of other birds. Winter flocks constantly chatter, especially around roosts.
European Starlings remain in Minnesota year-round throughout the state.
6. Ruffed Grouse
- Family – Phasianidae
- Species – Bonasa umbellus
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native Minnesota Bird
The Ruffed Grouse is known for its remarkable snow-roosting behavior and its preference for young aspen forests.
Its cryptic brown or gray plumage blends seamlessly with leafless woodlands and snowy forest floors. Sharp-tailed Grouse vs Ruffed Grouse: the difference is in the tail.
A Ruffed Grouse call is soft clucks, low grunts, and sudden, powerful wingbeats as it bursts from cover. These explosive flushes are often the primary cue to its presence, but the Ruffed Grouse call is not loud enough to ID by sound per se.
Ruffed Grouse range in northern and central Minnesota is among aspen forests, mixed woodlands, and brushy uplands.
7. Pine Siskin
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus pinus
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Irruptive
The Pine Siskin is a strongly granivorous bird with a fine bill. It often feeds on conifer seeds, alders, and birches, and readily visits nyjer seed and sunflower chips at feeders. It supplements with small insects in mild spells.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips
They're streaky brown with subtle yellow flashes in the wings and tail.
A Pine Siskin call is buzzy, often giving rising "zreee" sounds and chatter. They roam widely with cone availability. Their appearance won't make them easy amidst Minnesota bird identification, but their call makes them a slightly easier bird to ID by sound.
Numbers can build statewide in irruption winters, making the Pine Siskin range quite expansive around conifer stands and well-stocked feeders.
8. Purple Finch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Haemorhous purpureus
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Irruptive
A robust finch that is largely granivorous and frugivorous, the Purple Finch feeds on tree seeds and winter fruit and readily visits sunflower feeders. Buds and blossoms are taken when available.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower
Males are raspberry-washed over the head and breast without strong streaking, and females are brown with bold facial lines. The males are one of the prettiest winter birds in Minnesota during irruption, in my opinion.
The Purple Finch call sounds like a rich, rolling warble of soft "pik" and "tek" sounds. Its bird call reminds me of a loquacious busybody you run into while doing errands.
Irruptions bring this species into the northern forests of Minnesota, but it can also show up at feeders statewide.
- Related: Winter Birds in Michigan
9. Blue Jay
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Cyanocitta cristata
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Native & Resident Minnesota Bird
An omnivorous corvid that eats acorns, seeds, fruits, and insects. It is a regular at peanut and sunflower feeders. Jays cache nuts and broadcast alarm calls around predators.
Feeder favorites: peanuts, black oil sunflower
Female vs Male Blue Jay: both are nearly identical, with bold blue plumage, a black necklace, and crisp white underparts. Male and female Blue Jays are bold, noisy, and social.
One way to tell the males from the females is their slightly larger size. They also share domestic duties (i.e. building the nest).
A Blue Jay call ranges from jeer alarms to soft whistles and uncanny hawk imitations, all with a flat or falling call pattern. To the novice birder a Blue Jay call can sound like a crow. The Blue Jay mating call is more melodic and cheery.
This year-round native can be found mingling with winter birds in Minnesota everywhere.
10. Bohemian Waxwing
- Family – Bombycillidae
- Species – Bombycilla garrulus
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Irruptive
A silky, crested songbird, the Bohemian Waxwing is primarily frugivorous in winter, flocking to mountain-ash, crabapple, and cedar berries. It also eats insects when a thaw allows. Its communal feeding can strip fruiting trees rapidly.
They're larger and duskier than Cedar Waxwings, with chestnut undertail coverts, a yellow-tipped tail, a slicked-back mohawk, and a neat black mask that looks like winged eyeliner. Males and females look nearly identical.
The Bohemian Waxwing call is a high-pitched ringing trill that sounds like a "sreeee". Their song has also been likened to a toy laser sound.
As far as Minnesota bird identification in the winter goes, the striking appearance and bird call alike make the Bohemian Waxwing easy to ID.
Occasional irruptions reach Minnesota's northern towns and boreal regions.
11. Snowy Owl
- Family – Strigidae
- Species – Bubo scandiacus
- Primary Activity Time – Day and Night
- Irruptive
The Snowy Owl is a powerful arctic bird of prey that mainly eats small mammals, especially lemmings. Along coasts it will also take waterfowl and shorebirds, but in wintering areas it hunts from open perches and ground vantage points.
They're a large pale white owl, easy to miss against a snowy background. You may know the Snowy Owl from Harry Potter as Hedwig. Hedwig is actually a female Snowy Owl in the books but is portrayed by male Snowy Owls in the movies. Young or female Snowy Owls show heavier dark barring, whereas adult males can appear nearly pure white.
Snowy Owl size varies in that females are usually larger than males, and their wingspan can reach nearly 5.5 feet. The call is a booming double hoot, though wintering birds are often silent and rely on sight to hunt.
In Minnesota, Snowy Owl range spans open shorelines, airports, and farm fields in northern and central Minnesota.
12. Mallard
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Anas platyrhynchos
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native & Resident Minnesota Bird
The Mallard duck is a common dabbler. They feed on plants, seeds, and small invertebrates. Their adaptability enables them to remain in heavily populated areas year-round.
A Mallard duck's colors are the quintessential glossy green head and yellow bill for males. A Mallard hen, or female, is mottled brown with an orange bill. Both show blue wing patches, or speculums, in flight.
Mallards are the stereotypical Barbie of the duck world: the Mallard duck call is merely a simple "quack". This Barbie is actually the reason behind Weird Duck Season.
They overwinter across Minnesota, making the Mallard duck's range as widespread as there are unfrozen waters.
13. Great Gray Owl
- Family – Strigidae
- Species – Strix nebulosa
- Primary Activity Time – Dusk (Nocturnal)
- Irruptive
This carnivorous owl specializes in small mammals, taken by plunging through snow after pinpointing movement with exceptional hearing. It hunts from low perches at forest edges and meadows.
The Great Gray Owl sports an enormous facial disk with concentric rings, yellow eyes, and a long tail. Its plumage is silver-gray and finely barred.
A Great Gray Owl call is a deep, muffled yet resonant series of hoots. It's usually quiet, but when vocal the Great Gray Owl call is unmistakable.
A rare irruptive visitor among the winter birds of Minnesota, the Great Gray Owl's range is mostly northeastern Minnesota's bogs and boreal forests, especially around Sax-Zim Bog.
14. Canada Goose
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Branta canadensis
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native Minnesota Bird
Canada Geese feed on grasses, grains, aquatic vegetation, and waste grain in harvested fields. They're what I call the ankle biters of birds (despite not having teeth) because they're known to bite and attack people when threatened.
Recognized by their black heads and necks, they also have a bold white chinstrap and gray-brown bodies. Their V-shaped migratory flocks are iconic across the Midwest.
There are 7 subspecies of Canada Geese: Atlantic, Dusky, Giant, Interior, Lesser, Moffitt's, and Vancouver. Minnesota is home to Giant and Interior Canada Geese.
A Canada Goose call sounds like a resonant "honk honk".
Many Canada Geese overwinter in Minnesota in cities, farm fields, river valleys, and open-water lakes throughout southern and central Minnesota.
15. Common Goldeneye
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Bucephala clangula
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Migratory / Visitor
The Common Goldeneye Duck is a diver that's chiefly piscivorous and invertivorous, taking small fish, aquatic insects, and mussels. It forages underwater and often gathers in rafts on open water.
Males show a dark green head with a round white cheek spot and a crisp black-and-white body. Females are brown-headed with gray bodies. The Common Goldeneye Duck has a yellow-gold eye, which will help with your Minnesota bird identification this winter.
A Common Goldeneye Duck sounds like a brief, sharp "peent" or "gack".
Its wingbeats are notably whistling in flight, which makes it an easier bird to ID by sound (video warning: hunter-generated content).
Goldeneye Ducks can be seen on large rivers, the Lake Superior shoreline, and other major waters that remain partially open.
16. Northern Cardinal
- Family – Cardinalidae
- Species – Cardinalis cardinalis
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Native Minnesota Bird
The Northern Cardinal is an omnivore that eats seeds, fruits, and insects. This canonical winter bird relies heavily on sunflower, safflower, and berries, often foraging low in shrubs and at platform feeders.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, safflower
Males are vivid red with a black mask and crest. A female Northern Cardinal, on the other hand, is warm brown with an orange bill and subtle red highlights. Both the male and female Northern Cardinal have a crest that looks like an expertly styled mohawk.
The Northern Cardinal sounds like a clear, whistled cheer-cheer-cheer with varied phrases. Some of the Northern Cardinal's calls are to the tune of a cartoon plane dropping bombs, making it recognizable among other Minnesota bird species.
Found statewide in Minnesota's settled areas, it's hard to miss if you're bird watching in Minnesota.
17. Wild Turkey
- Family – Phasianidae
- Species – Meleagris gallopavo
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native Minnesota Bird (reintroduced)
Wild Turkeys are large, ground-dwelling birds that forage on seeds, nuts, insects, and plants.
A male Wild Turkey, a.k.a. "Tom" or "Gobbler", has an iridescent bronze body, long legs, beard feathers, and a fan-shaped tail, while females are smaller and duller. Wild Turkey calls include yelps, clucks, purrs, and gobbles.
They overwinter throughout much of Minnesota and rely on shelter provided by woodlots, thick cover, and reliable food sources like nut-bearing trees.
- Related: 10 Wild Turkey Facts
18. Hairy Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Dryobates villosus
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Native Minnesota Bird
A larger cousin of the Downy, this omnivorous woodpecker consumes beetle larvae and other insects, and readily takes suet and nuts. It forages on larger trunks and limbs.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower
Hairy Woodpecker vs Downy Woodpecker: a longer bill and larger size than the Downy, but similarly patterned in black and white. Its bill is nearly as long as its head, a much bigger beak-to-head ratio than the Downy's.
A male Hairy Woodpecker has a red patch on the back of its head. A female Hairy Woodpecker looks the same, minus the red.
A Hairy Woodpecker sounds like a sharp "peek" and a rattly, longer whinny.
Common across Minnesota's mature woodlands, parks, and yards in winter.
19. American Crow
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Resident & Partial Migrant
An omnivore that consumes seeds, carrion, invertebrates, and human refuse. Winter roosts can number in the thousands near cities, as it's highly adaptable and social.
An American Crow diet consists of almost everything from frogs to bugs and seeds. It's an opportunistic feeder whose diet reflects its city roots.
The American Crow is entirely black with a heavy bill and broad wings. Not to mention it's often mistaken for a raven, which can make for difficult bird identification (see #37 for the tiebreaker).
American Crow calls are prolific, about 20 or so in all. Their coos and caws make the American Crow call unmistakable yet harsh on the ears.
They're common statewide through winter in Minnesota, although local movements occur. Look for evening flights to communal roosts in urban areas while bird watching in Minnesota.
20. Dark-eyed Junco
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Junco hyemalis
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Migratory / Visitor
The Dark-eyed Junco is a granivorous sparrow that favors millet and mixed seeds on the ground or low trays. It also picks weed seeds in winter fields. Flocks often include other sparrows and finches.
Feeder favorites: white millet, sunflower chips (scattered on the ground or a low tray)
They have clean, slate-gray upperparts with a white belly and distinctive flashing white outer tail feathers.
Calls are soft "tiks" and a musical trilling song in mild spells. It's soft and song-like, which can make it tricky to ID by sound alone.
They're abundant winter visitors statewide in Minnesota, from forest edges to yards and parks. This adorable winter bird is readily attracted to ground-level feeding areas.
21. American Tree Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Spizelloides arborea
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Migratory / Visitor
A granivorous sparrow that gleans seeds from grasses and forbs and visits low platform feeders for millet and mixed seed. Insects are added in thaws.
Feeder favorites: white millet, mixed seed on a low platform
The American Tree Sparrow has a rufous crown and eyeline with a gray face and breast, a central dark breast spot, and a bicolored bill. It sort of looks like a stereotypical light brown bird with a rust-orange cap.
An American Tree Sparrow call includes musical tink and sweet, clear notes.
Regular in winter across open country in Minnesota in brushy fields, hedgerows, and weedy ditches. You can pay a visit to Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge to see many of the birds on this list.
22. Northern Shrike
- Family – Laniidae
- Species – Lanius borealis
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk (Diurnal)
- Migratory / Visitor
The Northern Shrike is a predatory, carnivorous songbird that hunts small birds and mammals and is known to impale prey on thorns for later feeding.
They're gray above with a black mask and hooked bill. Their flight is buoyant with shallow wingbeats. Its gray-white coloring can make it difficult to tell apart from other winter birds in Minnesota.
Northern Shrike calls are harsh scolds with occasional varied whistles and mimicry. Some of its sounds are melodic, while others are short cheeps like a squeaker toy.
Their range is northern and central Minnesota in open country, wetlands, and shrubby hedgerows.
23. Red-headed Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Melanerpes erythrocephalus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Uncommon in winter (mainly acorn years, southern and western Minnesota)
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a striking but uncommon winter bird in Minnesota. It is an omnivore known for caching acorns and beech nuts in tree cavities. Unlike many other woodpeckers, its winter presence in the state depends heavily on the success of the autumn "mast" (nut) crop. According to the Minnesota DNR's woodpecker guide, in most winters the majority of these birds head further south.
Adults are unmistakable with a completely crimson head, a snow-white belly, and large white wing patches that flash brilliantly in flight. This social Minnesota bird sounds like a harsh, raspy kwrr or chur call that carries well through leafless winter woods.
Feeder favorites: suet
In Minnesota winters, the Red-headed Woodpecker range is limited to oak woods in the southern and western halves of the state, and mostly in good acorn years.
24. White-breasted Nuthatch
- Family – Sittidae
- Species – Sitta carolinensis
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
- Diurnal
- Native and Resident Minnesota Bird
The White-breasted Nuthatch diet consists of insects, seeds, and nuts. It frequently visits suet and sunflower feeders, too, making this winter bird an omnivore. White-breasted Nuthatch size varies little, from 0.6 to 1 ounce. Despite its tiny size, it has a strong backward hallux, or toe, allowing it to climb headfirst down trees.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts
White-breasted Nuthatch male vs female: the male is slate blue with a white face and underparts, and a black cap connecting its bill to its back. The female White-breasted Nuthatch has a gray cap.
A White-breasted Nuthatch call is a nasal yank-yank note. Of the winter birds in Minnesota, it sings in late winter, and the male White-breasted Nuthatch sounds like a "wha-wha-wha". Some have also compared their call to an old-school car horn honking.
Among other native birds, this Minnesota bird species is widespread in mature woods, parks, and yards, and is commonly seen at feeders and tree trunks around homes.
25. Black-capped Chickadee
- Family – Paridae
- Species – Poecile atricapillus
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
- Diurnal
- Native Minnesota Bird
The Black-capped Chickadee is a tiny omnivore that favors seeds, suet, and dormant insects, caching food in bark crevices. It adapts well to winter with a high metabolism and flock foraging.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts
It's got a distinctive black cap and bib with white cheeks and a soft gray body, and it's constantly active.
The Black-capped Chickadee song sounds like chick-a-dee-dee-dee notes and a clear fee-bee song on mild days. In fact, the Black-capped Chickadee call is highly varied and includes other sounds and phrases like "cheeseburger" and "hey sweetie" along with its trademark chick-a-dee song.
This chickadee is abundant statewide with other winter birds in Minnesota in woodlands, parks, and neighborhoods, and it's quick to find feeders with sunflower seed and suet.
26. White-throated Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Zonotrichia albicollis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Rare winter visitor
The White-throated Sparrow is a rare winter bird in Minnesota. The Minnesota Bird Atlas describes it as "a regular nesting species, migrant, and rare winter visitor," so most have left by the time the snow sticks. The few that stay are primarily granivorous, scratching through leaf litter or snow for fallen seeds, and are frequent visitors to platform feeders or ground-feeding stations.
Feeder favorites: white millet, sunflower chips on the ground
These birds are distinguished by a bright white throat patch and yellow "lores" (the area between the eye and beak). This melodic Minnesota bird sounds like a clear, whistled song often described as Old-Sam-Peabody-Peabody-Peabody, or Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada.
In Minnesota winters, any White-throated Sparrow that lingers tends to stick close to a reliable feeder with brush piles and thickets nearby for protection from the wind.
27. Common Merganser
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Mergus merganser
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident & Winter Migrant
The Common Merganser is a sleek, "saw-billed" winter bird in Minnesota. It's a piscivorous diving duck that hunts fish in the frigid, open currents of rivers and Lake Superior. They're often seen floating in long lines or "rafts" in the middle of moving water.
Males are striking, with crisp white bodies and dark, iridescent green heads, while females (often called "red-heads") have shaggy cinnamon crests. They couldn't look more opposite. This hardy Minnesota bird's call sounds like a low, harsh croak, though they're generally silent during the winter months.
In Minnesotan winters, the Common Merganser's range is restricted to ice-free water, including the Mississippi.
28. American Kestrel
- Family – Falconidae
- Species – Falco sparverius
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Uncommon in winter (mostly southern Minnesota)
The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon and a colorful, if uncommon, winter bird in Minnesota. It is a carnivorous hunter that "hovers" over open ground to spot large insects and small rodents in the snow. While many migrate, some individuals remain in southern Minnesota throughout the winter if food is available.
Males feature slate-blue wings and a rusty back, while females are reddish-brown throughout. Both sexes have bold black "mustache" stripes on their faces. This tiny but fierce Minnesota bird sounds like a rapid, shrill klee-klee-klee call.
In Minnesota winters this bird of prey's range is most common in southern agricultural counties, often perched on power lines along rural roadsides. Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth is famous for watching kestrels and other raptors pass through in fall migration, but by winter your better bet is a slow drive past southern farm fields.
29. Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Family – Regulidae
- Species – Regulus satrapa
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Uncommon winter resident & short-distance migrant
The Golden-crowned Kinglet is a tiny, high-energy, and fairly uncommon winter bird in Minnesota. It is a primarily insectivorous species, remarkable for its ability to survive sub-zero temperatures by foraging for insect eggs and dormant spiders hidden in conifer needles. They are frequently seen flitting nervously in spruce or pine groves, often flicking their wings rapidly.
These birds are distinguished by a bright yellow crown patch (which also has an orange center in males) bordered by black, with a bold white eyebrow. This tiny Minnesota bird sounds like a series of very high-pitched, thin tsee-tsee-tsee notes that can be difficult for some humans to hear.
In Minnesota winters, the Golden-crowned Kinglet range is most common in the southern and central parts of the state, where they seek shelter in dense evergreen stands, though they can be found sparingly in the north as well.
30. Downy Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Dryobates pubescens
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native & Resident Minnesota Bird
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America and one of the most reliable winter birds in Minnesota. The Minnesota DNR calls it a "common winter visitor to bird feeders," and it spends the rest of its day picking insects and larvae out of bark and weed stems.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower
Downy Woodpecker - Male vs Female
Both are black and white with a white stripe down the back and a short bill, much shorter than the head. The male has a small red patch on the back of the head and the female doesn't. If you're stuck on Downy vs Hairy, the Hairy is basically a Downy that started going to the gym.
A Downy Woodpecker call is a soft, high "pik" and a descending, whinnying rattle.
Downy Woodpeckers are year-round residents statewide, in woodlots, parks, and any backyard with a suet cage.
31. American Goldfinch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus tristis
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Resident & Partial Migrant
The American Goldfinch is a small, seed-loving finch that eats almost nothing but seeds year-round. In winter it trades its famous lemon-yellow for a dull brownish-olive, which is the bird equivalent of going into witness protection.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips
American Goldfinch - Male vs Female
In winter, males keep blacker wings with bold white bars and a hint of yellow on the face, while females are browner and plainer overall. Both have the same small, conical, pale bill.
The goldfinch flight call is a bouncy "po-ta-to-chip" given in time with its roller-coaster flight, which is an easy way to ID it by sound overhead.
In winter, goldfinches are found across much of Minnesota, most reliably in the southern and central parts of the state, often in flocks around feeders and weedy fields.
32. Mourning Dove
- Family – Columbidae
- Species – Zenaida macroura
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Resident & Partial Migrant
The Mourning Dove is a plump, tan bird with a small head, a long pointed tail, and black spots on its wings. It's a ground feeder that eats seeds almost exclusively, and it can store a surprising amount in its crop before flying off to digest somewhere safe.
Feeder favorites: white millet, cracked corn, black oil sunflower (on the ground or a platform)
Mourning Dove - Male vs Female
The male is slightly larger, with a pinkish wash on the breast and a bluish-gray crown. The female is browner and plainer.
A Mourning Dove call is a slow, sad "coo-OOO-oo-oo-oo" that sounds like it just read the forecast. Its wings also give a sharp whistle when it takes off.
Many Mourning Doves leave for winter, but plenty stay in Minnesota, mostly in the southern half of the state around farms, towns, and backyard feeders.
33. House Finch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Haemorhous mexicanus
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Resident Minnesota Bird
The House Finch started out as a bird of the western US. Birds released on Long Island in the 1940s spread across the East and Midwest, and it's now a fixture at Minnesota feeders.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, nyjer
House Finch vs Purple Finch
A male House Finch has a red head and breast with brown streaks down the flanks, while a male Purple Finch looks like it was dipped in raspberry and skipped the streaks. A female House Finch is plain, streaky brown with a fairly blank face, unlike the bold face lines of a female Purple Finch (#8).
A House Finch song is a long, jumbled warble that often ends in a buzzy note, and its call is a chirpy "cheep".
House Finches stay year-round across Minnesota's cities, towns, and suburbs, wherever there are buildings and feeders.
34. Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Family – Sittidae
- Species – Sitta canadensis
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Irruptive
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a compact, short-tailed nuthatch that pries seeds from conifer cones and hides extras in bark for later. In years when the northern cone crop fails, they irrupt south in good numbers.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Male vs Female
Both have a black eye line, a white eyebrow, and rusty underparts. The male has a black cap and richer rusty color, while the female has a grayer cap and paler underparts.
Its call is a tinny, nasal "yank", often compared to a tiny toy horn. It's higher and more nasal than the White-breasted Nuthatch's version.
In Minnesota, the Red-breasted Nuthatch is most at home in northern conifer forests year-round, and it shows up at feeders statewide in irruption winters.
35. Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Melanerpes carolinus
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native & Resident Minnesota Bird
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with a black-and-white barred back and a red cap. It eats insects, nuts, seeds, and fruit, and is a regular at winter feeders.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Male vs Female
The male has red from the bill all the way over the crown to the nape. The female has red only on the nape and above the bill. The red belly that gives it its name is a faint wash you'll almost never see, which I respect as a branding decision.
A Red-bellied Woodpecker call is a rolling, throaty "kwirr" or "churr".
In Minnesota, its winter range is mostly the southern and central parts of the state in deciduous woods and wooded neighborhoods.
36. Redpoll
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Acanthis flammea
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Irruptive
The Redpoll is a small, streaky finch from the far north that arrives in flocks in irruption winters. In 2024, Common, Hoary, and Lesser Redpoll were lumped into a single species known simply as "Redpoll", which is the only time I've lost a bird off my life list without leaving the couch.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips
Redpoll - Male vs Female
Both have a red cap (the "poll"), a small black chin, and streaky brown-and-white plumage. Males usually show a pinkish-red wash on the breast, while females have little or none.
Redpoll calls are buzzy, twittering chatter and a rising "zreee", given constantly by feeding flocks.
In irruption winters, Redpolls can appear statewide, with the biggest flocks usually in northern Minnesota around birches, weedy fields, and feeders.
37. Common Raven
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Corvus corax
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Native & Resident Minnesota Bird
The Common Raven is the crow's bigger, shaggier relative. It eats nearly anything, from carrion to small animals to scraps, and it's one of the smartest birds on this list.
Common Raven vs American Crow
Males and females look alike: all black with a heavy bill and shaggy throat feathers. Compared with a crow, a raven is larger, with a wedge-shaped tail in flight rather than a rounded one, and it soars more often.
A Common Raven call is a deep, croaking "gronk" that sounds nothing like a crow's caw. Quoth the raven, "nevermore," which is also what I say every February.
In Minnesota, ravens are common year-round in the northern forests and have been showing up farther south.
38. Evening Grosbeak
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Coccothraustes vespertinus
- Primary Activity Time – Day (Diurnal)
- Irruptive
The Evening Grosbeak is a stocky finch with an enormous, pale bill built for cracking seeds. Despite the name, it's a daytime bird. Populations have declined steeply in recent decades, so a flock at your feeder is a genuine treat.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower on platform feeders
Evening Grosbeak - Male vs Female
Males are yellow and dark brown with a bright yellow eyebrow and bold black-and-white wings. Females are mostly gray with a yellowish tinge on the neck and the same black-and-white wings.
An Evening Grosbeak call is a loud, ringing "peeer", often given by the whole flock.
In Minnesota, Evening Grosbeaks winter mainly in the northern conifer forests and move farther south in irruption years.
Minnesota Winter Birds FAQ
What birds stay in Minnesota during the winter?
Year-round residents like the Black-capped Chickadee, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, and Northern Cardinal stay put. They're joined by winter visitors like the Dark-eyed Junco and American Tree Sparrow, plus irruptive finches and owls in boom years.
What is the most common bird in Minnesota in winter?
At feeders, it's the Black-capped Chickadee. In Project FeederWatch's Great Lakes data, chickadees showed up at about 97% of sites, followed by Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch, and Downy Woodpecker.
What is Minnesota's state bird, and is it here in winter?
The Common Loon has been Minnesota's state bird since 1961. It isn't around in winter, though: it leaves once the lakes freeze and comes back in spring. Apparently the official state bird gets to skip January, and I'm not bitter about it.
How do birds survive Minnesota's cold winters?
They fluff their feathers to trap warm air, eat high-fat foods, and roost in tree cavities, dense evergreens, or (for the Ruffed Grouse) right under the snow. Chickadees and nuthatches also cache food to eat later. Open water is hard to find when everything freezes, so a heated bird bath helps a lot.
What owls can you see in Minnesota in winter?
Snowy Owls turn up in open fields and airports, and Great Gray Owls make northeastern bogs like Sax-Zim famous in irruption years. Great Horned Owls live here year-round. I've respected them from a distance ever since one snatched a fish out of a friend's hand at my cousin's lake house when we were kids.
Find Your Flock This Winter
Sparkbird actually started here: our founder, Will, built the first version in 2018 while studying computer science at the University of Minnesota because he wanted to identify and journal the birds at his own feeder. Today the Sparkbird App is a community app for meeting other birders, IRL included, so you have someone to share the thermos with at Sax-Zim.
And if it's minus 20 and nothing's at the feeder, the birds aren't ignoring you. They're just better at staying warm than I am, which is a low bar.
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