In Oklahoma, the wind really does come sweeping down the plain (Rodgers and Hammerstein didn't make that part up), and every fall it blows in a whole new cast of birds. That's the fun of Oklahoma winter birds: the state isn't just where birds hang on until spring, it's where a lot of them come to spend the season. Sparrows from Canada, kinglets, warblers, eagles, cranes, and enormous flocks of geese all arrive while the summer crowd heads south.
That includes the state bird. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher became Oklahoma's official state bird in 1951, and it winters in southern Mexico and Central America, so you won't see one between late fall and spring. Your January consolation prize is a yard full of sparrows and a lake full of eagles, which honestly isn't a bad trade.
Types of Winter Birds in Oklahoma
There are 3 types of winter birds in Oklahoma you'll see on the list:
- Resident Oklahoma Birds – found year-round, and most of them visit feeders. Plenty of their numbers grow in winter as northern birds join them
- Winter Migrants / Visitors – birds that come south to Oklahoma for the winter. According to Oklahoma State University, more than 20 sparrow species regularly winter in Oklahoma, and that's before you count the hawks, geese, and cranes
- Irruptive Species – birds that show up in big numbers some winters and barely at all in others, usually when seed and cone crops fail up north
The feeder birds come first, roughly in the order they show up in Project FeederWatch's South Central region rankings, followed by the winter visitors and the birds you'll need to leave the yard for. Each entry covers ID, male vs female, calls, where to find the bird in Oklahoma, and its feeder favorites if it visits feeders.
1. Northern Cardinal
- Family – Cardinalidae
- Species – Cardinalis cardinalis
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Northern Cardinal topped the FeederWatch South Central list, turning up at 94% of sites. It eats seeds, berries, and some insects, and it's usually the first bird at the feeder in the morning and the last one there at dusk.
Males are bright red with a black face and a thick orange-red bill. The female Northern Cardinal is a warm tan with red edging on the wings, tail, and crest. Both keep that pointed crest all year, so even the female looks like she has opinions.
The Northern Cardinal song is a loud, whistled cheer-cheer-cheer or birdie-birdie-birdie, and both sexes sing. The call is a sharp, metallic chip.
Cardinals live statewide in Oklahoma, in yards, creek bottoms, and brushy fence rows. Dense shrubs or cedars near your feeder give them a place to hide from hawks. For more ideas, see our guide to cardinals in winter: where they go, what they eat, and how to attract them.
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 Oklahoma Bird
The Carolina Chickadee is the chickadee most Oklahomans see, and it was at 86% of FeederWatch sites in the region. It weighs about as much as a couple of pennies and survives cold snaps by eating constantly and stashing seeds in bark to find later.
It has a black cap and bib, white cheeks, a gray back, and buffy sides. Males and females look alike.
The Carolina Chickadee call is a fast, high chick-a-dee-dee-dee, and the song is a four-note whistle that sounds like fee-bee, fee-bay. The more dee notes it adds, the more worked up it is about a nearby predator.
Look for it statewide in woods, parks, and neighborhoods with mature trees, usually leading a mixed flock with titmice and woodpeckers.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts
3. Mourning Dove
- Family – Columbidae
- Species – Zenaida macroura
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Mourning Dove is a ground-feeding seed eater that swallows seeds fast, stores them in its crop, and flies off to digest somewhere safer. It's the bird version of eating lunch standing over the sink.
It's a slim, soft gray-brown bird with black spots on the wings and a long, pointed tail. Males have a bluish crown and a faint pink wash on the breast, while females are a little browner and plainer.
The Mourning Dove call is a low, mournful coo-OO-oo-oo-oo that people often mistake for an owl. Their wings make a sharp whistle when they take off.
Mourning Doves are found statewide in Oklahoma, especially in farm country and towns, where winter flocks gather on bare ground under feeders and along grain fields.
Feeder favorites: white millet, cracked corn, black oil sunflower on the ground or a platform
4. American Goldfinch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus tristis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Winter Visitor
The American Goldfinch shows up at feeders across Oklahoma in winter, joined by plenty of birds from farther north. It's almost entirely a seed eater, working thistle, sunflower, and weedy fields.
In winter, the lemon-yellow summer outfit is gone. Males are buffy olive-brown with a yellowish face, black wings, and white wing bars, while females are grayer and duller. If you're wondering where your "goldfinches" went in November, they're the same birds wearing their winter coats.
The American Goldfinch call is a bouncy po-ta-to-chip, given as they dip up and down in flight.
Look for goldfinches statewide in weedy fields, woodland edges, and any yard with a tube feeder.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips, black oil sunflower
5. House Finch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Haemorhous mexicanus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The House Finch is a social seed eater that's at home in towns, farmyards, and anywhere with a tube feeder. It started out as a bird of the West and Southwest, and it's now one of the most common Oklahoma birds at feeders.
Males have a rosy red head, breast, and rump, though some lean orange or yellow depending on what they've been eating. Females are plain gray-brown with blurry streaks and no strong face pattern.
The House Finch song is a long, rambling warble that often ends on a buzzy, rising note. The call is a short cheep.
House Finches are found statewide in Oklahoma, including the Panhandle, especially around towns and suburbs.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, nyjer
6. Blue Jay
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Cyanocitta cristata
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Blue Jay is a loud, clever omnivore that eats acorns, seeds, fruit, and insects, and it buries acorns to dig up later. The ones it forgets help plant oak trees, which makes it one of the few gardeners with a worse memory than mine.
Males and females look alike: bright blue above with black and white on the wings and tail, a black necklace, and a crest. Males average slightly bigger.
The Blue Jay call is a harsh jeer, but it also gives soft whistles, clicks, and a spot-on Red-shouldered Hawk impression.
Blue Jays are common in central and eastern Oklahoma in oak woods, towns, and neighborhoods, and they're scarcer out west.
Feeder favorites: peanuts, black oil sunflower, suet
7. Northern Mockingbird
- Family – Mimidae
- Species – Mimus polyglottos
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Northern Mockingbird shifts from insects to fruit in winter and will defend a holly bush or a berry-covered cedar like it's the last parking spot at the mall. Males and females both hold winter territories.
It's gray above and paler below, with a long tail and white patches on the wings and outer tail that flash when it flies. Males and females look alike.
The Northern Mockingbird song is a long string of borrowed phrases, each repeated a few times before it moves on. In winter you'll mostly hear a harsh chack call.
Mockingbirds live statewide in Oklahoma, in towns, ranches, and open country with shrubs and fruiting trees.
Feeder favorites: suet, chopped apples, softened raisins
8. Carolina Wren
- Family – Troglodytidae
- Species – Thryothorus ludovicianus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Carolina Wren is a small, round, loud bird that hunts insects and spiders in brush piles, woodpiles, and the corners of your garage. It doesn't migrate, so a hard freeze can thin out its numbers.
It's warm rusty brown above and buffy below, with a bold white eyebrow and a long, slightly curved bill. It often cocks its tail upward. Males and females look alike.
The Carolina Wren song is a ringing teakettle-teakettle-teakettle that seems far too loud for a bird this size. Only the male sings it, but pairs chatter back and forth all winter.
Carolina Wrens are most common in central and eastern Oklahoma, in brushy woods, creek bottoms, and yards with thick cover.
Feeder favorites: suet, mealworms, peanut pieces
9. Tufted Titmouse
- Family – Paridae
- Species – Baeolophus bicolor
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Tufted Titmouse is a small, gray, crested songbird that eats seeds, nuts, and insects and often travels with chickadees. It takes one seed at a time and flies off to crack it or hide it.
It's soft gray above with a gray crest, big black eyes, and peachy flanks. Males and females look alike. In southern and especially southwestern Oklahoma, you may see its close relative, the Black-crested Titmouse, which looks the same except for a black crest. The Bird Studies of Oklahoma site lists the Black-crested Titmouse as a year-round resident of southwestern Oklahoma.
The Tufted Titmouse song is a clear, whistled peter-peter-peter, and the call is a scolding, nasal version of a chickadee's.
Titmice are found in wooded areas across most of Oklahoma, especially in the central and eastern parts of the state.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, peanuts, suet
10. Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Melanerpes carolinus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is an omnivore that eats acorns, pecans, fruit, and insects, and it stores food in bark crevices for later. Its red belly is a faint pink wash you'll almost never see, so the name is mostly marketing.
It has a black-and-white barred back and a pale face. Males have red from the bill all the way to the back of the neck, while females have red only on the back of the head.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker call is a rolling kwirr or churr, and it also gives a sharp chiv-chiv.
Look for it in woods, pecan groves, creek bottoms, and older neighborhoods across central and eastern Oklahoma.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower
11. Downy Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Dryobates pubescens
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in Oklahoma. It picks insects and larvae out of bark and weed stems and is one of the easiest woodpeckers to bring to a suet cage.
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, plus a whinny that runs down the scale. In late winter you may hear it drumming.
Downies live in woods, parks, and neighborhoods with trees across most of Oklahoma.
Feeder favorites: suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts
12. Dark-eyed Junco
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Junco hyemalis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Dark-eyed Junco is the classic "snowbird," and it arrives in Oklahoma in fall to spend the winter feeding on the ground. It's a good reminder that for a lot of birds, Oklahoma is the warm option.
Most of Oklahoma's juncos are the "slate-colored" type: gray above, white belly, pale pink bill. You'll also see "Oregon" juncos, especially in the western half of the state, with a dark hood and brown back. In both types, males are crisper and darker, while females are paler and browner. Both flash white outer tail feathers when they flush.
The Dark-eyed Junco call is a sharp tick or smack, and the song is a quick, dry trill.
Look for juncos statewide in yards, field edges, and brushy woods.
Feeder favorites: white millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips scattered on the ground
13. Harris's Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Zonotrichia querula
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Harris's Sparrow is the bird Oklahoma birders brag about to the rest of the country. It nests only in northern Canada, and its small winter range sits on the southern Great Plains, with Oklahoma near the center of it. One OSU wildlife professor calls it "our largest sparrow, approaching the size of a cardinal."
Adults have a black crown, face, and bib, a bright pink bill, and a white belly. In winter the black is a little less extensive, and first-winter birds have a buffy face with only a smudge of black on the chin. Males and females look alike.
The Harris's Sparrow call is a sharp, metallic chink, and its song is a series of clear, high whistles followed by another series on a different pitch.
Look for them in hedgerows, thickets, and brushy field edges across central Oklahoma, often mixed in with White-crowned Sparrows. Most arrive in November and leave by late February. You don't need to buy anything special to bring one in: a brush pile from your fall yard cleanup is free and works better than a fancy seed mix.
Feeder favorites: white millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips on the ground
14. White-throated Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Zonotrichia albicollis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The White-throated Sparrow spends the winter scratching through leaf litter for seeds and fallen fruit. It's a ground feeder, so it cleans up under your feeders rather than on them.
It has a bright white throat, a yellow spot between the eye and bill, and a striped crown. Some have bold black-and-white crown stripes and others have tan-and-brown stripes. That's not a male-female difference: both types show up in both sexes.
The White-throated Sparrow song is a clear whistle often written as Old-Sam-Peabody-Peabody-Peabody, and it sings on sunny winter days. The call is a thin tseet or a sharp chink.
Look for White-throated Sparrows in thickets, woodland edges, and brushy yards, mainly in central and eastern Oklahoma.
Feeder favorites: white millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips on the ground
15. White-crowned Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Zonotrichia leucophrys
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The White-crowned Sparrow is a big, upright sparrow that winters in brushy open country, eating seeds, buds, and the odd insect. OSU's extension specialists note that it often forms large flocks along rural roadsides.
Adults have bold black-and-white stripes on the head, a gray face and breast, and a pinkish-orange to yellowish bill. First-winter birds have brown-and-tan head stripes instead. Males and females look alike.
The White-crowned Sparrow song is a short mix of whistles, buzzes, and trills, and the call is a sharp pink.
White-crowned Sparrows are found across Oklahoma and are especially common in the western half of the state, in shelterbelts, fence rows, and brushy draws.
Feeder favorites: white millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips on the ground
16. Chipping Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Spizella passerina
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Winter Migrant
The Chipping Sparrow is a small, slim sparrow that feeds on seeds on the ground, often in loose winter flocks. Summer birds nest here, and more arrive from the north for winter, especially in the southern half of the state.
In winter, adults trade their bright rusty cap for a brownish, finely streaked one. Look for a dark line through the eye, a pale eyebrow, and a clean gray breast. Males and females look alike.
The Chipping Sparrow call is a high, thin tsip. The song, a long dry trill, is mostly a spring sound.
Look for them in open woods, parks, and yards with scattered trees, sometimes mixed with juncos under feeders.
Feeder favorites: white millet, hulled sunflower chips on the ground
17. Spotted Towhee
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Pipilo maculatus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Spotted Towhee is a big, flashy sparrow that forages by hopping backward with both feet to kick leaves aside. It sounds like a much larger animal rustling around in the brush (every time, I'm convinced it's an armadillo).
Males have a black hood and back with lots of white spots on the wings, rusty sides, a white belly, and red eyes. Females have the same pattern, but in brown. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's field guide notes that the Spotted Towhee is found in the western three-quarters of the state, and its look-alike, the Eastern Towhee, lacks those white spots.
The Spotted Towhee call is a raspy, catlike mew.
Look for it in thickets, shinnery and scrub oak, and brushy creek bottoms, usually alone or in small groups.
Feeder favorites: white millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips on the ground under cover
18. Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Family – Parulidae
- Species – Setophaga coronata
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the one warbler you can count on in an Oklahoma winter. While most warblers head to the tropics, this one switches from insects to berries, like poison ivy and cedar, so it can winter much farther north.
In winter, it's brownish-gray with faint streaks, a bit of yellow on the sides, and the bright yellow rump patch that earned it the birder nickname "butter butt." Males and females look much alike in winter, though males are a bit crisper. Most in the eastern half of the state are the white-throated "Myrtle" type, and you may find yellow-throated "Audubon's" birds out west.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler call is a sharp, flat check.
Look for them in woodland edges, cedar stands, and creek bottoms statewide, often in small, active 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 insect eater that winters in Oklahoma woods. It flicks its wings nonstop, like it's had three espressos and has somewhere to be.
It's olive above and paler below, with a white eye ring broken at the top and bottom and a white wing bar beside a dark patch. The male has a red crown patch that's usually hidden and only flares up when he's excited. Females don't have the red.
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet call is a husky, two-note ji-dit.
Look for kinglets statewide in woods, thickets, and cedar stands, often moving with chickadees, titmice, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Feeder favorites: suet, now and then
20. Cedar Waxwing
- Family – Bombycillidae
- Species – Bombycilla cedrorum
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Cedar Waxwing is a sleek, nomadic fruit eater that wanders Oklahoma in winter flocks, stripping cedar, holly, and hackberry trees and then moving on. It's named after the cedar berries it loves, and Oklahoma has no shortage of those.
It's a soft brown-gray with a pale yellow belly, a black mask, a crest, a yellow-tipped tail, and red waxy tips on the wing feathers. Males and females look nearly alike, though males often have a darker black chin.
The Cedar Waxwing call is a very high, thin sreee, which is easy to miss if you don't know to listen for it.
Look for waxwings statewide wherever there's fruit, from city parks to cedar-covered hills.
Feeder favorites: they rarely visit feeders, but they'll come for a bird bath. A shallow one that doesn't ice over helps, and here's how to keep a bird bath from freezing in winter (9 easy ways)
21. American Robin
- Family – Turdidae
- Species – Turdus migratorius
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The American Robin doesn't leave Oklahoma for the winter, it just stops acting like a lawn bird. In winter, robins form big, roaming flocks that feed on berries in cedars, hackberries, and hollies, and they roost together at night.
Males have a dark gray-black head and a rich orange breast, while females are paler, with a grayer head and a more washed-out breast.
The American Robin call is a sharp tut-tut or a high seet. Its cheerily-cheer-up song comes back as spring gets close.
Look for robin flocks statewide wherever fruiting trees are loaded, especially in creek bottoms and cedar-covered hills.
Feeder favorites: chopped apples, softened raisins, mealworms
22. Eastern Bluebird
- Family – Turdidae
- Species – Sialia sialis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Eastern Bluebird stays in Oklahoma all winter, switching from insects to berries and roosting in groups to stay warm. According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, bluebirds may roost in groups of a dozen or more on cold nights.
Males are bright blue above with a rusty orange throat and breast. Females are grayer, with blue wings and tail and a paler orange breast.
The Eastern Bluebird call is a soft, rising tu-a-wee.
Look for them in open country with scattered trees, such as pastures, golf courses, and parks, mostly in central and eastern Oklahoma. In the Panhandle, keep an eye out for the paler, all-blue Mountain Bluebird, which shows up in open country there in winter.
Feeder favorites: mealworms, suet nuggets, chopped fruit
23. Northern Flicker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Colaptes auratus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Winter Migrant
The Northern Flicker is a large brown woodpecker that spends a lot of time on the ground, eating ants in summer and switching to seeds and berries in winter. More arrive from the north in fall, so you'll see more of them in winter.
It's brown with black bars on the back, black spots on the belly, a black crescent on the chest, and a white rump that flashes in flight. Oklahoma gets both types: "Yellow-shafted" with yellow under the wings and tail, mostly in the east, and "Red-shafted" with salmon-red, mostly in the west. Males have a mustache stripe (black in yellow-shafted, red in red-shafted), and females don't.
The Northern Flicker call is a loud kyeer, and it also gives a long wick-wick-wick series.
Look for flickers statewide in open woods, parks, and yards.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower
24. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Sphyrapicus varius
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drills neat rows of small holes in tree bark and comes back to drink the sap and eat the insects it attracts. (Yes, that's its real name. I checked twice before I believed it.)
It's black and white with a big white stripe on the wing, a red forehead, and a faint yellow wash on the belly. Males have a red throat, while females have a white throat.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker call is a nasal, catlike mew.
Look for sapsuckers in woods, pecan groves, and yards with mature trees, mainly in central and eastern Oklahoma. Tidy rows of holes in a tree trunk are a good sign one's around.
Feeder favorites: suet, occasionally
25. Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Family – Sittidae
- Species – Sitta canadensis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Irruptive Species
The Red-breasted Nuthatch doesn't nest in Oklahoma, but it comes south in some winters when the conifer seed crop fails up north. When it shows up, it's usually in pines and cedars and at feeders.
It has a black cap, a bold white eyebrow, a black eye line, and a rusty-orange breast. Males are brighter, with a glossy black cap and a richer breast, while females have a grayer cap and a paler breast.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch call is a nasal yank-yank, often compared to a tiny tin horn.
In flight years, look for them statewide in pine plantations, cedar windbreaks, and yards with evergreens. In other years, you may not see one at all.
Feeder favorites: suet, shelled peanuts, black oil sunflower
26. Pine Siskin
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus pinus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Irruptive Species
The Pine Siskin is a small, streaky finch that wanders widely in winter in search of seeds. ODWC lists it as one of the birds that winter across Oklahoma, but numbers swing from almost none to flocks at every feeder.
It's brown and heavily streaked, with a thin, pointed bill and yellow flashes in the wings and tail. Males tend to show a little more yellow than females, but it's hard to tell them apart.
The Pine Siskin call is a rising, buzzy zreee, like someone zipping up a jacket, plus a lot of wheezy chatter.
In irruption years, look for them statewide at tube feeders and in pines, sweetgums, and weedy fields, often with goldfinches.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips
27. Purple Finch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Haemorhous purpureus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor (irregular)
The Purple Finch is a winter visitor that's common some years and scarce in others. It eats seeds, buds, and fruit, and it often shows up at feeders alongside House Finches, which is where the ID fun begins.
Males are raspberry-red on the head, breast, and back, with the color washing down the sides. Females are brown and white with a bold white eyebrow, a dark cheek, and crisp, sharp streaks. Female House Finches have plain faces and blurrier streaks.
The Purple Finch call is a sharp, flat pik or tuck, especially in flight.
Look for Purple Finches mainly in eastern and central Oklahoma, in woods and at feeders.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips
28. Bald Eagle
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird / Winter Migrant
The Bald Eagle is the headliner of Oklahoma's winter. ODWC says more than 300 pairs live in Oklahoma year-round, and many more arrive from the north when lakes freeze there. Numbers peak in January and February.
Adults have a dark brown body, a white head and tail, and a big yellow bill. Young eagles take about four years to get the white head and tail and look like big, blotchy brown birds until then. Females are bigger than males, but they look the same.
The Bald Eagle call is a weak, high-pitched chatter, much less impressive than it sounds in the movies.
Look for eagles in tall trees near open water. ODWC's winter eagle-watching tips name Kaw Lake, Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, and Lake Texoma as popular spots, along with Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Keystone Lake, and Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge.
29. Red-tailed Hawk
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Buteo jamaicensis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Red-tailed Hawk is the most common hawk in Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's guide to winter hawks says its numbers rise in winter as northern birds move south. It mainly hunts mice, voles, and rabbits from a perch.
Adults have a brick-red tail, a pale breast, and a dark band of streaks across the belly. Winter brings a lot of variety, from very pale birds to very dark ones, which can make ID tricky. Males and females look alike, though females are bigger.
The Red-tailed Hawk call is a hoarse, screaming keee-aaar, the sound movies use for just about every bird of prey.
Look for them statewide on utility poles, fence posts, and lone trees along highways and pastures.
30. Cooper's Hawk
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Astur cooperii
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Oklahoma Bird
The Cooper's Hawk is a crow-sized hawk that hunts songbirds and doves, and it has figured out that bird feeders are a buffet. If your feeder suddenly goes quiet, check the nearest tree.
Adults are blue-gray above with fine orange barring on the chest, a dark cap, red eyes, and a long, rounded tail. Young birds are brown with streaks. Males and females look the same, but females are much bigger.
The Cooper's Hawk call is a loud cak-cak-cak, though it's usually quiet in winter.
Look for Cooper's Hawks statewide in neighborhoods, parks, and wooded areas. The smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) also winters in Oklahoma and looks almost the same, with a squarer tail and a smaller head.
31. Northern Harrier
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Circus hudsonius
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Northern Harrier glides low over grasslands with its wings held in a shallow V, listening for mice and voles. It has an owl-like face that helps it hunt by sound. ODWC says harriers are in Oklahoma from August through May.
Males are pale gray above and white below, with black wingtips, and birders call them "gray ghosts." Females and young birds are brown. Both have a bright white patch on the rump.
The Northern Harrier call is a thin, whistled pee-ee and a rapid kek-kek-kek, but harriers are mostly quiet in winter.
Look for them statewide over prairies, wheat fields, and marshes, especially in western Oklahoma.
32. Ferruginous Hawk
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Buteo regalis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Ferruginous Hawk is one of the largest hawks in North America and a western specialty in Oklahoma winters. ODWC says it's here from October through March and winters around prairie dog towns.
Most of Oklahoma's Ferruginous Hawks are light birds: rusty above, white below with rusty speckles, and rusty feathered "leggings" that form a V under the body in flight. Dark birds are less common. Males and females look alike, but females are bigger.
The Ferruginous Hawk call is a harsh, descending scream, but it's mostly silent in winter.
Look for them in open grasslands and farm country in western Oklahoma and the Panhandle. ODWC says Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks are often seen in winter at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in Tillman County.
33. Sandhill Crane
- Family – Gruidae
- Species – Antigone canadensis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Sandhill Crane is a tall, gray crane that winters in western Oklahoma, feeding in wheat and peanut fields by day and roosting in shallow water at night. Washita National Wildlife Refuge on Foss Reservoir is a winter home for more than 75,000 geese, ducks, and Sandhill Cranes combined.
It's gray with a red forehead, a white cheek, and long black legs. Some get a rusty stain on their feathers from preening with muddy bills. Males and females look alike, though males are a bit bigger.
The Sandhill Crane call is a loud, rolling rattle that carries for miles. You'll usually hear a flock long before you see it.
Look for cranes at Washita NWR and Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge and in the farm fields around them. In winter 2025–26, eight endangered Whooping Cranes spent the whole winter at Salt Plains, a first for the refuge. If you're lucky enough to see one, stay well back. A good shot is never worth flushing a bird from a species with only a little over 550 left in the wild.
34. Snow Goose
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Anser caerulescens
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Snow Goose is a bird with "snow" in its name that winters in a state that barely gets any, which feels like the beginning of a dad joke. It eats grasses, waste grain, and roots in wetlands and farm fields, often in huge, noisy flocks.
Most are white with black wingtips and a pink bill with a dark "grin" patch. Some are the "blue" type: dark gray-brown with a white head. Males and females look alike.
The Snow Goose call is a high, nasal whouk, and a big flock sounds like a crowd that's all talking at once.
Look for them at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, where flocks of up to 20,000 arrive in November and December. Salt Plains NWR and Washita NWR also hold big flocks of geese in winter.
35. Lapland Longspur
- Family – Calcariidae
- Species – Calcarius lapponicus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Lapland Longspur breeds on the Arctic tundra, and in Oklahoma it winters on the next best thing: wide, bare crop fields. OSU's extension specialists say it forms flocks of hundreds that are almost always on the move.
In winter, it's a streaky brown, sparrow-like bird with a rusty patch on the wing and a long claw on the hind toe (the "spur"). Males show a smudge of black on the chest and a hint of rust on the back of the neck, while females are plainer.
The Lapland Longspur call is a dry rattle mixed with a soft tew, given as flocks rise and drop back into the field.
Look for longspurs in plowed fields, short-grass pastures, and wheat fields across western and northern Oklahoma. Driving slow on gravel roads is the way to find them, and you'll often see Horned Larks in the same fields.
Oklahoma Winter Birds FAQ
What birds stay in Oklahoma in the winter?
Year-round residents like the Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird, Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, and woodpeckers stay put. They're joined by winter visitors like Dark-eyed Juncos, Harris's Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Sandhill Cranes, and Snow Geese. For what's turning up just north of the border, see our guide to winter birds in Kansas.
What are the most common birds of Oklahoma at winter feeders?
In FeederWatch's South Central region, the top 10 were Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch, House Finch, House Sparrow, Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird, Carolina Wren, and White-winged Dove (the dove is more of a Texas bird). In Oklahoma, Dark-eyed Juncos, Harris's Sparrows, and White-crowned Sparrows are also regulars under feeders. Black oil sunflower, suet, and white millet on the ground will bring in most of them.
Where do scissor-tailed flycatchers go in the winter?
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Oklahoma's state bird, winters in southern Mexico and Central America. It leaves in fall and returns in spring, so you won't see one at your feeder in January. If you're curious where all the summer birds go, the answer is usually south of Texas. Our guide to winter birds in Texas covers the birds that stop closer to home.
When is the best time to see bald eagles in Oklahoma?
ODWC says bald eagle numbers start to climb in November and peak in January and February. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times. Scan the tree lines around Kaw Lake, Grand Lake, Lake Texoma, and Sequoyah NWR, and check for big, dark-bodied young eagles too.
What should I feed Oklahoma birds in winter?
Black oil sunflower attracts the widest range of birds. Add suet for woodpeckers, wrens, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, nyjer for goldfinches and siskins, and white millet on the ground for juncos and sparrows. ODWC also suggests softened fruit for mockingbirds and robins. Skip the bread, which has almost no nutrition for birds, and keep fresh water out during freezes.
What Oklahoma Birds Have You Seen This Winter?
Oklahoma winters are made for road trips: a lake for eagles in the morning, a gravel road for longspurs in the afternoon, and a refuge full of cranes at sunset. Share your sightings, find local birders, and swap Harris's Sparrow tips on the Sparkbird App.
And if the wind blows your field guide into the next county, just call it a range expansion.
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