34 Winter Birds in South Carolina

Every fall, South Carolina turns into the Myrtle Beach of the bird world, minus the airbrushed T-shirts (I'd still buy one). Winter birds in South Carolina are mostly a story about arrivals: while northern states watch their birds leave, the Palmetto State's guest list gets longer. Sparrows, kinglets, and warblers drop in from Canada, ducks pile onto the coastal marshes, and a few lucky backyards even host a hummingbird in January.

The state bird isn't going anywhere, either. The Carolina Wren became South Carolina's official state bird in 1948, replacing the Northern Mockingbird, and it lives here year-round. In winter it keeps singing, keeps hunting insects in the leaf litter, and keeps bossing around birds twice its size.

Types of Winter Birds in South Carolina

There are 3 types of winter birds in South Carolina you'll see on the list:

Resident South Carolina Birds – found year-round, and most of them visit feeders
Winter Migrants / Visitors – birds that nest farther north and spend the cold months here. For the waterfowl and seabird side of things, the birding at Huntington Beach State Park near Murrells Inlet is hard to beat, with more than 300 species on the park's checklist
Irruptive Species – birds that pour south in some winters and barely appear in others, usually when seed and cone crops fail up north

If you've ever wondered why some birds make the trip and others stay put, here's where birds go in the winter.

Birds of South Carolina in Winter: Who Stays and Who Shows Up

The common birds in South Carolina backyards don't change much from summer to winter. Cardinals, wrens, titmice, and doves are here all year. What changes is the supporting cast. From October on, the birds of South Carolina get a seasonal crowd of northern visitors, and some of them (Baltimore Orioles, White Pelicans, Piping Plovers) are birds a lot of people don't expect to see here at all.

The list below starts with the year-round regulars (1–16), moves on to the backyard arrivals and irruptive finches (17–28), and ends with the raptors and water birds (29–34). Each entry covers ID, male vs female, calls, where to find the bird in South Carolina, and its feeder favorites if it visits feeders.

1. Carolina Wren

Family – Troglodytidae
Species – Thryothorus ludovicianus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird (State Bird)

The Carolina Wren is South Carolina's state bird, and it's a chunky little insect hunter that pokes through brush piles, gutters, and leaf litter for spiders, beetles, and caterpillars. Because it doesn't switch to seeds like many winter birds, it'll happily take suet and shelled peanuts when bugs get scarce.

It's warm cinnamon-brown above and buffy below, with a long white eyebrow stripe and a tail it cocks up at an angle. Males and females look alike. Pairs stay together year-round and defend their territory as a team.

The Carolina Wren song is a loud, rolling teakettle-teakettle-teakettle, and males sing it in every month of the year. If you hear something that sounds like a bird three sizes too big coming from your porch, it's this one.

In South Carolina winters, Carolina Wrens are found statewide, from the Upstate to the barrier islands, in thickets, wooded yards, and around porches and sheds, where they like to tuck in for the night.

Feeder favorites: suet, shelled peanuts, mealworms

2. Northern Cardinal

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

The Northern Cardinal is the most dependable feeder bird in the region. In Project FeederWatch's Southeast rankings it showed up at 98% of feeder sites, so if you have a feeder and haven't seen a cardinal, please check that the feeder has seed in it. It eats seeds and berries in winter and prefers to feed low, close to cover.

Males are red all over with a black face and a tall crest. Females are soft tan-brown with red edging on the wings, tail, and crest. Both have a thick, coral-orange bill built for cracking seeds.

The Northern Cardinal call is a sharp, metallic chip, and the song is a loud whistled birdie-birdie-birdie or what-cheer, what-cheer that starts up on mild mornings in late winter.

In South Carolina winters, cardinals are found statewide wherever there's shrubby cover near food. For tips on bringing more of them in, see Cardinals in Winter: Where They Go, What They Eat, and How to Attract Them.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, safflower, cracked corn

3. Carolina Chickadee

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

The Carolina Chickadee is the only chickadee you'll find in South Carolina, which saves everyone a lot of squinting. It grabs one seed, flies off to a branch to open it, and hides plenty of extras in bark for later.

It has a black cap and bib, white cheeks, a gray back, and buffy sides. Males and females look the same.

The Carolina Chickadee call is a quick, buzzy chick-a-dee-dee-dee, and the more dees it adds, the more worked up it is about a nearby predator. Its song is a whistled fee-bee, fee-bay.

In South Carolina winters, the Carolina Chickadee range is statewide, and it's often the bird leading the little mixed flocks of titmice, kinglets, nuthatches, and warblers that move through the woods together.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts

4. Tufted Titmouse

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

The Tufted Titmouse is the chickadee's taller, crested friend, and it was the third most widespread bird in FeederWatch's Southeast list. It eats seeds, nuts, and insects, and it often holds a seed with its feet to hammer it open.

It's soft gray above and pale below, with rusty flanks, big dark eyes, and a pointed gray crest. Males and females look alike.

The Tufted Titmouse song is a clear, whistled peter-peter-peter, and its scolding call is a raspy version of the chickadee's.

In South Carolina winters, titmice are found statewide in hardwood and mixed woods, parks, and neighborhoods with mature trees.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, peanuts, suet

5. Mourning Dove

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

The Mourning Dove is a seed eater that feeds mostly on the ground. It can stash a surprising amount of seed in its crop, then fly off to a wire to digest, which is also my approach to a holiday buffet.

It's slim and sandy gray-brown, with black spots on the wings, a small head, and a long pointed tail with white edges. Males have a pinkish wash on the breast and a bluish crown, while females are plainer and browner.

The Mourning Dove call is a slow, sad coo-OOO-oo-oo-oo. When it flushes, its wings make a squeaky whistle.

In South Carolina winters, Mourning Doves are common statewide in farm fields, suburbs, and along power lines, often in sizable flocks.

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

6. Red-bellied Woodpecker

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

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker that eats insects, acorns, pine seeds, and fruit, and it's one of the most frequent suet visitors in the state. Its scientific name, carolinus, is a nod to the Carolinas.

It has a black-and-white barred back and a pale, buffy face and belly. The "red belly" is only a faint blush. Males have red from the bill all the way back to the nape, while females have red only on the nape.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker call is a rolling churr or kwirr, and it's one of the most common sounds in South Carolina woods in winter.

In South Carolina winters, Red-bellied Woodpeckers are found statewide in woodlands, pine stands, river swamps, and backyards.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower

7. Downy Woodpecker

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

The Downy Woodpecker is North America's smallest woodpecker. It's light enough to work on weed stalks and thin twigs, picking out insect larvae that bigger woodpeckers can't reach.

It's black and white with a white back stripe, spotted wings, and a short bill. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head, while females don't. The look-alike Hairy Woodpecker is bigger, with a bill about as long as its head.

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

In South Carolina winters, Downy Woodpeckers are found statewide in woods, parks, and yards, often traveling with chickadees and titmice.

Feeder favorites: suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts

8. Blue Jay

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

The Blue Jay is a loud, smart corvid that eats acorns, nuts, seeds, and insects, and it stores acorns in the ground for later. Some Blue Jays migrate and some don't, and nobody has fully figured out why, which makes them the most unpredictable guests on this list.

It's bright blue above and white to pale gray below, with a crest, black necklace, and white wing spots. Males and females look alike.

The Blue Jay call is a harsh jeer, but it also makes squeaky, bell-like notes and a spot-on Red-shouldered Hawk impression.

In South Carolina winters, Blue Jays are found statewide in oak woods, towns, and neighborhoods with big trees.

Feeder favorites: peanuts, black oil sunflower, suet

9. Northern Mockingbird

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

The Northern Mockingbird was South Carolina's state bird until the Carolina Wren took the title in 1948, and honestly, it still acts like it's in charge. In winter, a mockingbird picks out a berry bush or holly and defends it from every other bird that wants a snack.

It's gray above and whitish below, with a long tail and white wing patches that flash when it flies. Males and females look alike.

The Northern Mockingbird song is a long medley of other birds' songs (and the occasional phone or car alarm), with each phrase repeated a few times before it moves on. Its winter call is a harsh chack.

In South Carolina winters, mockingbirds are found statewide in suburbs, parking lots, farmland, and anywhere with fruiting shrubs.

Feeder favorites: suet, chopped fruit, raisins

10. House Finch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Haemorhous mexicanus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird (introduced to the East)

The House Finch started out as a Western bird, and the eastern birds are descended from a small number released on Long Island around 1940. They've since spread across the whole East, South Carolina included, and now rank in FeederWatch's Southeast top 10.

Males have a red to orange wash on the head, chest, and rump, with brown streaks on the sides. Females are plain brown with blurry streaking and no strong face pattern.

The House Finch song is a long, cheerful warble that usually ends with a buzzy, rising note.

In South Carolina winters, House Finches are found statewide in towns and suburbs, usually in small, chattering flocks around feeders.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, nyjer

11. Brown-headed Nuthatch

Family – Sittidae
Species – Sitta pusilla
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird (pine woods)

The Brown-headed Nuthatch is a little pine-woods specialist of the Southeast, and South Carolina is right in the middle of its range. Small family groups move through the pines picking insects and seeds from the cones and bark.

It's tiny and blue-gray, with a brown cap, a pale spot on the back of the neck, and a whitish throat. Males and females look alike.

The Brown-headed Nuthatch call is a high, squeaky kit-dah that sounds a lot like a dog's chew toy. Where there's one, there are usually several squeaking at once.

In South Carolina winters, look for Brown-headed Nuthatches in open pine forests, the Sandhills, and pine-shaded neighborhoods across the Lowcountry and Midlands.

Feeder favorites: sunflower chips, suet, peanuts

12. Eastern Bluebird

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

The Eastern Bluebird swaps its summer diet of insects for berries in winter, especially dogwood, holly, cedar, and sumac. On cold nights, a whole family can pile into a single nest box to stay warm.

Males are deep blue above with a rusty orange throat and breast. Females are grayer, with blue mostly in the wings and tail and a paler orange chest.

The Eastern Bluebird call is a soft, gurgling tu-a-wee, often given in flight.

In South Carolina winters, bluebirds are found statewide in pastures, golf courses, parks, and big open yards with scattered trees and fence posts to perch on.

Feeder favorites: mealworms, suet nuggets, chopped fruit

13. Pine Warbler

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

The Pine Warbler is one of the few warblers that stays in South Carolina all winter, and one of the very few that eats seeds. It ranked in FeederWatch's Southeast top 25, so a yellow bird at your suet in January is probably this one.

Males are olive-green above with a yellow throat and chest, two white wing bars, and faint streaks on the sides. Females are duller, and young birds can be almost plain gray-brown with only a hint of yellow.

The Pine Warbler song is a soft, musical trill, and you'll hear it again on warm days in late winter.

In South Carolina winters, Pine Warblers are found statewide in pine woods and yards with tall pines.

Feeder favorites: suet, sunflower chips, peanut butter suet dough

14. Eastern Towhee

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

The Eastern Towhee is an oversized sparrow that rakes through leaves with a two-footed backward hop, then pounces on whatever seeds and insects it turns up. It's noisy enough that you'll usually hear the rustling first.

Males have a black hood, back, and tail, with rusty sides and a white belly. Females have the same pattern in rich brown instead of black. Many towhees in the Lowcountry have pale, straw-colored eyes instead of red ones.

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

In South Carolina winters, towhees are found statewide in thickets, overgrown fields, and shrubby edges of yards.

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

15. American Goldfinch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Spinus tristis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird & Winter Migrant

The American Goldfinch gets a lot of "where did my goldfinches go?" questions in winter. They didn't go anywhere. They molted into a drab olive outfit, and northern goldfinches came south to join them, so there are usually more in winter than in summer.

In winter, males are buffy olive with a yellowish face and black wings with white bars. Females are grayer and duller. Both have a small, pale, cone-shaped bill.

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

In South Carolina winters, goldfinches are found statewide in weedy fields, woodland edges, and at any tube feeder that's kept full.

Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips, black oil sunflower

16. American Robin

Family – Turdidae
Species – Turdus migratorius
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird & Winter Migrant

The American Robin is here year-round, but winter is when robins really flood in from the north, sometimes in flocks of hundreds. In winter they eat mostly fruit, roaming from one holly, cedar, or ornamental tree to the next until it's picked clean.

Robins are gray-brown above with a brick-orange breast. Females are usually a bit paler on the head and breast than males.

In winter, the American Robin call you'll hear most is a clucking tut-tut or a high, thin tseep from passing flocks.

In South Carolina winters, robins are found statewide, especially in berry trees, on open lawns after a rain, and in big roosts in wooded swamps.

Feeder favorites: chopped fruit, softened raisins, mealworms

17. Chipping Sparrow

Family – Passerellidae
Species – Spizella passerina
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird & Winter Migrant

The Chipping Sparrow is a small, slim sparrow that forms loose flocks on lawns and field edges in winter, when local birds are joined by northern ones. It feeds on the ground, picking up small grass and weed seeds.

In winter it trades its bright rusty cap for a duller, streaky brown crown, with a gray-buff face and a dark line running through the eye all the way to the bill. Males and females look alike.

The Chipping Sparrow call is a thin tsip, and in late winter males start trying out their dry, mechanical trill.

In South Carolina winters, Chipping Sparrows are found statewide on lawns, pastures, pine edges, and under feeders.

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

18. Dark-eyed Junco

Family – Passerellidae
Species – Junco hyemalis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (most common in the Upstate and Midlands)

The Dark-eyed Junco is the bird people mean when they say "snowbird," and in South Carolina it's the literal version: it shows up in late fall, stays all winter, and heads north in spring. It hops around on the ground, cleaning up seeds under feeders.

South Carolina's juncos are mostly the slate-colored form: dark gray above, white belly, pale pink bill, and white outer tail feathers that flash when it flies. Males are darker and crisper gray, while females are paler and washed with brown.

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

In South Carolina winters, juncos are most common in the Upstate and Piedmont and thin out toward the coast. Look for small flocks along woodland edges and in backyards.

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

19. White-throated Sparrow

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

The White-throated Sparrow spends the summer in Canada's forests and the winter in Southern brush piles. It scratches through leaves for seeds and fallen fruit and is one of the most common sparrows in South Carolina yards from October to April.

It has a bright white throat, a yellow spot between the eye and bill, and a striped crown that comes in two color forms: white-striped and tan-striped. Those forms aren't tied to male vs female, and males and females look alike.

The White-throated Sparrow song is a thin, whistled Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada, and it'll sing it on sunny winter days. The call is a sharp pink.

In South Carolina winters, White-throated Sparrows are found statewide in thickets, hedges, and shrubby yards.

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

20. Yellow-rumped Warbler

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

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the most common winter warbler in South Carolina, and it owes that to a talent for digesting the waxy berries of wax myrtle and bayberry. The Lowcountry is full of wax myrtle, so it's basically an all-you-can-eat buffet with a beach view.

Winter birds are streaky brown-gray with a bright yellow patch on the rump, a dab of yellow on each side, and a white throat. Females are typically browner and duller than males in winter, but the difference is subtle.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler call is a flat check, and you'll often hear a small flock chipping before you see it.

In South Carolina winters, Yellow-rumped Warblers are found statewide, with the biggest numbers along the coast in wax myrtle thickets and maritime forest.

Feeder favorites: suet, peanut butter suet dough, mealworms

21. Palm Warbler

Family – Parulidae
Species – Setophaga palmarum
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (mostly the Coastal Plain)

The Palm Warbler is the warbler that never stops pumping its tail. It spends the winter on the ground and in low brush, walking around lawns and field edges picking up insects, which isn't where most people expect to find a warbler.

In winter it's plain brownish with faint streaks, a pale eyebrow, and bright yellow under the tail. Some show a hint of a rusty cap. Males and females look alike.

The Palm Warbler call is a sharp chik or tsip. Once you know the tail-bob, you'll spot one from across a parking lot.

In South Carolina winters, Palm Warblers are most common in the Coastal Plain, in open, weedy spots, dune scrub, marsh edges, and even mowed roadsides.

22. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

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

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a tiny, nervous insect eater that flicks its wings constantly as it works through shrubs and branches. It's smaller than a chickadee and acts like it's late for a meeting.

It's olive-green with a white eye ring broken at the top and bottom, plus one bold white wing bar. Males have a red crown patch that usually stays hidden until they're agitated. Females have no red.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet call is a husky, two-part ji-dit.

In South Carolina winters, Ruby-crowned Kinglets are found statewide in shrubs, woodland edges, and pine woods, often tagging along with chickadee flocks.

Feeder favorites: suet, mealworms

23. Cedar Waxwing

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

The Cedar Waxwing travels in tight, wandering flocks that descend on a fruiting tree, strip it, and move on. They're a Seinfeld bit waiting to happen: they show up unannounced, eat everything, and leave.

It's sleek and silky brown fading to gray, with a black mask, a soft crest, a pale yellow belly, a yellow-tipped tail, and little red waxy tips on the wing feathers. Males and females look alike.

The Cedar Waxwing call is a very high, thin hiss that's easy to miss if you aren't listening for it.

In South Carolina winters, waxwings can show up anywhere fruit is plentiful, from holly hedges and cedars to ornamental trees in shopping centers, and flocks often linger well into spring.

Feeder favorites: they rarely come to feeders, but they'll visit a bird bath

24. Purple Finch

Family – Fringillidae
Species – Haemorhous purpureus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Irruptive Species (numbers vary year to year)

The Purple Finch is a northern finch that visits South Carolina in some winters and skips it in others. It had a solid showing on the state's 2024–2025 Christmas Bird Counts, where it was the most numerous irruptive species, with 188 birds across 21 counts.

Males look like they were dipped in raspberry sherbet, with rosy color washed over the head, back, and breast and no heavy streaks on the sides. Females are brown and white with crisp, bold streaks and a strong white eyebrow and dark cheek, very different from the plain face of a female House Finch.

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

In South Carolina winters, Purple Finches are most often found in the Upstate and Piedmont, at sunflower feeders near woods.

Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips

25. Red-breasted Nuthatch

Family – Sittidae
Species – Sitta canadensis
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Irruptive Species (scarce in most winters)

The Red-breasted Nuthatch doesn't nest in South Carolina, so every one you see in winter has come down from the north, usually when conifer seed crops fail. It's a tiny, busy bird that creeps along branches and trunks in every direction, including headfirst downward. The 2024–2025 state Christmas Bird Counts found 20 of them on 12 counts, up from just 2 the winter before.

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

The Red-breasted Nuthatch call is a nasal yank-yank, higher and tinnier than the White-breasted Nuthatch, a bit like a toy horn.

In South Carolina winters, look for this bird in pines and other conifers during flight years. In most winters it's hard to find.

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 feast-or-famine visitor. On the 2024–2025 Christmas Bird Counts, South Carolina birders tallied only 21, down from 131 the winter before, which tells you how much it swings from year to year.

It's a small, heavily streaked brown finch with a sharp, thin bill and yellow flashes in the wings and tail. Males tend to show a bit more yellow than females, but most are hard to sex in the field.

The Pine Siskin call is a rising, buzzy zreeee, like a zipper being slowly pulled up.

In South Carolina winters, siskins can turn up anywhere during flight years, especially at nyjer feeders and in pines. In off years, you may not see any.

Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips

27. Baltimore Oriole

Family – Icteridae
Species – Icterus galbula
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (uncommon, mostly the coast)

The Baltimore Oriole is supposed to winter in Central and South America, but a growing number spend the season in coastal South Carolina backyards instead. According to the South Carolina DNR's winter oriole survey, most of the state's wintering orioles are found along the coastal plain from Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head Island, and the Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester county area held 67% of them. The 2024–2025 Christmas Bird Counts set a new state record with 103 Baltimore Orioles, including 33 on the James Island count.

Adult males are flame orange with a black head, black back, and white wing bar. Females and young birds are duller, yellow-orange below and grayish-brown above, with two white wing bars.

The Baltimore Oriole call is a dry, chattering rattle, plus a few clear whistled notes.

In South Carolina winters, look for orioles in coastal neighborhoods with feeders, especially around Charleston. They tend to show up where people are already feeding other birds.

Feeder favorites: grape jelly, oranges, suet

28. Rufous Hummingbird

Family – Trochilidae
Species – Selasphorus rufus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (rare but regular)

The Rufous Hummingbird breeds in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and normally winters in Mexico, but every year a few end up in the Southeast instead. Researchers at Hilton Pond Center in York County, South Carolina, have banded wintering hummingbirds for years and report that most of the state's winter hummers turn up in the far northwestern corner of the state, along the coast, and in York County. Most of them leave the Carolinas starting in mid-February.

Adult males are bright orange-rufous on the back and sides, with a glowing red-orange throat. Females are green above with rufous on the sides and the base of the tail and a small orange spot on the throat. Females and young birds look a lot like the closely related Allen's Hummingbird, and often can't be separated without a close look in the hand.

The Rufous Hummingbird call is a hard chewp or chip, and these birds are famously feisty at feeders, even toward bigger birds.

In South Carolina winters, a Rufous Hummingbird is a rare treat at backyard feeders. If you take your feeder down in October, you'll never know you had one, so consider leaving one feeder up with fresh nectar through winter.

Feeder favorites: sugar-water nectar (1 part sugar to 4 parts water, no red dye)

29. Cooper's Hawk

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Astur cooperii
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird & Winter Migrant

The Cooper's Hawk is a crow-sized hawk that hunts songbirds and doves with fast, low dashes through trees and hedges. Feeders are basically a drive-thru for it, which is why it turns up in so many backyards in winter. (I don't love it either, but it's part of the deal.)

Adults are blue-gray above, with fine rusty barring on the chest, red eyes, and a long, rounded tail with a white tip. Young birds are brown above with brown streaks on a white chest and yellow eyes. Males and females look alike, but females are much larger.

The Cooper's Hawk call is a harsh cak-cak-cak, though it's usually silent while hunting.

In South Carolina winters, Cooper's Hawks are found statewide in woods, suburbs, and city parks. The similar Sharp-shinned Hawk is smaller, with a square-tipped tail.

30. Bald Eagle

Family – Accipitridae
Species – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Resident South Carolina Bird

The Bald Eagle in South Carolina keeps a different calendar than eagles up north. Winter is nesting season here, and pairs are often on eggs by late December or January. It's mainly a fish eater, but it scavenges and steals food from other birds, too.

Adults have a dark brown body, a bright white head and tail, and a heavy yellow bill. Young eagles are mottled brown and white for about four to five years. Males and females look alike, but females are larger.

The Bald Eagle call is a weak, high-pitched string of chirps and whistles, which sounds nothing like the scream movies give it.

In South Carolina winters, look for Bald Eagles along the coast, around big lakes like Marion and Moultrie, and in the river swamps. At Huntington Beach State Park, a pair nests nearby in midwinter and is known for stealing fish from Ospreys.

31. Hooded Merganser

Family – Anatidae
Species – Lophodytes cucullatus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor

The Hooded Merganser is a small diving duck that hunts fish, crayfish, and aquatic insects in shallow ponds, marshes, and creeks. It has a thin, serrated bill for gripping slippery prey.

Males are the showoffs: black and white with chestnut sides and a big white fan-shaped crest they can raise or lower like a mohawk with a volume knob. Females are gray-brown with a shaggy, cinnamon crest.

The Hooded Merganser is mostly quiet in winter, though courting males give a low, rolling, almost froglike call in late winter.

In South Carolina winters, Hooded Mergansers show up on ponds, swamps, and impoundments statewide. Good bets include the salt marsh at Huntington Beach State Park and the impoundments at Santee National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Marion.

32. American White Pelican

Family – Pelecanidae
Species – Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (coast)

The American White Pelican is one of the biggest birds in North America, and it comes to the South Carolina coast for the winter. Unlike the year-round Brown Pelican, it doesn't dive. Groups herd fish together in shallow water and scoop them up as a team, like the world's most coordinated synchronized swimming squad.

It's bright white with black flight feathers that show when it flies, and it has a huge orange-yellow bill and pouch. In late winter, breeding adults grow a flat plate on top of the bill, which falls off after nesting season. Males and females look alike, but males are larger.

The American White Pelican is almost silent away from its nesting colonies.

In South Carolina winters, look for White Pelicans in coastal impoundments and marshes, including the ACE Basin southwest of Charleston, and sometimes soaring in big flocks over the Charleston area.

33. Common Loon

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

The Common Loon spends summer on northern lakes and winter on salt water, including the South Carolina coast. It dives for fish and can stay under long enough that you'll start to wonder if it's coming back.

In winter it trades the famous black-and-white checkerboard for a plain look: dark gray-brown above, white below, with a thick, dagger-like bill held level. The smaller Red-throated Loon, which also winters here, tends to hold its thinner bill tilted up. Males and females look alike.

Loons are mostly silent in winter, so don't expect the haunting summer wail.

In South Carolina winters, look for Common Loons just offshore, in inlets, and around the jetty at Huntington Beach State Park, where birders recommend going at high tide. Some also winter on large inland lakes.

34. Piping Plover

Family – Charadriidae
Species – Charadrius melodus
Primary Activity Time – Daytime
Diurnal
Winter Migrant / Visitor (beaches, federally protected)

The Piping Plover is a small, sand-colored shorebird that spends the winter on South Carolina beaches and sand flats, running a few steps at a time and stopping to pick up worms and tiny crustaceans. It's also a federally protected species, and many of the birds you'll see at Huntington Beach State Park wear colored leg bands that researchers use to track them.

In winter it's pale sandy-gray above and white below, with orange legs, a stubby dark bill, and only a partial dark band on the chest. Males and females look very similar in winter.

The Piping Plover call is a soft, whistled peep-lo, which is where the name comes from.

In South Carolina winters, look for Piping Plovers on quiet beaches, inlets, and sand flats along the coast. Give them room. Watch from a distance, keep dogs leashed where they're allowed at all, respect any closed areas, and if you get a photo of a band, report it instead of creeping closer for a better angle. You don't need a big new lens for this, either. Binoculars and patience work fine, and the plover will appreciate it.

South Carolina Winter Birds FAQ

What birds stay in South Carolina in the winter?

Year-round residents like the Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Bluebird, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Pine Warbler stay put. They're joined from October to April by northern visitors like Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, kinglets, and lots of ducks. For the state next door, see our guide to winter birds in North Carolina.

What are the most common birds in South Carolina in winter?

At feeders, the most common birds in South Carolina are the Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, and Red-bellied Woodpecker, the top five in Project FeederWatch's Southeast top 25. American Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, and Carolina Chickadee round out the top 10.

Do hummingbirds stay in South Carolina in winter?

A few do. Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds leave by fall, but the 2024–2025 season still turned up 39 of them across 7 counts, along with a Black-chinned Hummingbird and a Rufous or Allen's, according to Audubon's recap of South Carolina's Christmas Bird Counts. Western species like the Rufous Hummingbird are rare but regular winter visitors, so it's worth leaving one feeder up.

Which birds of South Carolina only show up in winter?

Winter-only birds of South Carolina include the Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hooded Merganser, Common Loon, American White Pelican, and Piping Plover. Most arrive in October and November and head north again from March to May.

Where's the best place to see South Carolina birds in winter?

For South Carolina birds on the water, Huntington Beach State Park, Santee National Wildlife Refuge, and the ACE Basin are top picks. For songbirds, any wooded park works, and winter is actually easier because the leaves are down. If you're birding the Savannah River side of the state, compare notes with our list of winter birds in Georgia.

What winter birds have you seen in South Carolina?

Share your sightings on the Sparkbird App and see what birders near you are finding this winter, from jetty loons to jelly-loving orioles.

And if a Rufous Hummingbird shows up at your feeder in January, congratulations: you're about to meet every birder in your county. Put the coffee on.

Happy Birding.