Attracting Songbirds to Your Backyard Feeders During Spring Migration

Few birds feel more like spring than the American Robin. While some robins stay through winter, large numbers return north each year, filling the early morning air with their cheerful “cheerily, cheer up, cheerio!” song. Robins are often spotted hopping across lawns searching for earthworms, but they will also visit platform feeders stocked with the right assortment. Offer raisins, grapes, chopped apples, cherries, blueberries, or orange slices. Because robins crave protein, dried insects like mealworms are especially attractive. Sunflower kernels, peanut pieces, and suet can also entice them.

February to March Arrival

One of the earliest signs that spring is on the way is the unmistakable call of the Red-winged Blackbird. Males arrive first, often in late winter, their glossy black feathers accented by brilliant scarlet and yellow shoulder patches. From fence posts, reeds, and tree branches, they sing their tumbling “conk-la-lee!” song across fields and wetlands. These birds are frequent visitors to feeders during migration. Offer mixed grains and seeds in large hopper, tube, or platform feeders. Black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, oats, milo, and peanut hearts are all welcome foods that help these early arrivals refuel.

Late February to March Arrival

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only hummingbird species that regularly visits Northeast Ohio. These tiny migrants travel astonishing distances from Central America and appear each spring in flashes of emerald green and ruby red. Hang hummingbird feeders filled with fresh nectar by mid-April. These energetic birds are drawn to bright red feeders and will return repeatedly once they discover a dependable food source. Planting tubular flowers rich in nectar can make your yard even more attractive to hummingbirds.

Mid-April Arrival

Baltimore Orioles bring a flash of fiery orange to spring landscapes as they return from Central America. These birds seek sugary foods after their long migration to quickly replenish energy. You can attract them easily with specialty oriole feeders offering nectar, grape jelly, and fresh orange halves. Bright orange feeders help catch their attention. Place fruit-and-nectar feeders out by May 1 so they’re ready when orioles arrive looking for their first sweet meal of the season.

Mid-April to Mid-May Arrival

Among the most dramatic feeder visitors of spring is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. About the size of a robin, the male looks like he’s dressed in black and white formalwear with a bold rose-red splash across his chest. His song resembles a robin’s but with extra operatic quality. Grosbeaks migrate from Central and South America and are among the later arrivals of the season. They quickly discover feeders offering black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, raw peanuts, suet, or fruit. Their stout bills make easy work of seeds, and once they find a reliable food source, they often return regularly.

Late April to Mid-May Arrival

The brilliant blue Indigo Bunting is one of spring’s hidden gems. In sunlight, the male’s feathers glow an electric shade of blue as he sings a lively, bouncy song from treetops and shrubs. These birds prefer areas where weedy fields meet shrubby woodland edges. Tube feeders filled with small seeds such as thistle or nyjer can attract them, especially if your yard borders natural areas.

Late April to Late May Arrival