Data Entry Contest: What’s Your Favorite Feeder Bird to See?

For the ninth season in a row, Project FeederWatch and our sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited are rewarding registered FeederWatchers with the chance to win prizes. Celestron has joined the fun by offering one pair of binoculars to each data entry contest winner as well. After entering counts into the FeederWatch website, participants have the opportunity to share a story, memory, or tip by clicking the “Enter to Win” button on the Count Summary page. We randomly select two winners per prompt. Our final Data Entry contest prompt this season was:

What’s your favorite bird to see at your feeders? Do you wait all season for a glimpse of it, or does it come every day? Share with us what makes that species so special to see at your feeders!

Congratulations to our winners, Ruadhan Ward and Marilyn Drucker!

Ruadhan shared:

My favorite bird to see at my feeders is the Northern Flicker. I love birds in the woodpecker family, but before seeing it at my feeder, I’d never heard of them before! I often hear birds before I see them and when I first heard the calls of the Northern Flicker I was blown away. It took a couple days before I finally saw the bird and I was struck by their wild plumage! Now when the Northern Flicker visits my feeder, it’s the most exciting part of my day. They should be coming back to the feeder in full force soon!

When they’re not visiting feeders, Northern Flickers eat mainly insects. Unlike other woodpecker species, they often prefer to forage on the ground instead of trees to eat ants, beetles, snails, and more, using their long, barb-tipped tongue. You can learn how to attract birds, like these woodpeckers, by using Project FeederWatch’s Common Feeder Birds Interactive Tool to learn each species’ food and feeder preferences.

Marilyn shared:

My favorite bird is the Carolina Wren – or should I say Carolina Wren(s)? Most often, two come to the feeder together. They like the suet and occasionally use the birdbath for a drink or a short dip in the water.  While some birds do not like being close to each other on the feeders, the Carolina Wren couple will be seen next to one another or on either side of the suet feeder. My feeders invite these local birds into my yard, encouraging them to stay all year long. I see them nesting each spring and summer in either a window box, or the leaf bin, and find the whole family eating bugs in the vegetable gardens.  It is easy to learn where they are by their loud and varied songs and calls. Whenever I see them, I smile.

A shy bird that can be hard to spot, the Carolina Wren is often heard before being seen! It sings a piercing tea-kettle tea-kettle song throughout forests and wooded backyards. In spring, you may find them nesting in garages, flower pots, hanging ferns, or other quiet places on your property. Consider keeping a brush pile or putting up a Carolina Wren nest box (plans available for download from NestWatch here) to encourage them to take up residence in your yard.

Thanks to everyone who participated and shared their stories over the 2024-2025 season – we wish we could share all of your submissions! Read the stories from past winners on our blog. Email feederwatch@cornell.edu with questions.

Interested in becoming a FeederWatcher? Join the fun now!