In the fall, there are no shortages of beautiful birds right in your backyard. For birds, fall migration runs from the middle of August to the end of November. During this time, we see a lot of movement for many different bird species. Learn more below about common fall visitors and how you can attract them to your yard.
Dark-eyed Junco
The dark-eyed junco is one of the many birds that migrate south for the winter months. These birds are commonly found in Texas from September to November. While they are here, they like to home in the forest edge and wooded areas. They typically frequent suburban yards that are near forested areas as they search for more resources.
Draw these birds to your yard this fall with seeds and suet in your feeders. They tend to be ground foragers, so you will see them just below your feeders cleaning up anything that has been dropped!
Adult dark-eyes junco in the grass
Source: Audubon Field Guide
Tufted Titmouse
In the fall and winter months, the tufted titmouse can be found in tree notches in the forest and places like parks, backyards, and orchards.
The tufted titmouse is a year-round bird for this area, but we tend to notice them more in the fall and winter months due to their increased attraction to the feeders for readily available seeds. These birds are on the larger side compared to other birds that you see at the feeders and tend to be aggressive about their food and shelter in the winter.
Adult tufted titmouse on a branch
Source: American Bird Conservancy
American Goldfinch
From around mid-September to May, the American goldfinch populates our open woodland, grassy areas and the suburbs. These birds are not picky and happy to eat a wide variety of seeds; they sometimes consume insects opportunistically too!
This bird has a very strong and conical beak that allows them to eat a wide variety of seed types. Their beak allows them to break larger seeds while also collecting smaller seeds to then transport to another location. They are also incredibly agile and can fit into odd spaces that other birds are not able to get into.
When you see them this fall, they won't have the bright yellow plumage that they have in this photo below. Instead, they will have a slightly duller yellow color with that same beautiful wing and tail feather color!
American goldfinch on a branch
Birds are one of our best pollinators because of the distance that they cover during their flights. It is important that we continue to support their migration patterns by keeping them fed and sheltered over the winter months. Consider incorporating the following habits into your fall season to support our pollinators.
How to Support Our Migrating Birds
Interested in learning more?
Texas Birds: Introducing Texans to Common Birds
American Bird Conservancy
Active Migration Data
For more information, contact the Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or 281-210-3800.