What is that black bird on my bird feeder?

Birds of West Cobb

Sep 15, 20238 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

You asked: What is that black bird on my bird feeder?

This page is intended to help our fellow “backyard birders” identify those black birds on, under or nearby their bird feeders. Here in the Southeastern United area, we have a number of birds that appear black at some angles or in certain lighting. It’s pretty interesting that most of them look very different in direct sunlight than they do on a very overcast day. I’ve compiled a list of those that we have seen at our feeders in the past several years. We are hopeful that these images help you identify your mystery bird(s) and help further your knowledge of the birds in your backyard.

What is that black bird on my bird feeder? One of the most common black birds you'll find on your feeder is the aptly named "Common Grackle"

The Common Grackle is one of the most common black birds to visit bird feeders in the Southeastern United States (as well as the Northeast and Midwest.) It is a species which is native to the United States and parts of Canada. You will typically see Common Grackles more frequently in the Fall and Winter months, often arriving with huge flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings and even Brown-headed Cowbirds.

A Common Grackle poses for his photo on a makeshift bird feeder. Common Grackles are pretty standard visitors of bird feeders in the Southeast. — A Common Grackle poses for his photo on a makeshift bird feeder.

What do Common Grackles prefer to eat? We've attracted Common Grackles (including the one photographed above, which we named "Gru") by offering a mixture of various seeds and protein options. We have provided C&S suet nuggets, but they seem to really enjoy peanuts and black-oil sunflower seeds that are included in the Special Feeder Mix from Cole's wild bird foods.

Common grackles are seen frequently at feeders in the Southeast. — A Common Grackle pauses between bites of his breakfast.

The Common Grackle may appear black in certain lighting, but on cloudy days or in early morning light, many more colors will appear and it may surprise you how many shades of purple and blue that will appear. The Common Grackle is relatively the same size as an Eastern Blue Jay. When they are young, they appear brownish-grey and as they mature the contrast gets more intense. The adults not only have very dark feathers but the adults have bright yellow eyes with very contrasting black pupils. Grackles make some interesting sounds too, and we were lucky enough to capture a video of that here (below).

Another really common black bird that you might find at your feeders or in your yard is the American Crow

The American Crow prefers open-faced plates or platform feeders. We like to put suet nuggets and dried mealworms out for other bird species but luckily we only have a couple of Common Crows, as they are large and scare off a lot of the smaller birds just by being around. They are gentle though and are not aggressive to the smaller birds. Common Crows will however pillage an open nest for eggs or hatchlings in the Spring. Another great thing they will do for the bird feeding folks out there: Common Crows will gang up on birds of prey such as Hawks and Owls and chase them out of the area. They are also very vocal when predators are nearby like feral cats!

An American Crow perched on our deck railing for a snack

A fledgling American Crow already feeding itself at our dried mealworm plate.

Crows can be seen as a nuisance in some circles, but we find them to be very timid, intelligent and playful. Around 4-5 years ago, we started seeing a pair of crows early in the morning and later in the afternoon. They would arrive cautiously, and one would keep watch high up in a nearby tree as the other flew down and quickly gobbled up some C&S Suet Nuggets. After a bit they would swap positions and the other would come down for a bite. Around 2 years ago they had one baby and now the 3 of them come visit us nearly every day. They are actually very quiet unless there is a predator nearby. Crows also make some hilarious sounds and there are countless videos out there on YouTube about Crows and their ability to use tools to access food, remove threats and more!

Here is a quick video of an American Crow we captured in our yard, eating dried mealworms:

An American Crow fledgling visits Birds of West Cobb for a fresh mealworm snack!

Another native species and very common black bird you might find at your bird feeder is the Brown-headed Cowbird

(Male pictured on right, female on left) The adult male Brown-headed Cowbirds appear black at a distance, and even up-close they appear largely black except for their namesake brown head! The male is quite a bit darker, the female is more of a brownish color throughout and, to us resembles a large female house finch except the color is smoother and there are much more subtle streaks on the breast.

A male and female Brown-headed Cowbird perch together.

In our experience the Brown-headed cowbird is a very quiet bird, which often moves in flocks of other mixed species like Common Grackles and European Starlings. The Cowbirds will typically arrive in late Fall or early Winter, and stay until early Spring. Brown-headed Cowbirds are native birds that get a pretty bad bit of publicity because they lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species, forcing these unwilling hosts to raise these offspring as their own. These birds are known as

Here is a video of a young female Brown-headed cowbird which may aid in your ability to identify this species.

Our Least Favorite but most common black birds you might see at your bird feeder is the European Starling

European Starlings are very common black birds for us to see in our yard and can often be seen as pests, especially around your bird feeders. They are noisy when arriving in groups, and they will hiss and snap at other birds. Additionally, the European Starling will not only nest in bluebird nest boxes but will seek out any sort of cavity, whether it's in a tree or a vent pipe for a house, or an empty porch column cavity. But, they will also find other birds nesting in these places and drive them out, even evicting them forcibly and destroying eggs or viciously attacking the parents.

An adult male European Starling perches momentarily for a photo.

Two Juvenile European Starlings wait for food from their parents. A Grey Catbird looks on from behind them. — Two Juvenile European Starlings wait for food from their parents, as a Grey Catbird looks on from behind them.

Starlings have very impressive coloration and patterns on their feathers. People have raised them as pets (which is illegal for native bird species). They can mimic other bird calls and even automotive alarm sounds and more. This is possibly how they have continued to breed at a staggering rate and now exist in much of North America.

European Starlings were literally brought over from (you might have guessed it) Europe, back in the 1890’s. It was a science experiment that went a bit sideways. Initially there were only 100 birds and it was expected that these wouldn't probably make it. Before long these birds formed massive flocks and were notorious for eating entire crops of grains. To this day, they are considered pests by many although you have to admit that they have very unique colors in the right lighting, and once you have seen up close it is hard to mistake them for other birds. They are noisy, and sometimes flocks will cover your feeders and often you will find them on the ground beneath your bird feeders in groups, walking erratically and moving a bit like chickens. If you feed Bluebirds and other birds as we do with dishes of dried mealworms, you may need to put these dishes away for a few days to get rid of these birds.

Another common black bird species you'll find on your feeders is the Red-Winged Blackbird

RWB's or Red-winged Blackbirds are beautiful black birds that can be commonly found on your bird feeders, or in flocks in your yard or on your lawn. The Male of the species is a very crisp, dark black with red, orange, or possibly yellow shoulders. These colors turn to a much more clearly defined red as the birds mature. The juveniles and the females look very different, with no black at all on their feathers in their bodies. See below for some examples!

An adult male Red-winged Blackbird perches on a branch. — An adult male Red-winged Blackbird perches on a leafy branch.

A group of Red-winged Blackbirds gather to eat black-oil sunflower seeds and peanuts in the Winter.

Red-winged Blackbirds are considered songbirds and often arrive in flocks from 20 birds to well over 300. They move around in tight formations on the ground and can also cover the tops of multiple trees simultaneously. One chipmunk or Squirrel quickly moving across the yard can startle them and cause an incredible burst of flight (and sound of all the wings beating) as they vacate the area. The female looks very dull in comparison to the male red-winged blackbird. The male is mostly black and when they spread their wings you can see Red, Orange and or orange-yellow on the wings. It is truly a sight to behold when they all take off at the same time (not to mention the sound of it!)

A pair of juvenile Red-Winged Blackbirds enjoy some Safflower Seeds in Marietta, Georgia

Another black bird species that you'll see regularly at or near your bird feeder is the The Rufous-Sided Towhee, more often referred to as the “Eastern Towhee”

The Eastern Towhee is a very common black bird to see on or near your bird feeders. They will occasionally land on a tube feeder or a platform-style feeder, but for the majority of the time they will be seen on the ground at the base of your feeder support pole, or in low-lying brush, shrubbery or even a crepe myrtle or privet grouping. While not totally black, there is a large amount on the head and chest as well as wings and tail to include this beneficial songbird in our list!

An adult male Rufus-sided Towhee landed on a plate full of safflower seeds — An adult male Eastern Towhee landed on a plate full of safflower seeds

A female Rufus-sided Towhee stands in the sunlight on our deck railing.

The Towhees are quite beneficial in gardens. They can be heard whistling what sounds like “Tow–Heee” or as we prefer to call them “Toby”. On or near the ground they will be seen flipping leaves and looking for a variety of insects, grasshoppers, earthworms and more. The male appears black with “rufous” or a rusty orange color beneath the wings, with a white stomach and a bit of white on the tail and wings which can be seen more easily while in flight. The female is More of a muddy-brown color instead of black, but similar in other ways. The adults have Red eyes with black pupils. It’s super cool to see them up close, with those piercing red eyes. They enjoy eating C&S Suet Nuggets, or dried mealworms sprinkled on the ground in Winter, and many live insects found naturally in your yard. We also have another blog post written completely about the Eastern Towhee, you can find it here.

The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak is another black colored bird that you can find on your feeders (seasonally) here in the Southeast United States.

The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a large amount of black feathers, but the standout feature of this bird is the massive beak designed for cracking open large seeds. (Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak pictured on the right with female on the left.)

A female (left) and male (right) Rose-breasted Grosbeak share a meal.

An adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak shows off his crisp black, red and white colors.

An adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak enjoys Suet Nuggets.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a larger songbird with a beak that resembles that of a finch or a cowbird. They are huge fans of safflower seeds or a mixture of safflower and hulled sunflower seeds. The female is the same size of course but looks completely different – she has lots of brown, splashes of white and streaks of brown on the belly in different shades. The juvenile male looks like a combination of the two birds, but clearly has more black and sometimes a touch of the rose-breast feathers can be seen also!

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Birdfy Smart Feeder on Amazon