Indiana chose the Northern Cardinal as its state bird, and the feeder data backs the choice: the cardinal is first on the list, at 94.5% of Indiana feeders, and it stays all year.
The twelve birds Indiana feeders report most
From Project FeederWatch, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's winter count, in which volunteers record what turns up at their own feeders. The 2023–24 season had 250 participants in Indiana. The percentage is the share of Indiana feeder sites that reported the bird at least once.
| # | Bird | Share of IN feeders |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Cardinal | 94.5% |
| 2 | House Finch | 92.5% |
| 3 | Dark-eyed Junco | 91.3% |
| 4 | House Sparrow | 86.6% |
| 5 | Downy Woodpecker | 86.2% |
| 6 | American Goldfinch | 85.0% |
| 7 | Mourning Dove | 84.2% |
| 8 | Blue Jay | 83.4% |
| 9 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | 83.0% |
| 10 | White-breasted Nuthatch | 80.2% |
| 11 | European Starling | 79.8% |
| 12 | American Robin | 79.4% |
Four things in that list worth knowing
Indiana is split between two chickadees
You will not find a chickadee in the top twelve, and the reason is geography. The line between Carolina and Black-capped Chickadees runs across Indiana: Carolina Chickadee (#22, 44%) in the south, Black-capped (#24, 40%) in the north, and hybrids where they meet. Each species is common in its half of the state; split in two, neither ranks high.
Thirteen birds above three-quarters of feeders
From the cardinal down to the Tufted Titmouse at #13, every bird is at more than 77% of Indiana feeders. It is a busy, settled list — most Indiana feeders get most of these birds.
Robins stay through the winter
American Robin is twelfth, at 79% of sites in the winter count. Many robins stay in Indiana through the cold months, feeding on fruit in flocks rather than on seed.
Bluebirds in winter
Eastern Bluebird is fourteenth, at 59% of feeder sites. They do not eat seed, but mealworms, suet and a birdbath kept ice-free will bring them in.
What is on our Indiana mug, and where each bird actually ranks
The Backyard Birds of Indiana mug shows the Northern Cardinal (#1, 94%) — the state bird — the American Goldfinch (#6, 85%), a chickadee and the Eastern Bluebird (#14, 59%). The chickadee is common across the state, but because Indiana's count is split between two species (above), neither ranks in the top twenty.
The ones we would add next are the House Finch (#2) and the Dark-eyed Junco (#3). They are on the list of designs we still owe this state.
If you want more of them
Black-oil sunflower seed covers the cardinal, House Finch, jay, nuthatch, titmouse and chickadees at once. Suet keeps the woodpeckers coming. Nyjer in a mesh sock holds the goldfinches. A low tray brings the juncos and doves. Mealworms bring the bluebirds.
Where these numbers come from: Project FeederWatch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Top 25 Feeder Birds for Indiana, 2023–24 season. These are volunteer reports from their own feeders, not a formal survey, and they describe the winter feeding season rather than the whole year. Percentages are the share of participating sites that reported the species.
See the mugs for the other states → · Identify a bird in three questions →