Nebraska chose the Western Meadowlark as its state bird — the same bird as its neighbour Kansas. It is a grassland singer that feeds on the ground in open fields, and it does not make Nebraska's top 25 feeder birds.
At the top of Nebraska's list, two very different birds share first place at exactly 90.2% of feeders.
The twelve birds Nebraska 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 58 participants in Nebraska — a small sample, so treat close numbers as ties rather than rankings. The percentage is the share of Nebraska feeder sites that reported the bird at least once.
| # | Bird | Share of NE feeders |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark-eyed Junco | 90.2% |
| 2 | Northern Cardinal | 90.2% |
| 3 | Blue Jay | 88.5% |
| 4 | House Finch | 86.9% |
| 5 | Downy Woodpecker | 86.9% |
| 6 | House Sparrow | 85.2% |
| 7 | European Starling | 80.3% |
| 8 | American Robin | 80.3% |
| 9 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | 75.4% |
| 10 | White-breasted Nuthatch | 73.8% |
| 11 | Northern Flicker | 68.9% |
| 12 | Mourning Dove | 67.2% |
Four things in that list worth knowing
A tie for first
Dark-eyed Junco and Northern Cardinal both land on exactly 90.16%. One is a slate-grey winter visitor that feeds on the ground; the other is the red, crested bird that stays all year. Between them they are at nine out of ten Nebraska feeders.
The robin stays for the winter
American Robin is at 80% of Nebraska feeder sites in the winter count — higher than in most states we have looked at. Plenty of robins do not migrate far; they gather in flocks around fruiting trees and berry shrubs through the cold months. They rarely eat seed, so a crabapple or juniper does more for them than a feeder.
Plains sparrows
American Tree Sparrow (#20) and Harris's Sparrow (#21) both make the top 25. Both nest far to the north and spend the winter on the Great Plains. The Harris's Sparrow — big, with a black face and bib and a pink bill — is a bird most of the country never sees.
The chickadee is only fifteenth
Black-capped Chickadee is at 61% of Nebraska sites — far lower than in the northern states on either side. Open prairie country has fewer of the woods and tree cavities chickadees rely on.
What is on our Nebraska mug, and where each bird actually ranks
The Backyard Birds of Nebraska mug shows the Northern Cardinal (#2, 90%), the Blue Jay (#3, 89%), the House Finch (#4, 87%) and the American Robin (#8, 80%). All four are in the Nebraska top eight.
The ones we would add next are the Dark-eyed Junco (tied #1) and the Downy Woodpecker (#5). 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, jay, House Finch and nuthatch at once. Suet brings the woodpeckers and flicker. Millet scattered on the ground or a low tray brings the juncos, doves and winter sparrows. For the robins, a fruiting tree or shrub.
Where these numbers come from: Project FeederWatch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Top 25 Feeder Birds for Nebraska, 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 →