The Top 12 Cutest Birds in America

While male northern cardinals are stunningly bright and showy, females are no slouches in the cuteness category either. They have subtle hints of blush that appear as if whimsically painted on. Cardinals prefer platform feeders for foraging on black oil sunflower and safflower seeds. If you don’t have space for an additional feeder, add a tray to the bottom of your tube feeder to give cardinals a place to perch and eat.

American Goldfinch

Goldfinches glow like beams of sunshine in summer and ebb to rich olive green in winter. These widespread cuties are recognized as the state bird of Iowa, New Jersey and Washington. While they eat a variety of seeds, a tube or sock feeder full of thistle seed is a magnet for finches. The fine seeds dry out if kept in storage for too long, so consider buying smaller bags rather than stocking up.

Backyard Tip: Use an upside-down thistle feeder to keep goldfinches around but bully birds away!

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Like feathered pingpong balls with toothpick legs, ruby-crowned kinglets bounce and flit about, flicking their wings in near constant motion. Kinglets are most visible in winter along the coasts and throughout the southern states, but migrants show up anywhere. Despite their bug-filled diet, they occasionally nibble on suet cakes. Bold white eye-rings give these little nuggets personality. Red crown feathers are usually tucked away among the gray plumage.

After you see the list of cute birds, check out these cute hummingbird moments and stories.

Indigo Bunting

The color of the male indigo bunting has to be one of the most vibrant, gorgeous blues found in nature. It’s almost iridescent, like a peacock. Females are a dull brown, but you can still identify them by their thicker bill. These birds are migrants and are common throughout the East in late spring and summer. If you want to attract them to your yard, try offering white millet seed.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

We couldn’t put every hummingbird on the nomination list for cute birds, because we were afraid they would dominate. After all, nearly everyone can agree that a 3- to 4-inch hummingbird is cute! Offer sugar water for all hummingbirds, including ruby-throats, and grow nectar-rich flowers.

Dark-Eyed Junco

Called snowbirds across much of the continent, flocks of dark-eyed juncos are harbingers of winter and holiday cheer. For many years, separate types of juncos were classified as unique species, but now scientists identify them all as dark-eyed juncos. Most of them have delightful pink bills, and their white outer tail feathers flash as they fly by. These members of the sparrow family use brush piles for cover and feed on birdseed scattered directly on the ground.

Eastern Bluebird

Along with their western counterparts, eastern bluebirds are beautifully patterned with rusty maroons that contrast against brilliant blues. Bluebirds perch conspicuously in open areas. To attract them, set out nesting boxes. You may even see some fledglings, come summer! If you are lucky enough to have bluebirds in your neighborhood but not your yard, they might take mealworms from a feeder. Native landscapes with fruiting trees also attract bluebirds to backyards.

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

Despite being named after the sound of sharpening blades on whetstones, the tiny northern saw-whet owl’s charming toot, toot, toot calls are hardly menacing. The pint-size owls stand just about 8 inches tall, with oversized, endearing eyes. The alarm notes of songbirds may draw your attention to a roosting saw-whet owl in a dense conifer stand. You might also see the elusive birds at a banding program as researchers continue to learn more about their distribution, mostly in the forests of northern and western North America.

Yellow Warbler

Listen for the cheerful sweet, sweet, sweet tweets of yellow warblers in brushy habitats. You might see a lemon-hued male sporting orange streaks on his chest, or a soft yellow female. Warblers feed mostly on insects, so they generally aren’t attracted to feeders. Instead, entice these cute birds to your garden by adding a water feature like a bird bath or, even better, a natural looking pond with flowing water.

Downy Woodpecker

The daintiest of the woodpeckers, downies are familiar friends in backyards from coast to coast. They seem delicate even as they chisel out cavities in tree trunks, one chunk at a time. Downy woodpeckers eat a variety of foods including seeds, fruits and insects, and they visit suet feeders throughout the year. No-melt suet is available for warmer months. But definitely serve high-fat treats during the winter when downies need the extra nutrients.

Black-Capped Chickadee

Scientist and nature personality Laura Erickson recently noted on social media, “I think that I shall never see a poem as cute as a chickadee.” From their cheery voice to their bold personalities, black-capped chickadees are undoubtedly adorable. Nearly identical, and equally as cute, Carolina chickadees are found in the southeastern U.S. Enthusiastic eaters, chickadees can sometimes be coaxed to eat seeds right out of your hand.Check out more incredibly cute chickadee pictures.

Tufted Titmouse

It isn’t the only crested bird around, but a tufted titmouse’s peak certainly has the most flair. Both sexes always look styled and perfectly moussed, with vibrant black eyes to offset their pale expressive faces. With a range that’s expanding northward, these birds are common feeder visitors in the East. They readily eat sunflower seeds, but it is especially amusing to watch them tackle whole peanuts in the shell Learn how to attract titmice to visit your backyard.

Honorable Mentions

They didn’t make the “cutest” list this year, but our runner-ups are still worth a look: wood duck, scarlet tanager, Atlantic puffin, broad-billed hummingbird, painted bunting, snowy owl, cedar waxwing, Baltimore oriole, American kestrel, northern flicker, tree swallow, western tanager, Blackburnian warbler, blue grosbeak and vermilion flycatcher.

Additional contributor: Stacy Tornio