In this article I’ll be going over 11 birds that can be found across the state of Alabama throughout their winter months so, continue reading to learn more about them below.

• Orange Crowned Kinglet 
• Brown Thrasher 
• American Robin 
• Eastern Towhee 
• American Kestrel 
• Northern Cardinal 
• Red Bellied Woodpecker 
• House Finch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Pine Warbler 
• American Goldfinch

11 Winter Birds In Alabama

1. Orange Crowned Warbler (Vermivora Celata)

• Size: 12 – 13cm
• Weight: 8 – 10 grams
• Wingspan: 17 – 19cm

Orange crowned warblers can only be spotted in Alabama throughout their non-breeding seasons. This will often be around fall and winter. 

These birds are mostly a light green color with the wings a slightly darker green. Females have overall color scheme for their plumage too.

Orange crowned warblers can be found around dense areas of deciduous shrubs, usually within or adjacent to forests.

These birds are known to eat insects throughout the summer months with the occasional berry, sip of nectar from flowers or tree sap.

These little birds will live for around 6 years in the wild on average.

2. Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma Rufum)

• Size: 23.5 – 30.5cm
• Weight: 61 – 89 grams
• Wingspan: 29 – 33cm

Brown thrashers can be found in Alabama year round as it is one of their permenant residencies within the States.

Brown thrashers (also refrred to as the fox colored thrush) are recognised by their brown plumage, with hues of a rusty orange color on the back of their head and breasts. The body is also patterned around the breast area where little blobs of brown are scattered throughout. Females have a very similar orange hue to their plumage too.

You’ll often find these thrashers around thickets around edges of deciduous or mixed woods, shrubby edges of swamps, around undergrowth in open pine woods as well as suburban neighbourhoods. 

In regards to the food they eat, it consists of insects, berries and nuts with more than half of a brown thrashers diet consisting of insects like caterpillars, flies, true bugs, cicadas, grasshoppers etc.

Brown thrashers are know to live for around found 2 – 3 years on average, with the longest recorded lifespan being 12 years.

3. American Robin (Turdus Migratorius)

• Size: 12.5 – 14cm
• Weight: 16 – 22 grams
• Wingspan: 20 – 22cm

American robins can be found living in Alabama year round although further south of the state, some of these robins may only stay there when wintering.

These robins are recognised by by their gray wings, back and tail, black head, yellow beak and orange belly/breast. Females have a far duller color scheme where the plumage that is black is mostly gray whilst the breast is a lighter orange.

American robins are often seen around woodlands, suburban backyards, parks, and grasslands with shrubs.

As for what they eat, it includes fruits, seeds, suet, crushed peanuts, sunflower hearts, raisins and a variety of insects like beetles, flies, worms among many others.

American robins tend to live for an average of 2 years in the wild although some can live upto 5 or 6 years.

4. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo Erythrophthalmus)

• Size: 17 – 23cm
• Weight: 35 – 45 grams
• Wingspan: 20 – 30cm

Eastern towhees can be found in Alabama year round, including the winter months, as it is a permenant residence of theirs.

Towhees are recognised by their black, white and orange feathers with their back, head and wings black in color, their side chest orange in color with the underside of the breast white in color. Females follow a similar plumage color scheme but their back is a duller gray color with the breast a mixture of orange and white.

These avians will spend the majority of their time staying at open woods, undergrowth, brushy edges where they prefer being around ground cover to  forage for food. 

Eastern Towhee consume a unique amount of different food sources such as insects like beetles, caterpillars, moths, true bugs, ants, spiders, snails, and millipedes, smaller reptiles like salamanders, lizards, or snakes, seeds, acorns, berries, and smaller fruits.

Eastern Towhees are known to live for around 12 years in the wild.

5. American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius)

• Size: 20 – 24cm
• Weight: 115 – 125 grams
• Wingspan: 50 – 60cm

American kestrels can be found around Alabama year round, including the winter months.

These kestrels are recognised by their spotted orange, gray, black and white plumage with their back orange with a black horizontal pattern, their wings a gray color, black tail feathers and orange sides with a gray and white head that has 2 black lines drawn vertically near both eyes. Females are mostly light brown.

American kestrels can be found in a variety of open or semi-open habitats from forest clearings, farmland and deserts. 

As for what they eat, it includes small mammals such as woodmice and shrews, small birds, insects, earthworms with voles being their go to food source.

Wild Ameican kestrels are known to live for around 5 years but, captive variants have been known to hit 17+ years.

6. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis Cardinalis)

• Size: 21 – 23cm
• Weight: 42 – 48 grams
• Wingspan: 30 – 35cm

Northern cardinals are permanent residents of Alabama so, there is a good chance of you spotting them in the state throughout the winter months also.

These cardinals are recognised by their mohawk like head feathers, red exterior and beak with elements of black across the face. Females also have elements of red on their beaks and their body but at smaller amounts with the majority of their plumage being a light brown color.

These cardinals can be found in woodlands, gardens, shrublands, wetlands and can even be brought into your backyard if you have sugar water or seeds that satisfy their taste buds.

As for the food they eat, it consists of small insects like beetles, true bugs, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, flies, spiders, centipedes, and snails. Seeds of weeds, berries among other smaller fruits are other food sources that consume also

Northern cardinals are known to live for around 15 years in the wild although the actual number is far less grand.

7. Red Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes Carolinus)

• Size: 22.8 – 26.7cm
• Weight: 56 – 97 grams
• Wingspan: 38 – 46cm

Red bellied woodpeckers can be found in Alabama year round as it is a permanent residence of theirs meaning you’ll even spot them here in the winter. 

Most would recognise a red bellied woodpecker by the helmet like red streak on their head, their white chest feathers and striped zebra like pattern on their back and wings. Being a woodpecker also means their bills are relatively long and pointy. Females are very similar to males besides the lack of  a red streak on their head

Red bellied woodpeckers tend to enjoy consuming suet, especially nut, insect, or fruit blends as well as fruits like oranges, grapes, apples, sunflower seeds and other smaller insects. 

As for where they spend the majority of  their time, it would be around woodlands and forests, from old oak trees to the lesser aged hardwoods and pines. They can also congregate around feeders within the backyard of Missouri citizens. 

Red bellied woodpeckers are capable of living for around 12 years in the wild.

8. House Finch (Haemorhous Mexicanus)

• Size: 12.5 – 15cm
• Weight: 19 – 22 grams
• Wingspan: 20 – 25cm

House finches can be found in Alabama throughout the year as it is a permanent residence of theirs.

These finches are recognised by their red and brown plumage with their body mostly light brown and the head made up of a gradient red color with hints of brown. Females on the other hand are mostly brown with hints of black on their wings and back.

As for where you can find house finches, the number of habitats they stay within are quite vast ranging from dry desert, desert grassland, chaparral, oak savannah, streamsides, and open coniferous forests at elevations below 6,000 feet. 

If the food is to their liking, like black sunflower seeds, these little birds will on occasion make their way to a feeder set out be a Missouri citizen. Other than seeds house finches also eat small insects like aphids as well as fruits and berries.

In the wild, house finches are known to live for around 10 years whilst some captive finches have reportedly lived upwards of 12 years.

9. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus Pileatus)

• Size: 40 – 49cm
• Weight: 250 – 400 grams
• Wingspan: 75 – 85cm

Pileated woodpeckers can be found in Alabama year round as it is one of their many places of permanent residences in the eastern side of the country, where they will also be found in the winter months. 

These woodpeckers are recognised by their mohawk like feathers on the top of their head with the remainder of the body black with a white striped pattern along both sides of the head.  The difference between a male and female pileated woodpecker is that males have a red moustache and head feathers whilst females only have red head feathers.

As for where you can find these birds, they’ll congregate around standing dead trees and downed wood. The forests they stay in can be evergreen, deciduous, or mixed whilst often being old. The occasional one can be spotted in backyards and the suburbs too.

Pileated woodpeckers tend to mostly consume carpenter ants along with other ants, woodboring beetle larvae, termites, flies, spruce budworm, caterpillars, cockroaches, and grasshoppers. They will also eat the suet from feeders in backyards.

The oldest recorded lifespan was said to be around 12 years and 11 months although the average lifespan is likely a good deal less.

10. Pine Warbler (Setophaga Pinus)

• Size: 13 – 14cm
• Weight: 11 – 13 grams
• Wingspan: 21 – 23cm

These pine warblers are year round residents of Alabama and can be found there in the winter months.

Pine warblers are recognised by their yellow and gray plumage with their head and chest mostly yellow and their wings and back a gray color. Females are mostly gray in color.

These warblers can be found around pine forests or in deciduous woods that have pine trees within. They may also visit feeders if the grub within is to their liking.

Pine warblers tend to eat millet, cracked corn, sunflower seed, peanuts, suet from elevated feeders or smaller fruits and berries from bushes.

As for how long a pin warbler tends to live for, it’s estimated to be around 6 years in the wild.

11. American Goldfinch (Spinus Tristis)

• Size: 11 – 13cm
• Weight: 11 – 20 grams
• Wingspan: 19 – 22cm

American goldfinches are year round residences within the central and northern regions of Alabama, which includes when they’re wintering, whilst in southern Alabama, they will only remain there through the winter months.

These finches are recognised by their yellow, white and black plumage. Their wings are black and white, their forehead is distinguished by the small black patch on it, their under tail is white with the remainder of the body a bright yellow color. Females are far less vibrant with hints of yellow however, are mostly a light brown color.

American goldfinches are found around edges of forests and plains, around areas filled with brush and thistle plants.

These finches tend to mainly consume seeds that come from the daisy composite family, seeds from weeds, from trees like birches and elm trees, buds, the occasional insect, maple sap and berries.

American goldfinches are known to live between 2 – 4 years in the wild and upto 9 years in captivity.