Resident bird species: 15 native winter bird species

Before the cold season begins, cranes, storks, swifts, house martins and Co. migrate to the warm south. Other bird species overwinter here. We present 15 resident birds that are native to Germany.

Domestic winter birds

Who can resist the fascination of the bird world? In winter, the bird feeder in front of the window offers the chance to experience birds up close. Resident birds that hibernate with us have adapted perfectly to the conditions. When there are only a few worms and insects left, they feed on nuts, grains and seeds.

Birds from A - D

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

• Males: black with a yellow bill
• Female: brown
• Length: 25.5 centimeters
• Call: dag-dag
• Singing: loud, fluting
• Habitat: parks, gardens, forests
• Food: worms, caterpillars, fruits, grains
• Breeding season: April
• Characteristic: The black winter bird is not shy and well used to being close to humans.
• Other names: Black Thrush

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

• Males: red-brown chest and cheeks, blue-gray cap, white wing bands, gray beak
• Females: green-brown, less conspicuous than the male
• Length: 15 centimeters
• Call: pink-pink
• Singing: loud, trilling
• Habitat: deciduous and mixed forests, orchards, parks
• Diet: insects, spiders, seeds, grains, beechnuts
• Breeding season: April and June
• Characteristic: males overwinter in the same place, females move further south.
• Other names: Edelfink

Great spotted woodpecker (Picoides major)

• Males: black-white-red plumage, red stripe on the back of the head
• Females: black-white-red plumage
• Length: 23 centimeters
• Call: kix
• Habitat: forests, gardens, parks, cemeteries
• Food: worms, caterpillars, spiders, bird eggs, young birds, nuts, grains
• Breeding season: April
• Characteristic: Great spotted woodpeckers overwinter in tree hollows. Their knocking can be heard from afar, especially during courtship.
• Other names: Baumhacker

Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)

• Males and females: black with iridescent reflections, the back of the head and neck gray, short beak and tail, light blue eyes
• Length: 36 centimeters
• Call: kjakk
• Singing: gossiping, polyphonic in large groups
• Habitat: caves in trees and rocks, wall holes, gardens, parks, mixed forests
• Food: insects, larvae, snails, worms, berries, seeds
• Breeding season: April to June
• Characteristics: The number of jackdaws has declined significantly in recent years. The intelligent winter bird is on the red list of endangered species.
• Other names: little monks

Birds from E - G

Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)

• Males and females: light red-brown body, black and white wings with light blue iridescent feathers, black beard stripes, light blue eyes
• Length: 34 centimeters
• Reputation: Screaming reminiscent of the meowing of cats
• Habitat: oak forests
• Diet: insects, spiders, caterpillars, seeds
• Breeding season: April to May
• Feature: The intelligent standing bird is able to imitate the voices of other birds.
• Other names: gardener of the forest

By the way, the jay can carry up to ten acorns in its throat pouch. The impressive winter bird buries the acorns in the ground and thus creates supplies for wintering. With this peculiarity, the resident bird, which does not find all of its acorns again in winter, ensures the spread of oak trees.

Siskin (Carduelis spinus)

• Males: chest, rump, wing bands yellow-green, black forehead and black throat, long beak
• Females: rump, wing bandages yellow-green, light gray head, long beak, breast dashed
• Length: 12 centimeters
• Reputation: teterett
• Singing: chirping (only males sing)
• Habitat: coniferous and mixed forests with alder and birch
• Food: birch and alder seeds, grains, nuts
• Breeding season: April and July
• Characteristic: The winter bird looks very similar to girlitzes and greenfinches.
• Other names: hosiery

Bullfinch / Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

• Males: red belly, light gray back, black head. Females: gray-pink belly, gray back, black head
• Length: 14 to 17 centimeters
• Call: you
• Singing: soft, chatting, melancholy
• Habitat: coniferous forests
• Diet: berries, seeds, fruit tree buds
• Breeding season: April and late June
• Characteristic: The jumping movement gave the bullfinch its name. The Bavarian word "gumpen" stands for "hop". Other names: bullfinch, blood finch

Note: Don't cut back all of the perennials in your garden in the fall. The faded flowers make it easier for the bullfinch to overwinter, because they provide valuable food for the beautiful resident bird in winter.

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

• Males: olive-green body, distinctive yellow markings on the wings, light-colored beak
• Females: gray-olive green, less conspicuously drawn than the male
• Length: 15 centimeters
• Call: jüpp or djüp-rüp-rüp
• Singing: trilling
• Habitat: Settlements, parks, gardens, cemeteries, open forests
• Diet: seeds, grains, rose hips
• Breeding season: April to June
• Characteristic: The sociable winter bird can usually be seen in groups at the aviary. Other names: Grünling, Zwuntsch

Birds from H - L

Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

• Males: black body, red tail
• Females: gray body, red tail
• Length: 15 centimeters
• Call: jirr tititi
• Singing: not melodic, squeezed
• Habitat: caves
• Food: insects, spiders, worms, larvae, seeds, berries
• Breeding season: May to June
• Characteristic: The winter bird used to be a rock dweller. Today it is also native to the plains.
• Other names: Rotschwänzle, Brandvogel, Rußvogel

Note: By hanging up a semi-cave, gardeners can support the small resident bird during the winter.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

• Males: gray-brown plumage, black throat, gray crown, brown stripes on the sides of the head, brown back with white stripes, strong beak
• Females: dull brown
• Length: 14 to 15 centimeters
• Call: chilp
• Habitat: villages with agriculture, parks, gardens
• Diet: cereal grains, seeds
• Breeding season: April and June
• Characteristic: The term "Dreckspatz" refers to the small birds' preference for bathing in the sand.
• Other names: sparrow, house sparrow

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

• Males and females: back blue-gray, belly beige-brown, pointed long beak, black eye stripes, white neck
• Length: 12 to 15 centimeters
• Call: wi-wi-wi
• Habitat: deciduous and mixed forests with a lot of old wood
• Diet: insects, spiders, caterpillars, seeds
• Breeding season: April to May
• Feature: The resident bird can run down the tree trunks upside down.
• Other names: woodpecker tit

By the way, the name of the glue comes from the word "glue". The resident bird has the ability to reduce the size of the entrance to its breeding cave by gluing small balls of clay.

Great tit (Parus major)

• Males and females: yellow belly, black head, white cheeks
• Length: 14 centimeters
• Call: pink-pink, in spring: si-si-däh
• Singing: varied, metallic
• Habitat: forests, gardens, parks, cemeteries
• Food: worms, caterpillars, spiders, nuts, grains
• Breeding season: April and June
• Characteristic: Great tits from the north are part migrants and overwinter in warmer regions. Most of the great tits in Germany are resident birds.
• Other names: Finch tit

The name of Great tit has nothing to do with the cabbage vegetables. It was created on the basis of the black head reminiscent of coal.

Birds from M - Z

Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)

• Males and females: gray-brown banded, white, longitudinally striped goiter, rounded tail
• Length: 48 to 55 centimeters
• Reputation: like the meowing of cats
• Habitat: trees, buildings
• Food: mice, small animals, birds, carrion
• Breeding season: March to June
• Characteristics: Many common buzzards from Scandinavia overwinter in Germany.
• Other names: cat eagle

The name buzzard comes from Middle High German. The word part "Buse" means cat and "Aar" stands for eagle. The mewing call of the bird of prey, which resembles the meowing of a cat, gave it its name.

European robin (Erithacus rubecula)

• Males: head and chest colored red, olive-brown back, white lower abdomen, black eyes
• Females: Color like the male, only a little more dull
• Length: 14 centimeters
• Shout: zig
• Singing: as bright as a bell
• Habitat: gardens, parks, mixed forests
• Diet: insects, berries, seeds
• Breeding season: April to May

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

• Males: head red, black and white, back and chest light brown, tail feathers with white spots. Females: color like the male, only a little more dull
• Length: 12 to 13 centimeters
• Call: stiglit, didelit, didilit
• Singing: bright, trilling
• Habitat: settlements, gardens, parks, mixed forests
• Food: insects, herbs, seeds
• Breeding season: April to July
• Characteristics: Goldfinches even live in cities and often breed in schoolyards.
• Other names: Distelfink, Augsburg night watchman

Tip: If you want the colorful goldfinch to feel at home on your property, you shouldn't tidy up your garden intensively in winter and you shouldn't use chemical weedkillers.

frequently asked Questions