Gardening Ideas Our Favorite Southern Songbirds By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 1, 2022 Fact checked by Jillian Dara Fact checked by Jillian Dara Jillian is a freelance writer, editor and fact-checker with 10 years of editorial experience in the lifestyle genre. In addition to fact-checking for Southern Living, Jillian works on multiple verticals across Dotdash-Meredith, including TripSavvy, The Spruce, and Travel + Leisure. brand's fact checking process Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Every Southern state has its favorite songbirds, and every state has a state bird (or two) that it celebrates. As to what defines a songbird, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Songbird [is] any member of the suborder Passeri (or Oscines), of the order Passeriformes, including about 4,000 species—nearly half the world's birds—in 35 to 55 families." This encompasses many, many birds. We've picked just a few of our favorites. From the blackbirds with red shoulder pads to the murmuration-forming starlings, these birds have plenty to recommend them, including their warbles, chirps, and whistles. They're memorable because of their appearances and the songs they sing—some of which are more musical than others. We love when they visit our gardens, even if they do like to eat our berries (we're looking at you, Robin Red-Breast). If you'd like to learn how to attract birds to your garden, check out Grumpy's tips. Then take a spin through this list of Southern birds of prey. 01 of 10 American Robin Arterra/Getty Images Turdus migratorius These familiar, red-breasted birds are harbingers of spring across the Southern states and throughout the U.S. 02 of 10 Brown Thrasher Outtakes/Getty Images Toxostoma rufum Found in many Southern states year-round—including Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida—this big, reddish-brown bird is the state bird of Georgia. 03 of 10 Carolina Wren UniversalImagesGroup/Getty Images Thryothorus ludovicianus These birds, which are commonly found throughout the South in all seasons, emit a distinctive, musical song. 04 of 10 House Finch Emil Vacek / 500px/Getty Images Haemorhous mexicanus Finches have bright, cheerful chirps and can be found across the U.S, as far north as Maine and throughout the Southern states. 05 of 10 House Sparrow David & Micha Sheldon/Getty Images Passer domesticus This bird, which is found throughout the U.S. year-round, is one of the most common songbirds in the world and lives in both cities and rural areas. 06 of 10 Kentucky Warbler Bob Hilscher/Getty Images Geothlypis formosa This bright yellow bird is commonly found throughout the South—including in, yes, Kentucky—during its breeding season. 07 of 10 Northern Cardinal Danita Delimont / Getty Images Cardinalis cardinalis You can't miss these bright red birds, which have red beaks and pointed red combs atop their heads. They're commonly found throughout the Southeastern and Eastern U.S., and they sing a whistling song. Learn more about the Northern cardinal. 08 of 10 Northern Mockingbird Jody Trappe Photography/Getty Images Mimus polyglottos Found throughout the Southern reaches of the United States, these birds have repetitive songs and are also able to imitate the sounds they hear. They have the capability of making hundreds of distinctive noises. 09 of 10 Red-Winged Blackbird KenCanning/Getty Images Agelaius phoeniceus Commonly found from the East Coast to the West Coast, these blackbirds have red and yellow patches on their wings. 10 of 10 Starling Susan Walker/Getty Images Sturnus vulgaris Common in the U.S., starlings that live in the South usually do so year-round, while those that live farther north often migrate in autumn. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit