| The Birds Of Baxter Gardens
Northern Cardinal
The male is a bright red bird with a black mask and is a yard favorite of everyone. The female is light brown with a red crest and red accents.
Northern Mockingbird
Tennessee State Bird. Gray and white thrush sings continuously and imitates other bird songs. Likes to nest in thick bushes around houses.
American Robin
Dark brown with an orange breast, very common, usually seen hunting for worms on lawns. It runs and then stops repeatedly.
Carolina Wren
Cute little brown bird, likes to nest in flowerpots or other areas on the porches of houses. They hold their tail in the air and can be seen in pairs quite often.
Blue Jay
Loud, blue and white crested jay, usually seen in small family groups. They especially love peanuts and other nuts around feeders.
Eastern Bluebird
Beautiful blue bird with an orange breast and a sweet song. They will nest in houses and boxes all over the property. Prolific insect eaters.
Mourning Dove
Medium-sized gray dove with a long, pointed tail. The male has a soft cooing call. These birds will eat seed from the ground or in platform feeders.
Carolina Chickadee
Tiny gray and white bird with a black forehead hangs out with Tufted Titmice. They love feeders.
Tufted Titmouse
Gray bird with a crest hangs out with Carolina Chickadees at feeders. They will take one sunflower seed at a time from a feeder, go to a perch, and put it between their feet so they can peck it open.
Downy Woodpecker
Our smallest woodpecker, this bold, black-and-white checkered bird will eat from a suet feeder all year long.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Often confused with the larger Red-headed Woodpecker, this is a medium-sized bird. The male has a red stripe on top of his head, and a red wash can sometimes be seen on the stomach.
Northern Flicker
Speckled brownish woodpecker with a black chevron on its chest, often seen feeding on ground, not very common at feeders.
Pileated Woodpecker
Rarely seen, but its raucous call is commonly heard here. This large woodpecker has a brilliant red crest and feeds on the trunks and branches of dead or dying trees.
House Finch
Sparrow-sized bird, grayish with some red in the plumage. The male has a rose-colored wash on his head and chest, and the female is a plain brownish gray. Love feeders.
Red-Tailed Hawk
Large hawk usually seen out in the open soaring in circles in the sky over the ridge or perched on high limbs or tree tops.
Red-Shouldered Hawk
About the size of Red-tailed Hawk, but hunts more in the woods and has a rust-colored chest and shoulders with a black-and-white striped tail.
Brown Thrasher
Large, rust-brown thrush with a long tail, usually seen on the ground hunting for grubs.
Song Sparrow
Seen and heard all over the property. Loves to nest in boxwood trees and has a lovely varied song.
Chipping Sparrow
Small brown sparrow with a rust-colored cap and a black beak. Loves the open, grassy areas on the property.
White-Throated Sparrow
Medium-sized brown sparrow with a white throat and yellow above the eye. Readily eats seeds on the ground around feeders and will visit every day, especially at dawn.
American Goldfinch
Small, eye-catching, bright yellow and black finches. Love feeders.
Eastern Towhee
Black, orange, and white male is large for a sparrow. Hops along on the ground looking for insects and grubs. They sing their name.
Purple Martin
Large blue-black swallow whose back flashes in the sunlight, maneuvering acrobatically as it feasts on flying insects. Nest in colonies in the two houses on the property, one near the White Garden, and one in the Bluebird Garden.
Chimney Swift
Dark gray, cigar-shaped bird that nests in the chimneys of the house. Like the Martin, they chitter and eat on the fly, darting through the air above the lawn, especially early and late in the day.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
The male has a stunning red throat that changes color as he moves his head, catching light from different angles. This tiny bird is the only hummingbird east of Mississippi and is a regular seasonal visitor to the property.