How to attract redpolls to your yard
Common Redpolls respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 29 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 5, such as Alaska, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, so set up before spring arrival. It is a winter visitor in 24, including Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Maine, Manitoba, Massachusetts and 18 more, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what redpolls use
These native plants are tied to the Common Redpoll in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper birch Betula papyrifera | Tree | 27 | Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter. |
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 24 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 22 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Perennial | 21 | Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 21 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 18 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
| Common sunflower Helianthus annuus | Perennial | 13 | Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed. |
| Sugar maple Acer saccharum | Tree | 13 | Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species; spring flowers draw early insects. |
| Red maple Acer rubrum | Tree | 10 | Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants. |
| Willow (Bebb) Salix bebbiana | Shrub | 10 | Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (tree, perennial, shrub). Layering matters: mixing tree, perennial, shrub gives redpolls food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Birch and alder catkin seeds.
- Warm months
- Seeds and insects on the tundra
- Cold months
- Birch seed and feeder nyjer
- At feeders
- Nyjer, Hulled sunflower
Feeder style matters as much as food: nyjer (thistle) finch feeder is the first choice for this bird. Redpolls survive −60°F nights with a throat pouch that stores seed; they arrive at feeders in irruption winters. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Cup low in shrubs on the tundra.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 4–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 10–11 days
- Nestling period
- 10–14 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts redpolls to a yard?
Food they actually eat (nyjer, hulled sunflower), native plants such as Paper birch, Black-eyed Susan, Wild bergamot, clean water and suitable nesting cover: cup low in shrubs on the tundra.
What plants attract redpolls?
Across the Common Redpoll's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Paper birch (Betula papyrifera), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting redpolls?
Nesting starts around July in Alaska and as late as July in Yukon. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Common Redpoll — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Redpoll life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Redpoll — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.