Backyard birds in Lincoln, Nebraska
Which birds visit Lincoln yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Lincoln's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 40.800°, -96.667°
- Population
- 294,757
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 6 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 15 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:49 AM / 5:54 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 4b–5b
Nesting timing in Lincoln
The state guides give nesting windows for Nebraska as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 41.1°N). Lincoln is at 40.8°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts about the same time as the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Lincoln goes from 9 h 15 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 6 min in June, a 5 h 52 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window April–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window May–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- Tufted Titmouse — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window May–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
Birds you can expect in Lincoln
Year-round residents (47)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Black-billed Magpies, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Field Sparrows, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Barn Owls, Horned Larks, Great-tailed Grackles, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (64)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Spotted Towhees, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Least Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, American Woodcocks, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Burrowing Owls, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Dickcissels, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds
Winter visitors (21)
Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red Crossbills, Hooded Mergansers, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Harris's Sparrows, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Hoary Redpolls, White-winged Crossbills, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs
Cold, windy winters; the Platte River corridor holds most wintering birds.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Lincoln
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Lincoln, sunrise is around 6:49 AM in mid-April, 5:54 AM at the June solstice and 7:47 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Lincoln yards
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.
Native red tubular flowers timed to hummingbird arrival.
Nearby cities in Nebraska
- Papillion — 41 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lincoln
- Fremont — 45 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days later than Lincoln
- Bellevue — 47 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lincoln
- Omaha — 49 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lincoln
- Columbus — 57 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days later than Lincoln
- Grand Island — 88 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lincoln
Frequently asked
What birds live in Lincoln all year?
Year-round residents across Nebraska include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Lincoln.
When do birds start nesting in Lincoln?
Lincoln sits at a different latitude from Nebraska's population centre, so nesting runs about the same time as the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Lincoln?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Lincoln, sunrise is around 6:49 AM in mid-April and 5:54 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Nebraska
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
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.