Open Dataset
Feeder Bird Trait Matrix
Every one of our 78 profiled species as a structured row: mass, length, wingspan, residency, the foods it accepts and the feeder types it uses, all normalized to a controlled vocabulary so you can actually query it.
The short answer
- 78 species, 73 of which use feeders. 15 columns. CSV and JSON, CC BY 4.0.
- Free-text descriptions from our profiles are normalized into 14 food terms and 9 feeder-type terms, so the data is groupable rather than merely readable.
- Built by a published script from our published pages, so you can regenerate it and verify it.
- It is a compilation of sourced facts, not new observation. That distinction is stated on every page that uses it.
Browse the data#
| Species | Mass (g) | Length (cm) | Residency | Foods accepted | Feeder types used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus | 77.5 | 19.0 to 23.0 | resident | ||
| American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos | 468.0 | 40.0 to 53.0 | resident | ||
| American Goldfinch Spinus tristis | 15.5 | 11.0 to 13.0 | resident | ||
| American Robin Turdus migratorius | 81.0 | 20.0 to 28.0 | resident | ||
| American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea | 20.5 | 14.0 to 14.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna | 5.0 | 10.0 to 11.0 | resident | ||
| Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula | 35.0 | 17.0 to 19.0 | migratory | ||
| Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii | 10.0 | 13.0 to 13.0 | resident | ||
| Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia | 177.5 | 45.0 to 60.0 | resident | ||
| Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus | 11.5 | 12.0 to 15.0 | resident | ||
| Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri | 3.6 | 8.0 to 9.0 | mixed | ||
| Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus | 42.0 | 18.0 to 19.0 | migratory | ||
| Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata | 85.0 | 25.0 to 30.0 | resident | ||
| Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus | 3.5 | 10.0 to 10.0 | resident | ||
| Brown Creeper Certhia americana | 7.5 | 12.0 to 14.0 | resident | ||
| Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater | 46.0 | 19.0 to 22.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum | 75.0 | 23.0 to 30.0 | resident | ||
| Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus | 5.5 | 7.0 to 8.0 | resident | ||
| California Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica | 85.0 | 28.0 to 30.0 | resident | ||
| Canada Jay Perisoreus canadensis | 71.0 | 25.0 to 29.0 | resident | ||
| Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis | 10.0 | 10.0 to 12.0 | resident | ||
| Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus | 20.0 | 12.0 to 14.0 | resident | ||
| Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum | 32.0 | 14.0 to 17.0 | mixed | ||
| Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens | 10.6 | 10.0 to 12.0 | resident | ||
| Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina | 13.5 | 12.0 to 15.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Clark's Nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana | 133.5 | 27.0 to 30.0 | resident | ||
| Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula | 108.0 | 28.0 to 34.0 | resident | ||
| Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea | 15.5 | 12.0 to 14.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Cooper's Hawk Astur cooperii, long known as Accipiter cooperii | 450.0 | 37.0 to 45.0 | resident | ||
| Costa's Hummingbird Calypte costae | 3.0 | 7.6 to 8.9 | resident | ||
| Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis | 24.0 | 14.0 to 16.0 | resident | ||
| Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens | 24.5 | 14.0 to 17.0 | resident | ||
| Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis | 30.0 | 16.0 to 21.0 | resident | ||
| Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus | 42.5 | 17.0 to 21.0 | resident | ||
| Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto | 160.0 | 29.0 to 30.0 | resident | ||
| European Starling Sturnus vulgaris | 78.0 | 20.0 to 23.0 | resident | ||
| Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus | 63.5 | 16.0 to 22.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca | 35.0 | 15.0 to 19.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla | 31.5 | 15.0 to 18.0 | migratory | ||
| Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis | 39.5 | 21.0 to 24.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Hairy Woodpecker Dryobates villosus | 67.5 | 18.0 to 26.0 | resident | ||
| Harris's Sparrow Zonotrichia querula | 37.5 | 17.0 to 20.0 | winter visitor | ||
| House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus | 21.5 | 13.0 to 14.0 | resident | ||
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus | 28.5 | 15.0 to 17.0 | resident | ||
| House Wren Troglodytes aedon | 11.0 | 11.0 to 13.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea | 15.0 | 12.0 to 13.0 | migratory | ||
| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria | 9.8 | 9.0 to 11.0 | resident | ||
| Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambeli | 11.0 | 12.0 to 14.0 | resident | ||
| Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura | 133.0 | 23.0 to 34.0 | resident | ||
| Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis | 45.0 | 21.0 to 23.0 | resident | ||
| Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus | 135.0 | 28.0 to 31.0 | migratory | ||
| Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos | 51.5 | 21.0 to 26.0 | resident | ||
| Oak Titmouse Baeolophus inornatus | 16.0 | 13.0 to 13.0 | resident | ||
| Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius | 22.0 | 15.0 to 18.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Painted Bunting Passerina ciris | 16.0 | 12.0 to 13.0 | resident | ||
| Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus | 300.0 | 40.0 to 49.0 | resident | ||
| Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator | 67.0 | 20.0 to 25.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Pine Siskin Spinus pinus | 15.0 | 11.0 to 14.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus | 25.0 | 12.0 to 16.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea | 10.2 | 9.0 to 11.0 | resident | ||
| Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus | 73.5 | 24.0 to 24.0 | resident | ||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis | 10.5 | 11.0 to 12.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus | 73.5 | 19.0 to 23.0 | mixed | ||
| Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus | 54.5 | 17.0 to 23.0 | migratory | ||
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus | 44.0 | 18.0 to 21.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris | 3.5 | 7.0 to 9.0 | migratory | ||
| Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus | 3.5 | 7.0 to 9.0 | migratory | ||
| Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus | 152.5 | 24.0 to 34.0 | resident | ||
| Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia | 32.5 | 12.0 to 17.0 | resident | ||
| Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus | 41.0 | 17.0 to 21.0 | resident | ||
| Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri | 120.0 | 30.0 to 34.0 | resident | ||
| Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor | 22.0 | 14.0 to 16.0 | resident | ||
| Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana | 30.0 | 16.0 to 19.0 | migratory | ||
| White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis | 24.0 | 13.0 to 14.0 | resident | ||
| White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys | 26.5 | 15.0 to 16.0 | resident | ||
| White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis | 27.0 | 16.0 to 18.0 | winter visitor | ||
| Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo | 110.0 to 115.0 | mixed | |||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata | 12.5 | 12.0 to 14.0 | winter visitor |
Mass is the midpoint of the published range. Filtering happens in your browser, so it works on the downloaded page too.
Columns#
| Column | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| slug | string | URL-stable identifier, matches /birds/<slug>/ |
| common_name | string | English name as used on the profile |
| scientific_name | string | Binomial |
| length_cm_min / _max | float | Published range, metric |
| wingspan_cm_min / _max | float | Published range, metric |
| mass_g_min / _max / _mid | float | Published range and its midpoint |
| residency | enum | resident, migratory, winter_visitor or mixed |
| uses_feeders | bool | False for species our profiles say will not use a feeder |
| foods | list | Controlled food terms, pipe-delimited in CSV |
| feeder_types | list | Controlled feeder terms, pipe-delimited in CSV |
| url | string | Path to the source profile |
The JSON adds foods_source_text, feeder_source_text,
range_note and at_feeders_note: the raw strings each tag was derived from,
so you can audit any individual tagging decision without leaving the file.
Controlled vocabulary#
Foods. Sunflower hearts or chips, Suet, Live or dried insects, Black oil sunflower, Peanuts, Cracked corn, White proso millet, Fruit and jelly, Mealworms, Sugar water (nectar), Acorns and tree nuts, Nyjer (thistle), Safflower, Striped sunflower.
Feeder types. Platform or tray, Suet cage, Ground or scattered, Hopper feeder, Tube feeder, Peanut feeder, Nectar feeder, Dish, cup or jelly feeder, Nyjer or finch feeder.
Terms are append-only. We will add new ones as the corpus grows and we will not rename or remove an existing one, so a join you write today keeps working.
How it was built#
research/build_dataset.py reads the "At a glance" block of each species profile,
parses the metric figure out of each dual-unit measurement, and tags the food and feeder fields by
matching a documented pattern list against the free text. Nothing is hand-edited afterwards. The
full rule set, including every regular expression, is on the
methods page.
Rule-based extraction was chosen over hand-tagging specifically so the result is auditable and reproducible. The cost is that it inherits the phrasing of our profiles: if a profile mentions a feeder type only in the body text and not in the summary block, the tag is missed. Cases like that are bugs, and the corrections policy covers them.
Known limits#
Compilation, not observation. Every fact traces to our species profiles and through them to the institutional sources in our source hierarchy. The structure is ours. The observations are not.
Binary tags. "Eats sunflower" does not say whether sunflower is a staple or an occasional item, and "uses a platform" does not say how often.
North American bias. The corpus covers the US and Canada, so the matrix does too.
Coverage follows our profile list. 78 species is most of what turns up at North American feeders, and it is not all of it.
Licence and citation#
CC BY 4.0. Cite as: ProBirdFeeder Feeder Bird Trait Matrix, probirdfeeder.com/research/datasets/feeder-bird-traits/, accessed [date].
If you publish something built on this, we would like to know through the contact page, and we will link it from here.