Central Ohio Backyard Quick Guides: Animal Profiles

Below are some basic animal profiles to help you with your backyard identification.

BIRD PROFILES (Central Ohio Backyard Favorites)

Northern Cardinal

Season: Year-round

Food: Sunflower seeds, safflower

Fun Fact: Males feed females during courtship

Attract With: Platform feeders, dense shrubs

American Goldfinch

Season: Year-round

Food: Nyjer, sunflower

Fun Fact: Nest later than most birds (mid-summer)

Attract With: Thistle feeders, native plants

Downy Woodpecker

Season: Year-round

Food: Suet, insects

Fun Fact: Often mistaken for Hairy Woodpeckers

Attract With: Suet cages, dead tree snags

ANIMAL PROFILES (Four-Legged Visitors)

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Common Issue: Feeder raids

Benefit: Seed dispersal

Management Tip: Baffles, squirrel-resistant feeders

Raccoon

Active: Night

Risk: Can carry rabies

Management Tip: Lock trash cans, remove fallen seed

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Seen: Dawn & dusk

Garden Impact: Heavy browsing

Management Tip: Fencing, native plant buffers

INSECT PROFILES (Backyard MVPs)

Monarch Butterfly

Season: May–September

Host Plant: Milkweed

Status: Declining

Help Them: Plant native milkweed, avoid pesticides

Eastern Carpenter Bee

Often Mistaken For: Bumblebees

Behavior: Solitary, non-aggressive

Tip: Leave untreated wood or provide bee blocks

Fireflies

Peak: June–July

Role: Predator of garden pests

Help Them: Reduce lawn chemicals, leave leaf litter