You probably hear birds chirping and singing every day, but did you ever stop to identify what bird you were hearing? Birdwatching, also known as birding, has become an increasingly popular hobby in many parts of the world. Fortunately you don’t have to travel to remote locations to observe birds in their natural habitats. Often, all you need is a window in your home to peer out or a bench in your backyard to observe from. Field guides with pictures and bird descriptions are helpful and so are binoculars, but they are not necessary for the beginning bird watcher. Here is a list of the most common backyard birds across America:
1. American Goldfinch: These small finches are active in spring and early summer and are bright yellow with a black forehead and black wings. They can be quite acrobatic and fly with a flouncy pattern and often call while in flight, drawing attention to themselves. During the winter they turn a drab, streaked color and often come out to the feeder more often. They feed primarily on sunflower and nyjer seeds.
2. Baltimore Oriole: These birds are black on top with orange underbellies and black wings with white stripes. If you wish to attract these birds try placing orange halves or grape jelly in a fruit feeder in early spring.
3. Belted Kingfisher: These blue-gray birds are on the larger side at 12 to 14 inches long with a dramatic crest on their heads resembling a Mohawk. They build their nests in tunnels near the banks of their fishing territory.
4. Blue Jay: These colorful birds are bright blue with white faces and streaked white wings. They are typically around 9 to 12 inches tall and can be a bit of a bully at the bird feeder. If you wish to attract these birds to your yard try a hopper style feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds.
5. Cardinal: One of the most admired birds in the backyard the Cardinal has been named the state bird of seven US States. This 8 inch long bird is bright red with a pointed crest on top of the head. The females are mostly brown; however, both sexes have small black masks on their faces. They enjoy black oil sunflower seeds and tend to feed and mate together. Some Cardinals even mate for life.
6. Carolina Wrens: These small brown birds are often have light brown bellies with dark brown backs and wings. They also have a bright white line above the eyes that looks like a pronounced eyebrow that helps to identify them. These birds often mate in pairs for life like the Cardinal.
7. Mountain Bluebird: These birds struggle to find nesting sites and often benefit from the placement of birdhouses. They are approximately 7 inches long and are bright blue all over. Females are grayish with blue heads and tails. Their song is robin-like with a slightly higher pitch.
8. Red-headed Woodpecker: These aggressive birds are bright white and black with bright red heads and prefer to feed from suet feeders. Their primary diet consists of insects they catch in mid-air; however, they will feed on black oil sunflower seeds.
9. Robin: These red-breasted birds are the largest of the thrush family and are often found in backyards even through the winter, as long as it is mild. Robins feed from fruit left on trays in ledge feeders and prefer to line their nests with mud. Robins also live for about 14 years providing they make it through their first year.
10. Starlings: These birds are quite populous all over the country so their habits can be easily studied. They are around 8 inches long with a short stocky build and a square tipped tail. Their bills are yellow in the summer and black in the winter with an all over dark colored plumage.
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