Skip to content

Top Navigation

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAYS
  • ENTERTAINING
  • HOME
  • GARDENING
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING
  • WEDDINGS
  • SHOP
  • DIY
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS
  • LIFE
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Pin FB

Explore Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 Things to Do in the Morning to Be Healthier and More Productive

      7 Things to Do in the Morning to Be Healthier and More Productive

      Kick-start your day by making habits out of these mood-boosting tips. Read More
    • Should You Refrigerate Bananas?

      Should You Refrigerate Bananas?

      It's one of your favorite fruits, but does it belong on the counter or in the refrigerator? Read More
    • This 3-Ingredient Homemade Weed Killer Uses Vinegar to Safely Remove Pesky Growths from Your Garden

      This 3-Ingredient Homemade Weed Killer Uses Vinegar to Safely Remove Pesky Growths from Your Garden

      A few easy-to-find ingredients are all you need to create a powerful formula that squashes weeds. Read More
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    Our 20 Most Popular Recipes for Summer

    Our 20 Most Popular Recipes for Summer

    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Cooking How-Tos
    • Baking
    • Menu Planning
    • Food News & Trends
    • Wine
    • Mastering the Holiday Meal
    • What's for Dinner
    • All Recipes
  • HOLIDAYS

    HOLIDAYS

    See All HOLIDAYS
    The Most Patriotic Flowers for the Fourth of July, According to Symbolism

    The Most Patriotic Flowers for the Fourth of July, According to Symbolism

    Show your love of country by displaying these varieties on America's birthday.
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Passover
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
  • ENTERTAINING

    ENTERTAINING

    See All ENTERTAINING
    How to Start Entertaining Friends and Family More Regularly

    How to Start Entertaining Friends and Family More Regularly

    Make gathering with loved ones a priority.
    • Seasonal Entertaining & Decorating
    • Baby Shower Ideas
    • Dinner Party Ideas
    • You're Invited
  • HOME

    HOME

    See All HOME
    We're Putting Up Walls Again—Is the Open Floor Plan on Its Way Out?

    We're Putting Up Walls Again—Is the Open Floor Plan on Its Way Out?

    We asked the experts to weigh in on this popular home design concept.
    • Home Design & Decor
    • Paint Colors & Palettes
    • DIY Home Projects
    • The Well-Kept Home
  • GARDENING

    GARDENING

    See All GARDENING
    A Month-by-Month Hydrangea Care Guide

    A Month-by-Month Hydrangea Care Guide

    Confused about when to do what to your favorite flowering shrubs? We have you covered.
    • Container Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Houseplants
    • Landscaping
    • Vegetable Gardens
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    How to Wash Pillows

    How to Wash Pillows

    They're an essential element of a comfortable bed, so keep yours fresh and in their best shape ever with these expert-approved tips.
    • Cleaning
    • Storage & Organization
    • Laundry & Linens
  • WEDDINGS

    WEDDINGS

    See All WEDDINGS
    Who Pays for What for the Wedding?

    Who Pays for What for the Wedding?

    Get the traditional rules for who pays for the wedding details.
    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Party
    • Wedding Planning & Advice
    • Wedding Ceremony & Reception
    • Wedding Jewelry
    • Dresses & Style
    • Wedding Beauty & Wellness
    • Wedding Registry
    • Wedding Showers & Parties
    • Love & Marriage
    • Wedding Travel
  • SHOP
  • DIY

    DIY

    See All DIY
    How to Melt and Reuse the Leftover Wax from Candles

    How to Melt and Reuse the Leftover Wax from Candles

    Our easy melt-and-pour method saves the last bit of this home essential.
    • Dyeing
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Kids' Crafts
    • Knitting
    • Paper Crafts
    • Sewing
    • Rescue & Revamp
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    Can Rice Water Really Encourage Hair Growth?

    Can Rice Water Really Encourage Hair Growth?

    This buzzy ingredient is a star player in many new-age hair care products.
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Live Well
  • LIFE

    LIFE

    See All LIFE
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Net Worth
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. marthastewart.com
  2. Life
  3. The Most Common Birds You'll See in Your Backyard—and One of the Rarest!

The Most Common Birds You'll See in Your Backyard—and One of the Rarest!

roxanna-coldiron-profile-picture.jpg
By Roxanna Coldiron Updated February 09, 2021
Skip gallery slides
Pin
audubon-q7a0891-mld110667.jpg
Credit: Francesco Lagnese

No matter where in the country you live, now's the time to grab a pair of binoculars, head outside, and see for yourself what has 47 million Americans looking up in wonder.

Start Slideshow

1 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
audubon-q7a0891-mld110667.jpg
Credit: Francesco Lagnese

It was around 1820 when naturalist John James Audubon declared his aspirations to paint every bird in North America. What followed was countless hours poring over an easel and observing in the wild, drawing in the details to every wing, talon, eye, and feather—resulting in his magnum opus: The Birds of America, a book illustrating the wide variety of birds of the United States. The work consists of 435 hand-colored, life-size prints, including some species which have since become extinct with the passage of time—the Carolina parakeet, passenger pigeon, and Labrador duck, just to name a few—but you'll find that many of these birds still flock to your backyard today.

These days, local birdwatching is as easy as taking a step outdoors—your backyard attracts plenty of these beautiful winged creatures. On a nice day, you can grab a chair and sit in an out-of-the-way spot to get a glimpse of the wildlife that lives in your neighborhood. You can do any number of things to attract more birds to your backyard: bird feeders, bird baths, and even the flowers and plants you choose to have in your garden. You could see a blue jay or a red robin on any given day of the week. And if you're able to catch a glimpse of a rare bird, like the Northern Bobwhite, you can count yourself lucky.

Our guide will help you to identify some of the most common birds likely to show up in your backyard. The Audubon Society and local birdwatching groups can also give you guidance and help you to get started on your amateur birdwatching journey. (To find your local chapter, visit audubon.org.) Add some binoculars and a journal to your tool kit, and keep your eyes peeled for these avian wonders.

1 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Northern Cardinal

northern cardinal
Credit: Getty

The Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) features bright red feathers on the males and brown feathers with tinges of red on the female birds. Cardinals are not the type of bird to shy away from a winter, so they do not migrate at all. You'll find that they readily come to backyard bird feeders—the Northern cardinal favors sunflower seeds! This fact may have aided its northward spread. It's most common in the East, where the cardinal is the official state bird for seven states.

2 of 16

3 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Blue Jay

bluejay
Credit: Getty

The blue jay's (Cyanocitta cristata) distinctive and vibrant blue feathers attract plenty of awe from birdwatchers. These birds love to take advantage of bird feeders, so you are more likely to see one (or several) if you regularly refill a feeder in your backyard. Their calls are also easy to recognize once you are familiar with them.

3 of 16

Advertisement

4 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mourning Dove

mourning dove
Credit: Getty

The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) soft cooing is one of our most familiar bird sounds. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the mourning dove is a native species that does very well in close association with humans. Their feathers are brownish in color with dark gray wings. Mourning Doves tend to call rural and suburban areas their home.

4 of 16

5 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Black-Capped Chickadee

black-capped chickadee
Credit: Getty

One of the cutest backyard birds is the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus). You can attract them with bird feeders and window feeders, and they love to eat sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts. The birds are small with large, rounded heads, topped with black feathers and more black feathers under their tiny black beaks, with soft white-ish undersides.

5 of 16

6 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Baltimore Oriole

baltimore oriole
Credit: Getty

The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) is one of the most brilliantly colored songbirds in the east. With its flaming orange and black plumage, it shares colors with the 17th-century coat of arms of Lord Baltimore—hence its name. Orioles are often common in open woods and groves in summer where they live in hanging bag-shaped nests and feed on insects found in your backyard, flower nectar, and slices of fruit at your feeder.

6 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

White-Breasted Nuthatch

white-breasted nuthatch
Credit: Getty

The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is found all over the United States, and its numbers are actually increasing. Nuthatches like to spend time in forests, woodlots, and groves, or anywhere that has plenty of shade trees. Sunflower seeds in your bird feeder are an especially attractive treat and they will industriously tout them off to hide them in crevices.

7 of 16

8 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Red-Tailed Hawk

red-tailed hawk
Credit: Getty

Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) are large, majestic birds that you might see overhead. Their body size can reach 18 to 26 inches as an adult, with a wingspan of 38 to 43 inches. Red-tailed hawks are named because of their distinctive brick-colored tail feathers.

8 of 16

9 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

American Robin

American robin
Credit: Getty

The song of an American robin (Turdus migratorius) is familiar to many of us because these birds can be found all over the United States. With its rusty-orange breast and dark gray-brown back, these birds are also one of the easiest to identify. Robins love to eat earthworms and berries.

9 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Sparrow

house sparrow
Credit: Getty

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is commonly found in cities, towns, and farms. These birds like to hang around human-made structures instead of unaltered, natural surroundings. You'll recognize them by their small bodies with a rusty-brown topside, grayish-white underside, and small, black beak.

10 of 16

11 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

red-bellied woodpecker
Credit: Getty

Despite it's name, the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) actually does not have a red belly. A splash of bright red feathers cap their heads, and their wings are a unique black and white pattern. Live near a wooded area? Make your backyard more inviting with bird feeders that are filled with suet or peanuts.

11 of 16

12 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

American Goldfinch

American goldfinch
Credit: Getty

American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) calling "perchickory" is commonly heard across the United States. With vivid yellow feathers and black feathered caps, the male birds are easy to recognize; females tend to be a lighter shade of yellow. They raise their young together, with the male taking over most of the parenting duties as the babies grow into mature birds. At your feeder, they will often climb acrobatically to reach thistle seeds.

12 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Tufted Titmouse

tufted titmouse
Credit: Getty

The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a crested little bird that can handle harsh winters, so those who live in colder northern states may be delighted to see them amidst the dreary snow-covered landscape of their backyard. Its whistled "peter-peter-peter" song may be heard even during mid-winter thaws. Sunflower seeds are a tasty treat for the tufted titmouse; they also enjoy a caterpillar every now and then.

13 of 16

14 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

House Finch

house finch
Credit: Getty

House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) are spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These birds used to prefer dry, desert areas, but you can now see them in all types of climates. They get their name from the fact that like to live near people's houses. In the winter, they migrate toward the South where it's warmer.

14 of 16

15 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

European Starling

European Starling
Credit: Getty

The European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is often regarded as a pest among birdwatchers as it competes with other birds—bluebirds and red-headed woodpeckers in particular—for nesting sites. These birds are very common in cities and farmland, and they tend to gather in immense flocks during the fall and winter.

15 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rare: Northern Bobwhite

Northern bobwhite
Credit: Getty

The Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is in serious decline. Because of its dwindling numbers, this bird has all but vanished in northern regions and is a rare sight to see in southern states. Northern Bobwhites get their name from their unique call, which sounds like a whistled "bob-white" in springtime across farmland and brushy pastures. They are heard more often than seen, as they often keep within dense low cover, but you may have some luck if you leave out their preferred treat—legumes—in the winter.

16 of 16

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Roxanna Coldiron

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 16
    2 of 16 Northern Cardinal
    3 of 16 Blue Jay
    4 of 16 Mourning Dove
    5 of 16 Black-Capped Chickadee
    6 of 16 Baltimore Oriole
    7 of 16 White-Breasted Nuthatch
    8 of 16 Red-Tailed Hawk
    9 of 16 American Robin
    10 of 16 Sparrow
    11 of 16 Red-Bellied Woodpecker
    12 of 16 American Goldfinch
    13 of 16 Tufted Titmouse
    14 of 16 House Finch
    15 of 16 European Starling
    16 of 16 Rare: Northern Bobwhite

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Martha Stewart

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service
    • Media Kit
    • Martha's Blog
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • FAQ
    • Corporate
    • International
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMartha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Martha Stewart. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.marthastewart.com

    Sign in

    View image

    The Most Common Birds You'll See in Your Backyard—and One of the Rarest!
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.