Wild Backyard Birds

The wild beauty of backyard birds - their sounds, their behaviors and their attraction to bird feeders - makes identifying their various species a lifelong pastime.

Bird watching is widely popular because of the variety of wild birds that visit backyards from coast to coast. And, the costs involved in birding are virtually nil. A bird guide and a pair of binoculars are all you need to identify birds, although they are not necessary. Adding a bird feeder and offering bird seed or suet, will not only grow your ‘life-list’, but bring hours of pleasure as you learn the individual characteristics of each bird.

The pleasure of feeding wild birds is shared by people of all ages. Birds are a variety of urban nature which offers year-round enjoyment. By providing water, seed, suet or nectar, or a combination of water and food, affords us the opportunity to interact with nature no matter where we live. There is nothing like the blue of a Stellar’s Jay as it sits at bird feeder or the songs of robins announcing the arrival of spring. As well, wild birds serve useful purposes. Swallows and purple martins are insect eaters which keep insect populations in check, keeping your lawn and garden nearly insect-free.

By carefully planning and planting, it is possible to convert any backyard into a garden alive with wild birds all year long. Shrubs, trees, vines, and other plants that supply the assorted needs of wild birds can also be pleasing to the human eye and bring beauty to the property, while providing an area where birds can feed, sing, court and nest.

As well as bird watching from your home, other outdoor activities such as fishing, walking, hiking and camping are excellent times to add birds to your checklist. You may never leave the house again without seeing or hearing every bird within your range! A birding trip takes us to fields, woods and shores where we may hear a beautiful new bird song or identify a long sought after bird.

If you are a seasoned birder or just starting out, the information provided will enhance your knowledge of the different bird species known in North America.

Below is a list of common backyard birds, this list is far from complete, new birds will be added on a regular basis.

American Crow

American Goldfinch

American Robin

Black-capped Chickadee

Blue Jay

Boreal Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Carolina Chickadee

Dark-eyed Junco

Downy Woodpecker

Evening Grosbeak

Fox Sparrow

Gray Jay

Hairy Woodpecker

House Finch

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Siskin

Purple Finch

Tufted Titmouse

White-Throated Sparrow