. Cardinals will readily come to your feeder, especially if you offer sunflower seeds. They are a noisy and social species, making them hard to miss if you do come across a flock passing through your garden. In far eastern areas they may stay year-round, but where I live they return in the springtime. They tend to show up here in Maryland with winter and early spring flocks of Red-Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles and European Starlings. They stick to the treetops but will come to a feeder when they find it. Admittedly, this list is incomplete due to regional and probably local distribution differences. Here in Maryland, they tend to arrive in mid to late October and stay until May. Male Red-winged Blackbirds can also be territorial, and you may notice a few entanglements between individuals around your yard. (I’m deaf in one ear, so triangulating bird calls is frustratingly challenging.) They jam these nuts into tree crevices and whack them to open and pry out the meat. The European Starlings are my least favorite backyard bird though. The Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) has some of the most interesting vocalizations of any bird in the Northeast. A good starting point is near the bird feeder. Nesting information such as color, and number of The small fees they provide help cover my site costs. Although they don’t want anything from my feeders, in colder weather, they will sometimes show up to use the heated birdbaths when there is snow on the ground. Another large bird, blue jays have somewhat of a bad reputation. If you would like to see a few more birds that might make an appearance in a Maryland yard, check out my Look Beyond Bird Feeders post. Eventually it will leave the yard for a while to wait for the birds to gather again. Titmice (or is it titmouses?) Females are mostly gray with light yellow patches and less white in the wings. Required fields are marked *. You might even notice it nesting nearby and spot pairs of Robins in your yard. This spring a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) pair has nested in a bush outside my house. Each spring, Gray Catbirds arrive in Maryland and when they do, we always see a few in the yard for a week or two. I don’t often spot the Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) in my area, but managed to snap the above picture when I did. You won’t attract bluebirds with seed feeders; they love insects. These birds are frequent visitors to my feeders when they are around. are fun to observe at feeders, as they hold one seed in their feet and pound it open to get the meat within. To attract blue jays, offer peanuts. Learn how your comment data is processed. … Fish Crows have a much more nasal sounding call.). In the spring and summer, bright yellow-and-black American goldfinches are impossible to miss. In addition to the food it finds hunting, it will happily take food from your feeder, and especially loves peanuts. I toss white proso millet or nyjer seed on the ground for them and they gather in small flocks to eat it. Sorry! The UK’s second most common bird, the chaffinch is another bird to look out for in your garden. They were introduced to the United States back in the 1800s and have since spread across most of the continent. When it comes back to North America, summer isn’t far behind. I hope to read many more articles on this topic from you. The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is actually an old-world sparrow of the family Passeridae. I reduce issues by using several feeders of different sizes, one too small for the Blue Jays to perch. I also see them chasing insects, especially in the spring when the blossoms are out. The House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) is a migrant from the western United States. Thank you. This is a confusingly-named bird, no doubt about it. Mourning doves often settle in and eat large amounts of seed, but make up for it with their sweet insistent cooing call. People love watching birds, there’s no doubt about it. The blue tit is a colourful species, boasting hues of blue, yellow and green. On the other hand, although beautiful birds, Common Grackles can be a real pain at times. begin learning about them. If you look quickly, you could miss them in a crowd of goldfinches, but they are a little more slender and more stripey. (Also see: House Wrens in the Bluebird Box.). Eric Dockett (author) from USA on May 20, 2018: @Suhail - Most of these picture were cropped at least a bit. (Also see: Pine Siskin Visit.). A grey looking bird, (possibly a female) the general size of a catbird. Seemingly shy birds, Tufted Titmouses tend to hang out with the Carolina Chickadees in my yard and sometimes the White-Breasted Nuthatches. Huge white patches cover the bird’s back and flash in flight on the black wings. Registration no: 10735156, Evergreen Garden Care (UK) Ltd,  As I do with the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, I really look forward to my first sighting of the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbul) each spring. As the name gives away, this particular breed has a large tail that exceeds the size of its body. With their bright orange plumage, they are easy to spot. Also, listen for it chirping or chipping in nearby trees. While the birds in the Northeast typically fly south for the winter, the Dark-eyed Junco spends the breeding season in Canada and Alaska. Home » Learn About Bird Species and Behavior » Posts About Several Species » Maryland Backyard Birds, Last Updated on October 10, 2020 by Nancie. Another clue to look out for is their reddish eyes and feet, if you can get near enough. 10 Common Backyard Birds of Colorado By R. Scott Rappold; Jul 17, 2015 Jul 17, 2015 Updated Jun 23, 2020; 0; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp ; SMS; Email; Print; Save; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; Print; Save; Birds. . Look at all these colorful and stunning bird pictures. I photographed all of the birds you’ll see in this article on or near my property, and most are fairly common to the Northeastern United States. Like other winter finches, the evening grosbeak has a swooping flight style. The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a member of the Corvid family and a relative of the American Crow. You’ll get to watch the Goldfinch do some harvesting in the late summer and autumn. They unfortunately are a favorite target of hunting Cooper’s Hawks and so flocks tend to spook very easily. The robin is arguably one of the easiest birds to spot – its bright red chest giving away its identity to all that it meets. Initially colonized by French fur traders, Ohio became a British colonial possession following the French and Indian War in 1754. Red northern cardinals, with their perky crests and black eye masks, are easy to identify. They’re the small, black-and-white birds, and as their name suggests they have a black cap on their heads that resembles a mask. They are fairly common though and so are not unexpected visitors. Their songs are sweet, but it’s the obvious “chimp” call that makes this bird easy to identify for beginners. These bright orange beauties spend their winters in Central America, so lure them in when they return in spring with their favorite refreshments — oranges and grape jelly. The animal kingdom has an amazing species richness to offer! Those years, they come down our way and hang out for the winter in our pines. We’ve rounded up 15 common birds, along with tips on identifying and attracting them. They can often be seen hopping up trunks and branches looking for bugs. ), (Note: Here in this part of Maryland, both Fish Crows and American Crows are common. When a flock of American Goldfinches is in your yard, you know it. Though they can intimidate smaller birds, they also sound the alarm when predators are near. A fairly solitary bird, they are often spotted alone or in a pair. You might be surprised to discover how some of the birds you see in your garden and yard are related. Although Red-Winged Blackbirds often hang out with some of the more obnoxious flock birds in the winter (grackles, starlings and Brown-Headed Cowbirds), they are fine in small numbers. The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is possibly the most well-known bird in the United States. The Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a gregarious bird found in most of the Northeast year-round. LOL Nancie, Your email address will not be published. Birds Included in This List: This list focuses on backyard birds that spend a good bit of time in my Maryland yard. Anyone know? These little sparkling gems are the favorite backyard bird of many, and for good reason. The blog’s focus is on backyard bird watching, especially solutions for problems that come up with feeding backyard birds.