Although it is easy to focus on the rare birds of the world, the birds that frequent our backyards here in North America are just as fascinating.
There are so many beautiful yet common birds spread across the continent. These birds are usually so familiar because they are adaptable and can live anywhere. Many of them are comfortable in suburban areas, living right alongside us.
Read on to discover the top 10 most common birds in North America and learn how they thrive here.
If you want to attract some of these birds to your garden, there are some fantastic birdhouses on Amazon.
10. Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is a reasonably large, beautiful songbird. They are common throughout North America, from southeastern Canada to southern Mexico through the United States.
The Northern Cardinal is among the most popular birds in the United States. They are the state bird of seven states, the most out of any bird.
It is estimated that there are 120 million cardinals in North America. They are among the easier birds to identify. Males are brilliant red, while females are brown with reddish tinges.
Northern cardinals are adaptable; they tend to inhabit woodland edges or grassland landscapes with shrubbery they can hide in. As adults, they tend to feed mainly on fruits and seeds. However, they provide their nestlings, primarily insects. They also thrive near urban areas and are frequent visitors to bird feeders. This adaptability has allowed their populations to grow and spread across most North America.
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9. Red-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed vireos are small, stocky songbirds. With 130 million members of their population, they are spread across Canada and the eastern United States. They migrate south for the winter and spend the season in the east of Mexico.
Red-eyed vireos are olive green and white and get their name because their eyes turn red after about a year old. Their diet varies drastically throughout the year. In the summer, up to 50% of their meals are caterpillars. When they are approaching fall migration, the amount of fruit they eat rises; in the winter, they eat almost exclusively fruit.
They prefer large expanses of deciduous forest, which is why the eastern United States is the perfect habitat for their population to flourish.
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8. Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped warblers are striking, active birds. These singers are small streaky brown and yellow birds. They barely have more significant numbers than the red-eyed vireo at just over 130 million.
They spend their summers in Canada and then migrate southeast to Mexico and the Eastern United States. They typically spend their time foraging in the outer tree canopies of coniferous forests, often darting out after bugs.
However, they are adaptable and will spend their time in any forest. In the winter, they often travel in large flocks and consume lots of time eating berries.
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7. Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged blackbirds are medium-sized, stocky birds. They are ubiquitous in North America, with about 150 million birds in their population. However, males are the ones people usually see. They are hard to mistake with their black body and striking red and yellow shoulder patches. Females are brown and prefer to hide unseen in the undergrowth.
In many cultures, red-winged blackbirds are seen as good omens. They are spread from coast to coast and range from northern Canada to Southern Mexico. They thrive in a variety of habitats but prefer wetlands. They primarily feed on seeds, but about 25% of their diet comprises insects and other small animals. This allows them to find a place to live throughout North America.
6. European Starling
European starlings are one of North America’s most numerous songbirds. They are a blackbird with an iridescent sheen and a long, pointed bill. European starlings are not a native species in North America. Approximately 200 million birds here descended from 100 birds released in Central Park in New York City.
They are ubiquitous in cities and towns, and their adaptability to humans has contributed to their success. Many people view them as a pest.
European starlings cause trouble for native birds by pushing them out and stealing their nests. They have been particularly detrimental to bluebirds and woodpeckers. They are often spotted walking across suburban lawns, stabbing their bills into the ground every few steps searching for insects. European starlings often travel in large flocks with up to 100,000 individuals, a sight to behold.
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5. Chipping Sparrow
Chipping sparrows are slender, small birds. They are buff-brown with darkly streaked wings and back and a reddish cap on their heads.
Chipping sparrows thrive in open woodlands and forests with grassy clearings across North America. They also enjoy parks and backyards, particularly if you have bird feeders. Their ability to thrive in these areas has supported their large population of 230 million birds.
They have a breeding range throughout Canada and the Northern United States. When not breeding, they migrate south to the southern United States. Their loud, trilling songs are among the most common sounds of spring in the woodlands and suburbs they inhabit.
4. American Robin
American robins are familiar sights across North America. Many people view robins as a sign of spring as they pull earthworms out of the ground. With 320 million robins in North America, it is no wonder that most people know about them.
American robins are beautiful birds with a red-orange underside, grey wings and back, and a slightly darker head. The variety of habitats they live in is remarkable. They thrive anywhere, from the Alaskan wilderness to the backyards of the southern United States.
They often spend their winters in Mexico, where they gather in large groups. These roosts can have 250,000 individuals collected in a single area. American robins are adaptable, iconic birds of North America.
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3. Mourning Dove
A mourning dove perched on a telephone wire is ubiquitous across North America. They are a beautiful tan with grey-edged wings and black flecks.
When mourning doves fly, their wings make a sharp whistling sound. This is believed to be an adaptation to warn others of danger nearby. Their numbers are monitored closely because they are the only bird on this list that is legal to hunt. Recent estimates have put their numbers at nearly 400 million birds.
Mourning doves are seen from coast to coast in the United States, with their range dipping into southern Canada and extending through Mexico. They can often be seen foraging in bare patches of ground, gathering seeds and grit.
Mourning doves enjoy a range of habitats, including urban areas, farms, grasslands, and wooded areas. A single pair can nest six times a year, producing up to twelve offspring. This allows the mourning dove population to remain stable despite urban pressures and hunting.
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2. House Sparrow
House sparrows are small, chunky birds with a short black bills. The males have darkly striped wings with a grey underside and dark tan and grey heads. Females are much lighter, with darkly striped wings and a buff tan overall.
House sparrows are not native to North America; they originated in the Middle East and spread worldwide. Today, they are believed to be the most common bird in the world. North America has a population of approximately 540 million house sparrows.
House sparrows have lived around humans for centuries. They are not even found in undisturbed forests or grasslands. Instead, they thrive in cities and farmlands.
They can often be seen building a nest in unsuspecting places. House sparrow nests are frequently found in the letters of signs, gas-station roofs, and traffic lights. They live year-round in every state in America and most of Mexico. House sparrows thrive alongside humans, which has allowed their numbers to grow to 540 million in North America.
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1. Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed juncos are dark grey or brown birds with white outer tail feathers. They are small birds that prefer to forage on the ground. Dark-eyed juncos are the most common bird in America, with an estimated population of 630 million birds.
They can often be seen hopping around the bases of trees and shrubs or venturing around lawns looking for fallen seeds. While they prefer seeds, dark-eyed juncos are generalists. In the summer, half of their food comprises insects, and they eat berries.
They prefer to breed and nest in the conifer forests of Canada. These birds can nest up to three times a year, potentially producing 15 offspring per pair. They can be found everywhere in North America except for southern Mexico and Canada’s extreme northern regions. They can survive in many different habitats. Their versatility and large numbers of offspring combine to make the dark-eyed junco the most common bird in North America.
Even the most common birds in our backyards are amazing creatures. There is a good chance that if you get outside today, you could spot one of North America’s most common birds. With 630 million dark-eyed juncos, you might see one the next time you go for a walk!
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If you want to attract some of these birds to your garden, there are some fantastic birdhouses on Amazon.