31 Backyard Birds in Massachusetts
The most-sighted bird in Massachusetts is the Black-capped Chickadee.
The state bird of Massachusetts is the Black-capped Chickadee.
Here’s a listing of 31 species of birds in Massachusetts that you can see from your backyard, tips on how to identify them, and how to attract many of them to your feeders. Some are seen year-round, some seasonal, some want to skip the buffet and enjoy other amenities that your yard has to offer, and others are just passing through.
Check out our other articles about Massachusetts where and how to identify Ducks in Massachusetts, Owls in Massachusetts, Woodpeckers in Massachusetts, Hawks in Massachusetts, and Black Birds in Massachusetts. And of course, we share pictures of all so you can easier figure out what you are seeing!
Backyard Birds in Massachusetts
1. Northern Cardinal
Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis Size: 8.3-9.1 inches
Description and Field Marks
A male cardinal is a bright red in color as the female is a brownish color with red on its wings. The male’s crest is also longer than the female’s. They both have a thick finch bill with black around their faces.
The Northern Cardinal is a songbird and males sing from high perches to attract mates. They are very territorial and will defend their territory from other Cardinals
Nesting
These birds like dense, thick foliage like pines, junipers, and shrubs to build their nests in. They average about 3 eggs each spring and the eggs are white but could have a hint of blue, green, or brown to them. The eggs can also have colored speckling of gray, brown, or red. They are incubated for around 11 to 13 days. Both parents will feed their young for a few months until they are able to survive on their own.
Diet
The Northern Cardinal is a seed eater, eating seeds from the ground or off plants. They also eat insects, fruits, and berries when available.
Cardinals are frequent users of feeders and are attracted by wild bird seed mix, black-oil sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds.
Habitat
The Northern Cardinal is one of the most common and popular backyard birds in the eastern half of the United States. The Northern Cardinal is found in Massachusetts year-round.
Bird Note
It is often said that when a “cardinal appears a loved one is near”, so the cardinal brings peace of mind to many.
Song and Call
2. Black-Capped Chickadee
Scientific Name: Poecile atricapillus Size: 4.7-5.9 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Black-capped Chickadee belongs to the Chickadee family. They are small birds with black caps, clear breasts, and rusty to rufous sides. They are mostly black and white in color with gray on their wings. The male is slightly different from the female and has less weight and a smaller size than the female with a larger bib.
Nesting
They nest in holes that are either natural or made by woodpeckers. They will make the hole bigger and then fill it with moss and grass and other soft materials forming them into a cap-like structure.
The female lays 6-8 eggs which are white or light cream in color with brownish or reddish speckles. The female warms the eggs while the male protects the nest and brings food to the female.
Diet
The Black-capped Chickadee likes eating small insects, nuts, seeds of small bushes, and berries. Chickadees are naturally curious, so they will get close while you refill those feeders and may eventually take seed from your hand. They love black-oil sunflower seeds, suet, and peanut butter.
Habitat
You can see the black-capped chickadee in many areas throughout the United States as they are found in the northern states including Alaska as well as southern Canadian.
Bird Note
They are the town criers of the bird world, announcing everything from a crow or hawk coming to dinner.
Song and Call
3. Tufted Titmouse
Scientific Name: Baeolophus bicolor Size: 5.5-6.3 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Tufted Titmouse is a small bird, but a large titmouse. This species is larger than chickadees, about the size of a junco or House Finch. They are stocky birds with dark eyes and crests. Gray on top and white below and some even have a peachy color on their sides.
The Tufted Titmouse is a common and favorite bird for many people in their backyards. They are active all year, but more so in winter when they will flock with chickadees and other small birds.
Nesting
The Tufted Titmouse is a cavity nester, which means it will nest in an abandoned woodpecker hole or another hollow.
They will make their nest in a hole in a tree or building. The female Tufted Titmouse lays 4-6 white eggs and incubates them for 11-12 days.
Diet
Tufted Titmouse diet consists of insects, seeds, and berries and will feed on the ground or in trees. They will often be found with Chickadees and love feeders, suet, and shelled peanuts.
Habitat
The Tufted Titmouse is found in the eastern and southeastern United States and is expanding its range northward.
Song and Call
4. Blue Jay
Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata Size: 9.8-11.8 inches
Description and Field Marks
Blue jays are easily identified by their blue feathers, white cheeks, and a large crest on top of their head. They are large birds with a wingspan of about 20 inches.
They are loud and noisy, but other birds trust them to notify them when there’s danger around. Jays are one of the species that will mob hawks and owls and pin them down in trees, alerting all the birds in the area that a predator is nearby.
Blue jays are very intelligent birds and have a wide range of vocalizations. They are known to mimic other birds, animals, and even humans. Blue jays will also use their intelligence to solve problems.
Nesting
Blue Jays build their nest 10 to 25 feet above the ground, mostly in trees by any V branches. However, once I had a blue jay build their nest about my light next to my front door. That was crazy as we couldn’t use our front door during that time because they would dive down at us if we went near the door.
The nest is a cup-like structure made of grass, twigs, and mud. Although both the male and female gather material for the nest, the female does most of the building while the male does most of the gathering.
There are usually 2 to 7 eggs that are light brown in color with darker brown spots on them. The incubation period is 17-18 days and the young remain in the nest from 17 to 21 days.
The nesting season is from March to July. Although the Blue Jay can have 2 broods each season, they usually only have one.
Diet
Blue jay’s diet consists of nuts, fruits, and insects. They will also eat bird seed from backyard feeders and they have been known to steal food from other birds
Jays love whole peanuts. Toss a handful on your lawn or patio and watch what happens. They fly away with their peanuts and leave the feeders alone for a while.
Habitat
Blue Jays are quite common birds in Massachusetts. They can be found in suburban areas, parks, and forests. They can be found year-round in the northeast but they tend to migrate south for the winter months.
Bird Note
Jays have been known to mimic a Red-tailed Hawk call to keep small birds away from a food source, screeching to clear the birds off the bush with the tasty berries and then swooping down into the bush to feed after the competition’s been chased off.
Song and Call
5. American Robins
Scientific Name: Turdus migratorius Size: 7.9-11.0 inches
Description and Field Marks
The American Robins has a gray-brown back and wings, with white underparts. It also has a short tail and pointed bill for catching insects in flight or on the ground. Males have a red patch on their breasts and a black head, throat, and upper chest. Females are duller looking than males with less contrast in colors.
They prefer an open country with scattered trees and shrubs. It is found in a variety of habitats, including farmland, grasslands, parks, yards, and gardens.
Nesting
The American Robin makes its nest in a tree or shrub, usually near water. The female Robin lays four to six eggs and both parents take turns sitting on them. The eggs are solid bright blue in color. The eggs hatch in about two weeks and the chicks leave the nest after another week or so.
Diet
They eat worms and insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and crickets. It also eats fruit and berries in the summer. They don’t do feeders, but love to find bugs and worms in the grass all around your yard.
Habitat
The American Robin is found in eastern North America, from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It is also found throughout the United States and southern parts of Canada, including most of Alaska.
The American Robin is a migratory bird that travels south for winter. It returns to the same area each spring.
Song and Call
They are very early morning singers. Listen for their calls:
6. Mourning Dove
Scientific Name: Zenaida mactoura Size: 9.1-13.4 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized bird from the dove family. It has a rusty brown color and a few black spots above the wings. They can reach up to 12 inches in body length while their wingspan can be up to 18 inches.
Nesting
The pair of Mourning Doves is monogamous and they usually mate for life. They use old nests of other birds or build their own nest on top of a post, tree branch, or even on the ground.
Mourning Doves lay two white eggs and incubate them for 13 days. The male also feeds her during this time. The young will leave the nest after 15-16 days.
Diet
Mourning Doves eat seeds and grains that are found in the backyard. They also eat insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles.
Mourning Doves are one of the vacuums of the bird world, so they don’t eat from feeders but from what falls on the ground when other birds use your feeder.
Habitat
The Mourning Dove is frequent in most parts of the United States.
Song and Call
7. American Goldfinch
Scientific Name: Spinus tristis Size: 4.3-5.1 inches
Description and Field Marks
The American Goldfinch is a small, sparrow-sized bird with a short, notched tail.
In Spring and Summer, the male has a bright yellow body, black wings with wing bars, and a heavy, finch-like bill, while the female is less boldly colored. In winter both males and female become dull green-gray and look like female House Finches.
Goldfinches are very social birds and often travel in flocks. They fly in a rolling up and down pattern, and their song is high-pitched and mellifluous.
Nesting
Nesting later than most birds in this area (late June), the American Goldfinch hides its nests in thick brushes and shrubs making them very hard to see. The nests look like cup-like structures made of grasses, seeds, and soft materials on top of the twigs in the brushes.
The female lays 2 to 7 eggs which take 12 to 14 days to hatch. The young are fed by the male and stay in the nest for 11 to 17 days. Depending on how late the pair mates, they can mate again having two broods in a season.
Diet
They love Nyjer and sunflower seed year-round, but will also eat a finch seed blend. Finch feeders have very small openings and can be either rigid feeders or disposable nylon socks.
Habitat
They are found in most of North America and are usually resident all year. However, those that breed in Canada and the Midwest migrate to the southern US States for winter.
American Goldfinches are spotted in Massachusetts yearly, but their numbers increase during the breeding season. Breeding usually starts in late April or early May.
Bird Note
In winter, check your finch feeder for Pine Siskins, which look like sparrows with yellowish accents.
Song and Call
8. House Finch
Scientific Name: Haemorhous mexicanus Size: 5.1-5.5 inches
Description and Field Marks
The House Finch is a small bird with a length of 7.5 inches and a weight of 5 ounces. The male House Finch has a brown back, wings, tail, and head with white underparts and varying shades of red around the head while the female is grayish-brown all over.
Nesting
House Finches build their nest anyway as long as it’s 12 to 15 feet above the ground usually in buildings and trees. Nests are made of grass, weeds, twigs, and leaves. The female builds the nest while the male will feed her during this time and incubation.
The eggs are pale blue with lavender and black dots and consist of 2 to 6 eggs. The incubation period is 13 to 14 days. Both the male and female feed their young for the 12 to 15 days they remain in the nest.
House Finches usually have 3 broods each year.
Diet
House Finches like to eat small worms, insects, seeds of small plants, and berries of some plants as well. They will visit the bird feeders often and really love sunflower seeds. They will also visit your Hummingbird feeders for the sugar water.
Habitat
Seen throughout North America, the House Finch is a very social bird and is usually seen in flocks except during mating season. You will find them in cities, suburban towns, and farmland. They love lawns, weedy areas,s, and trees but not dense forests.
Bird Note
If the bird you’re looking for has a raspberry or light pink body check to see if it’s a purple finch.
Song and call
The House Finch has a high-pitched sound that the male House Finch mostly uses to attract the female for breeding.
9. Dark-eyed Junco
Scientific Name: Junco hyemalis Size: 5.5-6.3 inches
Description and Field Marks
The dark-eyed juncos are little birds that are slated gray in color. They are known as medium size sparrows with a long tail, round face, and white on its belly. They also have bright white markings on its tail.
Dark-eyed junco has a population of over 600 million making it one of the most common birds in the United States and Canada.
Nesting
The Dark-eyed Juncos lay three to six eggs. They are cream-colored with brown spots. The eggs are usually laid in a tree hole or on the ground.
Diet
The Dark-eyed Junco eats seeds, berries, and insects. They can be found in bushes and trees. Juncos LOVE feeders! They will eat whatever you put out black-oil sunflower seeds, suet, peanut butter, or generic wild bird food. They are not picky.
Habitat
When Juncos appear, Winter is near. You can see them in Canada and the western mountains during the spring and summer months. These birds flew south to North America for the winter months.
Look for them on deciduous forest floors and on the grass in your backyard. They can be found in bushes and trees all over Massachusetts during the winter months.
This is another bird that can travel in mixed flocks, so you never know who else will turn up at your feeder alongside the Juncos.
Song and Call
10. Red-winged Blackbird
Scientific Name: Agelaius phoeniceus Size: 6.7-9.1 inches
Description and Field Marks
The male red-winged blackbird is a large blackbird with white underparts and red wings. It has an orange-red patch on its shoulder and long pointed wings. But not all Red-winged Blackbirds have red wings. Some may have yellow or orange epaulets on their wings.
The female red-winged blackbird is striped and brown-streaked in color.
Red-winged blackbirds are usually active during the day, but they may be seen at night near lights.
Nesting
A red-winged blackbird’s nest is usually in a marsh or near water, but they have also been found on flat roofs and even in chimneys.
Their nest is made of twigs, grasses, and hair. They are lined with finer grasses, rootlets, or horsehair. The female lays 4 to 6 eggs that are a pale blue-green color. They also have black, brown, and purple speckles all over them. They are incubated by both parents for about 12 days. The young leave the nest after 14 days.
Diet
They are known to eat insects and seeds, including corn, wheat, and other grains. They also eat berries from shrubs and trees like elderberry, mulberry, wild grape, or honeysuckle.
Habitat
The red-winged blackbird is a migratory bird that travels south in the fall and returns to Massachusetts in early spring. They are very common in many of our backyards. They also like reeds along beaches and marshes, but can also be found around lakes. If you live in a coastal area, the first sighting of Red-winged Blackbirds means Spring is around the corner.
Bird Note
You’ve heard the expression “Birds of a feather flock together”? Always check flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds for Common Grackles, European Starlings, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. These birds are often found together in large flocks.
Song and call
Red-winged blackbirds can often be heard singing from a perch high in a tree or on power lines.
They have a loud, clear whistle that sounds like “fee-bee” and they also make a variety of cackling and chattering noises.
11. Common Grackle
Scientific Name: Quiscalus quiscula Size: 11.0-15.4 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Common Grackle is part of the blackbird family and all blackbirds have iridescent feathers (usually dark blue or purple).
Grackles are often mistaken for crows, but they are much smaller in size and can be distinguished by their long tails and shiny black feathers. They have yellow eyes and their size is larger than a robin.
They are often found in large flocks during the summer months.
Nesting
They nest in colonies and build their nests in trees and bushes that are at least 3 feet off the ground. The female picks the spot of the nest and mostly builds them too but the male will help her.
They usually lay 1 to 7 eggs that can be pearl gray, light blue, or dark brown in color however they usually have brown spots. The incubation period is 11 to 15 days and the young will stay in the nest for 10 to 17 days. The common grown has 1 to 2 broods each year.
Grackles are also known as “possum hawks” because they sometimes prey on the eggs of ground-nesting birds like quail, grouse, and pheasants.
Diet
Grackles are omnivores and eat insects, fruits, seeds, and grains. They can often be seen at backyard bird feeders where they will also dine on sunflower seeds and cracked corn.
Grackles are very intelligent birds that sometimes use their beaks to turn over rocks in search of insects. You will also find them find at farm fields where they will eat the seeds from corn and rice.
Habitat
Grackles can be found throughout the United States in parks, yards, open fields, and woodlands. They are very adaptable birds that have learned to thrive in cities where they often find food and water.
Song and Call
Grackles can also be heard making a wide range of calls that include whistles and rattling sounds.
12. Downy Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Dryobates pubescens Size: 5.5-6.7 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Downy Woodpecker is bigger than a junco or House Finch but smaller than a Red-winged Blackbird. It has a black-and-white striped head and black wings with white spots and a solid white back and white underparts. The Downy Woodpecker has a black tail with white outer tail feathers with black bars or spots. The male has a small red spot on the back of his head.
Nesting
Look for their nest in dead trees or live trees with dead areas. They carve out an area large enough for the eggs and the bird. They line the nest only with wood chips. The nest can take weeks to make and is done by both the male and female.
A Downy woodpecker only has one brood each year with 3 to 8 eggs which are white in color. The incubation period is around 12 days with both the male and female taking turns. The young will stay in the nest for around 30 days.
Diet
Mostly Downy Woodpeckers eat insects. The male tends to eat from the ground while the female likes to find the insects from branches and in trees. They will also eat seeds, weeds, and fruit.
The Downy Woodpecker will visit your backyard feeders for suet and nuts.
Habitat
The Downy Woodpecker is a common bird found throughout Massachusetts in places where there are trees. You will see them in residential areas, cities, farmland, and wooded areas.
Song and Call
Drumming
13. Red Bellied Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus Size: 9.4 inches
Description and Field Marks
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are one of the most common backyard birds in Massachusetts. You can identify them by their red belly (hence the name) and black and white stripes down their back. Male Red-bellied Woodpeckers also have a red cap, but females only have napes of red.
It’s big, it’s loud, and it will peck on your siding.
Nesting
Red-bellied Woodpeckers also build nests in dead trees and make the same nest each year. They lay up to 4-5 eggs on top of wood chips inside the nest cavity. The eggs hatch after about 2 weeks, and the young birds leave the nest after about 4-5 weeks
Diet
Red-bellied Woodpeckers devour spiders, insects, and seeds from grasses, fruits, and nuts. They are especially fond of acorns and beech nuts. In fact, they play an important role in dispersing these seeds since they often cache (or store) more food than they can eat in one sitting.
Loves suet, peanut butter, and peanuts
Habitat
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are found in all Eastern US states, and they don’t migrate. This means that you can see them in your backyard all year round! They tend to stay close to the ground and can often be found in birdfeeders, specifically in wooded areas.
Song and Call
Drumming
14. White-throated Sparrow
Scientific Name: Zonotrichia albicollis Size: 6.3-7.1 inches
Description and Field Marks
White-throated sparrows are very small birds, with a length of 4 inches and a weight under 2 ounces. They have brown backs and white underbellies, with a white stripe on the back of their necks. They have brown eyes and gray bills.
Nesting
White-throated sparrow makes their nests on the ground or just above it usually in bushes or under bushes so it has some cover. The female builds the nest out of grasses, twigs, pine needles, and rootlets. Their nest are small usually only around 4″ and about 2″ deep.
The eggs are pale blue and his several colored speckles (purple, chestnut, licac). They lay 1 to 2 broods a year (will build a new nest for each) with between 1 to 6 eggs. The incubation period is 11 to 14 days and the young will stay in the nests for around a week to two weeks.
Diet
Their diet consists of insects, seeds, and berries. will feed from seed on the ground. During the winter they will eat from your bird feeders and like black oil sunflower seeds and millet.
Habitat
White-throated sparrows are very social birds and can be seen in large flocks during migration. They are migrating birds that breed in Canada, and head south in the fall.
White-throated sparrows are common birds in Massachusetts, especially during the winter months. often found in small groups in brushy areas of parks and fields. When they leave, Spring is on its way.
Song and Call
The song is “Oh Canada, Canada, Canada”.
15. Carolina Wren
Scientific Name: Thryothorus ludovicianus Size: 4.7-5.5 inches
Description and Field Marks
A lot of birds packed into a tiny body. Carolina Wrens are aggressive and loud and have no issue chasing off larger birds from their neighborhood. Small, brown bird with creamy-colored breast, distinctive white eye stripe, white wing bars, and a cocked-up tail.
Nesting
The Carolina Wren will nest in any pockets they can find about 3 to 6 feet above the ground. They look for nest pockets on your property such as an old flower pot, stumps, pales, propane covers, etc.
Both the male and female build the nest out of leaves, twigs, grasses, straw, paper, or whatever they can find. They also built several nests and then chooses the one they want. They cover 3 sides of the nest with only an entrance to get in and out.
The Carolina Wren has 1 to 3 broods a mating season and lays 3 to 7 eggs each time.
The eggs can be one of several colors (white, cream, pink) but all have small brown spots on them. The incubation period is about two weeks and the young remain in the nest for an additional two weeks.
Diet
The Carolina wren mostly eats insects and spiders. On occasion, they will eat some plant material and seeds.
Habitat
The Carolina Wren can be found in bushes and trees. It can also be found on the ground.
The Carolina Wren is a common bird and can be seen in Massachusetts from April to October.
Song and call
Carolina Wrens have a lot to say. If you hear something that sounds like a finger running down a comb, that’s a Carolina Wren. The easiest call to learn is the “Tea Kettle, Tea Kettle, Tea Kettle” call.
16. Baltimore Orioles
Scientific Name: Icterus galbula Size: 6.7-7.5 inches
The Baltimore oriole is a common backyard bird, but you may have to look carefully for it. It spends most of its time high in the treetops and is often hard to see.
Description and Field Marks
The Baltimore oriole is a medium-sized bird. It has black plumage, orange body feathers, and bright yellow underparts. The male oriole has a large patch of orange on the back of its neck and two black spots on each side of its head.
The female oriole has a black patch on the back of her neck and one spot on each side of her head. The female is duller than the male and sometimes has a brownish tinge to the black feathers.
Nesting
The Baltimore oriole nests in the tops of trees, usually elm or maple. It makes its nest from grapevine bark and grasses and uses spider silk to tie the whole thing together. The female lays three or four eggs that are pale blue with brown spots. She incubates the eggs for 10 days, and then both parents take turns feeding the nestlings.
The young orioles leave the nest when they are about 12 days old. They continue to be fed by their parents for another 10 to 14 days.
Diet
The Baltimore Oriole eats insects and worms. They are also common visitors to feeders, where they will eat fruit and suet, grape jelly, and nectar.
Habitat
In Massachusetts, you will start to see Baltimore Orioles beginning in April. They will stay north for the breeding season and some will return south as early as July, much sooner than most birds. However, by September most of the birds will head south where they will spend the winter months.
Song and Call
17. Northern Mockingbird
Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos Size: 10 inches
Description and Field Marks
Mockingbird bodies are grayish brown with white wing bars, (2 on each wing). Their breasts are slightly paler (may look whiteish) than their bodies. Mockingbirds have small heads, long legs, and a long thin bill.
Nesting
The male builds several nests in trees and shrubs usually 3 to 10 feet but could go higher. The female will choose which nest she will lay her eggs in.
Northern Mockingbirds lay 2 to 6 eggs which are pale blue or white in color with spots of red or brown. The incubation period is around 2 weeks and the young will remain in the nest for about 2 weeks.
They have between 2 to 3 broods a mating season and the male will continue to feed the young from the first brood when the female will lay eggs for the second brood, which she will choose enough nest for.
Diet
Northern Mockingbirds will eat insects during the summertime and will switch to fruit and berries during the fall and winter.
Habitat
Mockingbirds are very common in Massachusetts. They can be found all over the state. Common places to see them are along your fence, in trees, on scrubs, and on utility lines.
Song and Call
18. Cedar Waxwing
Scientific Name: Bombycilla cedrorum Size: 5.5-6.7 inches
Description and Field Marks
In the spring males sport bright red feathers on their wings that give them the name Cedar waxwing. They have a yellow ban on the tip of the tail. Cedar waxwings are small birds, averaging only 5.5 inches long.
Nesting
They have a special way of building their nest: they use the sticky saliva from their mouths to bind the twigs together.
The nests are made of twigs and lined with grass, hair, or rootlets.
They build their nests in trees and shrubs, usually at a height of about 20 feet, and lay three to five eggs.
The male and female both incubate the eggs for about 12 days, but once hatched, both parents feed the young.
Each brood of chicks will have two to three broods a year.
Diet
During the winter months, Cedar waxwings feed on fruits and berries, but in the spring they switch to insects.
They eat berries, nectar, and insects.
Habitat
Found year-round in Massachusetts, the Cedar waxwing can be identified by its dark brown body, white belly, and yellow under tail coverts.
Cedar waxwings are common in the northern U.S. and can be found in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.
Song and Call
19. Chimney Swift
Scientific Name: Chaetura pelagica Size: 4.7-5.9 inches
Description and Field Marks
The chimney swift is a small, slender bird that has long wings and tail. The adult male has glossy black plumage with white markings on the throat, breast, and belly. The female is brown with white markings on the throat, breast, and belly. Both sexes have a forked tail and long wings.
It is so named because it spends most of its life in the air, making short flights from perch to perch as it forages for food. It has a long, slender beak with which it catches flying insects.
Nesting
The chimney swift is the only bird that nests primarily in chimneys or artificial structures such as barns, lighthouses, and bridges. The female lays 3 to 5 pure white eggs, which both parents incubate for 2 to 3 weeks. The young fledge in about two to three weeks and are able to fly at that time.
Diet
The chimney swift diet consists of flying insects. The chimney swift is an aerial insectivore. It catches its prey in flight by flying into the air from a perch or from the ground. It feeds over forested areas, swamps, and fields where there are insects to catch.
Habitat
The chimney swift is a migratory bird, wintering in South America. It is a common summer resident in Massachusetts and all of the eastern part of the United States as well as southern Canada. It is found in urban and suburban areas where there are chimneys.
The chimney swift is a migratory bird, wintering in South America. It flies south in flocks of more than 10,000 birds.
Song and Call
The chimney swift has two calls: an eery, high-pitched twittering, and a low-pitched chattering.
20. Eastern Bluebird
Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Size: 6.3-8.3 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Eastern Bluebird is a small size bird that belongs to a family of North American songbirds known as the Turdidae. The Eastern Bluebird is mostly found in farmlands, orchids, gardens, and open woods.
The male bluebird is mostly blue with a rusty color throat and chest. The female is much duller with a grayish head and back and bluish wings and tails. Its breast is light orange-brown and dirty white belly.
Nesting
Nests are made by the Eastern Bluebird in the holes of trees, like pine and dead trees. The Eastern Bluebird lays three to five eggs at a time and incubates them for around 12 days. The chicks become mature in 12 to 15 days
Diet
It will definitely visit the feeders, the Eastern Bluebird eats small fruits, berries, seeds, and worms. Worms and insects are the major food items for the grown-up Eastern Bluebird.
Habitat
Eastern bluebirds are mostly found in the northern part of the United States. They are also found in Canada and Mexico. They can be seen from July to March in Massachusetts.
Song and Call
The Eastern Bluebird produces a beautiful melody with its vocals.
21. Song Sparrow
Scientific Name: Melospiza melodia Size: 4.7-6.7 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Song Sparrow is a medium size bulky sparrow. Their mostly brown body has streaks of white/light gray throughout. It has a long rounded tail and broad wings.
It’s larger than a chipping sparrow but smaller than a dark-eyed junco.
Nesting
The Song Sparrow nest is made of grass and twigs. They are also lined with hair, feathers, and wool. The nest is usually found in a bush or tree near water. They are not afraid of humans so can nest close to your home on lights or poles and in flower beds.
The Song Sparrows lays one to six eggs. The eggs are either, blue, blue-green, or gray-green with some brown spots on them. The incubation period is 12 to 15 days and the young spend another 9 to 12 days in the nest.
The Song Sparrow can have anywhere between 1 to 7 broods per year.
Diet
It eats insects, seeds, and berries. They will come to your feeders for any kind of seeds or suet.
Habitat
Song Sparrows are very common in Massachusetts. They can be found all over the state hopping on the ground as they tend to stay low to the ground.
Song and Call
The Song Sparrow has a song that sounds like “chink, chink.”
22. European Starling
Scientific Name: Sturnus vulgaris Size: 7.9-9.1 inches
Description and Field Marks
The European Starling is the size of a Robin and from a distance looks all black. However, they have a purplish-green iridescent color to them when you see them up close. Their yellow bill stands out and they have a short tail.
You often see them in large flocks with blackbirds and grackles.
Nesting
Starlings will take other birds’ nests and use them as long as they are high off the ground, usually in trees, on streetlights, buildings, or nest boxes. The male will find these nests and will add twigs, pine needles, grasses, and feathers. Females will add greens to the nest before laying 3 to 6 eggs.
Both the male and female will incubate the eggs for a period of around 12 days. The egg color is bluish to greenish white. The young will stay in the nest for about 3 weeks.
Diet
European Starlings eat mostly insects but will also eat fruits. In addition, they will eat seeds, nectar, garbage, and livestock feed.
Habitat
The starling is one of the most common birds found in the United States. It is a member of the family Sturnidae, which includes other starlings, mynas, and oxpeckers.
They live where humans are, in towns and cities, and roost in trees and on buildings, also you will see them on wires. They like open fields and lawns and are not far from a water source.
Bird Notes
A fun fact about the European Starling is that all North American birds descended from 100 birds that in 1890 were intentionally released into Central Park in New York City. Today they have a population in the North America of over 2 million.
Song and Call
The European starling is a highly sociable bird. It lives in flocks of up to 100 birds, and its calls include whistling and chattering noises.
23. Chipping Sparrow
Scientific Name: Spizella passerina Size: 4.7-5.9 inches+
Description and Field Mark
Chipping sparrows are small brown sparrows with plain breasts and long tails. There is a difference between breeding and non-breeding birds. The breeding birds have a reddish cap and a white brow with dark eye lines. The non-breeding has a brown cap, duller dirty gray breast, a dark eye line, and a grayish rump.
Usually found in trees around your property. You will hear them before you see them.
Nesting
The chipping sparrow nests in dense shrubs or small trees near the ground. It is often found nesting under bird feeders.
The female builds the nest out of grass and other plant material and then lines it with hair or fine grasses. The nest is usually built on a horizontal branch in dense shrubs or small trees.
The female lays 3 to 5 eggs at a time and the young hatch after 11 days of incubation. Both parents feed the chicks until they are ready to leave the nest, usually after about 12 days.
Diet
The chipping sparrow diet consists of seeds, insects, and spiders. Occasional visitors to your suet and black-oil sunflower seed feeder.
Habitat
The chipping sparrow is a common bird in the Eastern United States and Canada. It has been spotted as far west as Texas and California.
You will find them in the woods, especially where there are pine trees. Other common places to see them are on backyards lawns, cities, towns, and farms. During the fall and winter, you will often see them in flocks.
Song and call
The song is more of a rattle.
The chipping sparrow has two calls: a sharp chip and a long, high-pitched trill.
24. House Sparrow
Scientific Name: Passer domesticus Size: 5.9-6.7 inches
Description and Field Marks
The House Sparrow differs from another American Sparrow as they are not related. They have a rounder head and are chunkier, bigger chest, short tail, and a thicker bill.
Like most other female birds, she is duller than the male, brown with dirty gray and brown underparts with striped backs in brown, black, and buff.
Male House Sparrows are chunky with a round head, stout bill, and full breasts. Colors include gray crowns, dark brown necks, white cheeks, black bibs, and gray crowns.
Nesting
House sparrows nest in cavities and use a variety of materials to build their nests. They are not known for being picky about where they nest, so if you have a birdhouse or an old nest box in your yard, it might attract house sparrows. House sparrows nest in cavities in trees or buildings.
The female lays 3-8 eggs. The incubation period is 10-14 days and the young stay in the nest for 10 to 14 days.
Diet
They eat seeds, grains, and insects. Sparrows will definitely be at your feeder eating birdseed, sunflower seeds, millet, and milo.
Habitat
The House Sparrow lives where people live. You will find them in cities and towns, in backyards and parks.
Song and Call
25. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Scientific Name: Archilochus colibris Size: to 3.8 inches
Description and Field Marks
Tiny, brightly-colored bird with a huge bill. Males are bright green with a ruby-red throat and a black facial stripe; the female is bright green above with a white throat. Fast fliers that appear like large bees while in flight.
The hummingbird is one of the few birds that can fly at night because it has excellent eyesight. It uses its long bill to catch insects to eat.
It can fly up to 35 miles per hour. These tiny birds can fly up, down, sideways, and even backward.
Nesting
The Hummingbirds nest is very tiny, about 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep. It is made in trees about 40 feet high on branches out of thistle, spider silk and pine resin. It takes the female a little over a week to make.
The female usually lays 2 tiny white eggs. The incubation period is 12-14 days and the young remain in the nest between 18 and 22 days.
Diet
Hummingbirds love bright flowers, and they have Hummingbird bushes that will attract them to your backyard. They will come to special Hummingbird feeders with nectar which is white sugar and water. They sell the nectar in stores, but you can also make it yourself.
Please don’t buy the red colored one as it can be harmful to the birds.
Habitat
Everyone loves to see hummingbirds in their backyards. The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common species in Massachusetts. It is easy to identify because of its iridescent red throat and the fact that it can hover like a helicopter while feeding,
Call
Wingbeat
26. Northern Flicker
Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus Size: 11.0-12.2 inches
Description and Field
The Northern Flicker male and female are similar in color. They both have a rounded head, the bill is curved down and the tail tapers to a long point.
Although the same bird their colors differ from the eastern United States (bright yellow wing and tail feathers) and the western US (red wing and tail feathers).
The Northern Flicker is also known as “the woodpecker that doesn’t peck wood.” Instead, it gleans insects from the bark of trees.
Nesting
It nests in holes excavated by other animals, such as squirrels and woodpeckers. It lays 5 to 8 eggs which are all white. They only have one brood per nesting season.
The incubation period is around 2 weeks and the young stay in the nest for about a month.
Diet
Northern Flickers mostly will eat insects that they get from the ground. They will “drum” at the ground as other woodpeckers drum in trees and wood. During the winter months, they will also eat fruits and seeds.
These are beautiful woodpeckers. They may also stop in at your suet and peanut feeders, but most likely you’ll see them nesting in old trees.
Habitat
You will see Northern Flickers in city parks and backyards in the suburbs. You will also find them in woodlands with open trees, burned forests, swamps, and marshes.
Song and call
The Northern Flicker has a wide range of calls. It has a typical woodpecker-like “drum” and a more musical, gurgling call that is often mistaken for the song of the Red-winged Blackbird.
Drumming
27. Red-breasted Nuthatch
Scientific Name: Sitta canadensis Size: 4.3 inches
Description and Field Marks
The red-breasted nuthatch is a small bird, dark gray on top with a rusty color breast. It has a short tail and a sharp bill. The female is similar to the male except she has lighter gray on top and a paler rust color underneath.
Often found during fall and winter working their way down tree trunks. Smaller and slimmer than the White-breasted Nuthatch.
The red-breasted nuthatch is the only bird that can climb down a tree head first by using its tail as a brace. It does this to keep from falling off tree branches.
Nesting
The red-breasted nuthatch nest is a hole in a tree. The female lays eggs between April and June, with the average clutch size of 4 to 6 eggs. The young stay in the nest for about 11 days and then leave the nest.
Diet
The red-breasted nuthatch diet consists of insects and seeds. They love suet and peanut butter and peanuts, so they are big on winter feeders.
Habitat
It lives throughout the eastern United States and Canada. The red-breasted nuthatch is found in woodlands, mature forested areas, and in large parks.
Seeing them in numbers depends on their main food source supply in Canada and Maine. Look up “Finch Forecast” in late summer to see whether they’re expected to be abundant or scarce in your area.
Song and call
Song sounds like a rusty hinge.
28. White-breasted Nuthatch
Scientific Name: Sitta carolinensis Size: 5.1-5.5 inches
Description and Field Marks
The White-breasted Nuthatch gets its name from the fact that it stuffs nuts and seeds under tree bark, then uses its sharp beaks to hatch the seed from the shell. The White-breasted Nuthatch has a black cap on top of their heads, with white on either side and on their bellies.
Plump little birds, larger and heavier-bodied than Red-breasted Nuthatch. Nuthatches always start at the top of the tree and work their way down to the ground.
Nesting
They make their nets in tree cavities or holes made by woodpeckers at least 15 feet above the ground. Females build their nests out of grasses, twigs, mosses, and bark fibers.
They only have one brood per year consisting of 5 to 9 eggs. The eggs are white with reddish brown spots. The eggs are incubated by the females. The males feed them during that time.
Both the male and female feed their young which leave the nest at any point from 14 to 26 days.
Diet
The White-breasted Nuthatch will visit most seed feeders and like mixed seed blends, black sunflower seeds, peanut butter, peanuts, or suet. They usually like to grab and run, taking a seed and immediately flying off to eat it or cache it in a nearby tree.
Habitat
It is a small bird that is the largest nuthatch in North America. The White-breasted Nuthatch is found year-round throughout Massachusetts and is a common backyard bird.
Song and call
Their call sounds like a squeaky wheel.
29. Brown Creeper
Scientific Name: Certhia americana Size: 4.7-5.5 inches
Description and Field Marks
Tiny, comma-shaped winter visitor that’s almost completely camouflaged on a tree trunk, the brown creeper is a small brown bird with a long, thin bill. The eye is yellow and the legs are grayish-black. The tail is long and brown with white edges.
Its varied brown feathers make this a difficult bird to spot especially since it spends most of its time high in the trees blending into the tree bark.
Brown Creepers move up the tree from bottom to top and then fly down to the bottom to start climbing up again. Nuthatches go in the opposite direction.
Nesting
The Brown Creeper nests on or near the ground under a tree branch. It makes a very flimsy nest out of twigs, bark, and mosses.
The female lays four to five eggs in her nest; she incubates them for about 12 days. Both parents help feed the young birds. They leave the nest after about a month.
Diet
The Brown Creeper is an insectivore; it eats insects such as ants, beetles, and caterpillars for food. It spends much of its time searching for insects in the bark of trees.
Habitat
Brown Creepers are found in forests and woodlands, especially those with large trees. Can also be found in backyards and city parks in Massachusetts.
Song and call
The Brown Creeper song is a high-pitched
30. American Crow
Scientific Name: Corvus brachyrhynchos Size: 15.8-20.9 inches
Description and Field Marks
The American Crow is not a crow at all. It is actually a raven, but it has been called the “American Crow” for many years. This all-black bird has shiny feathers. The bill is also black with a hook on the end. The male is slightly more glossy than the female.
The American crow is smaller than the fish crow.
Nesting
The American Crow doesn’t breed until it’s between 2 and 4 years old. The “family” stays together for years, so some of the “kids” will help raise the next year’s brood.
Their nests are in large trees mostly evergreens. Both the male and female will make the nest out of large twigs lined with pine needles. The nest is big around 15 inches across and 7 to 10 inches deep.
They usually lay 3 to 9 eggs which are bluish-green in color with gray and brown blotches at either end.
The incubation period is 16 to 18 days, and the young remain in the nest anywhere from 20 to 40 days.
Diet
The American Crow will eat just about anything including seeds, nuts, worms, and small animals such as mice. They will also steal and eat eggs from other birds like robins, sparrows, loons, jays, and eiders. They will even eat garbage from the dumps.
Habitat
The American Crow can be seen throughout the United States but differ in size by region. Eastern crows are the ones you will see in Massachusetts throughout the year and are larger than what you will see on the west coast. In Florida, the American Crow is smaller but has large feet. And the Northwestern Crow, once thought to be a different species are smaller with a deeper voice.
It is common to see them on lawns, open fields, woodlands, parking lots, and in towns as well as in cities.
Bird Notes
The American Crow is an aggressive bird that will chase many large birds like eagles and hawks. Many times you will see them in flocks of up to 1000 birds.
Song and Call
31. Fish Crow
Scientific Name: Corvus ossifragus Size: 14.2-15.8 inches
Description and Field Mark
The fish crow is a large black bird with a long, heavy bill. The iris of the eye is yellow and the legs are grayish-black. Medium to large-sized blackbirds, slightly smaller than American Crow,
The society states that Fish Crows can be found in “large flocks” during wintertime and are a common sight at garbage dumps.
Nesting
The fish crow nests in a tree, laying three to four eggs. it takes about two weeks for the eggs to hatch, and another three or four weeks for the chicks to develop.
Diet
Fish Crows are omnivores; they eat insects, small rodents, frogs, snakes, lizards, and berries.
Habitat
Found in coastal and near-coastal areas in Massachusetts and all across the Eastern Seaboard.
Bird Notes
The best way to tell the Fish Crow from American Crow is by sound – the Fish Crow is nasal and sounds like it has a cold. The other identification tip is that if it perches on a wire, it’s probably a Fish Crow.
Song and call
Their call is distinctive, the typical crow “Caw” but with a very nasal tone.
Conclusion
Do you keep a Yard List? Write down the birds that visit your yard in a log or notebook. Or you could use eBird, which has a ton of information on birds and is part of the Cornell University School of Ornithology. It allows you to record your sightings from anywhere in the world., eBird will keep all your information in one place.