South Carolina’s birdlife spans tidal marshes, barrier islands, hardwood bottomlands and inland pine forests, offering year-round opportunities for casual watchers and serious twitchers alike. Local parks and preserves shift with the seasons, so the species you see can change week to week.
There are 100 Birds of South Carolina, ranging from the American Black Duck to the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. For each species you’ll find below the Scientific name, Status, Where found so you can quickly see identification details, conservation notes and typical habitat — you’ll find below.
When are the best times to spot different species in South Carolina?
Spring and fall migrations bring the most variety—late April to early May and September to October are peak for passerines and warblers. Winter is best for waterfowl and some raptors, while summer highlights nesting songbirds and waders; check the Status and Where found columns for seasonal clues.
How should I use the list to plan birding outings?
Start with the Where found column to pick habitats near you, then use the Scientific name to cross-reference photos and calls. The Status column shows how common a species is so you can set realistic expectations; combine the list with local eBird hotspots and recent checklists for the most reliable results.
Birds of South Carolina
| Name | Scientific name | Status | Where found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Breeding resident, common | Freshwater ponds, marshes, Lowcountry to Midlands |
| American Black Duck | Anas rubripes | Winter visitor and scarce breeder, uncommon | Coastal marshes, tidal creeks, Lowcountry |
| Wood Duck | Aix sponsa | Breeding resident, common locally | Wooded swamps, freshwater ponds, Lowcountry and Midlands |
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | Winter visitor and passage migrant, uncommon | Mudflats, coastal bays, inland wetlands |
| Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca | Winter visitor and migrant, common | Shallow marshes, rice fields, coastal impoundments |
| Blue-winged Teal | Spatula discors | Spring/fall migrant and winter visitor, common | Freshwater marshes, flooded fields, Lowcountry |
| Northern Shoveler | Spatula clypeata | Winter visitor and migrant, uncommon | Shallow freshwater marshes, impoundments |
| Gadwall | Mareca strepera | Winter visitor and uncommon breeder, uncommon | Freshwater marshes, ponds, Midlands and Lowcountry |
| American Wigeon | Mareca americana | Winter visitor and migrant, common | Ponds, marshes, coastal impoundments |
| Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | Winter visitor and migrant, common | Deeper lakes, reservoirs, marsh ponds |
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | Winter visitor and migrant, common | Coastal bays, large lakes, estuaries |
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | Winter visitor and migrant, common | Coastal coves, freshwater lakes, Midlands |
| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | Winter visitor and breeder locally, common | Freshwater marshes, impoundments, Lowcountry and Midlands |
| Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | Breeding resident and migrant, uncommon | Wooded ponds, swamps, Upstate and Midlands |
| Red-breasted Merganser | Mergus serrator | Winter visitor and migrant, uncommon | Coastal bays, ocean inlets, estuaries |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Breeding resident, common | Marshes, wetlands, coastal and inland waters statewide |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Breeding resident, common | Marshes, coastal wetlands, Lowcountry |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | Breeding resident, common | Tidal creeks, mudflats, salt marshes |
| Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea | Breeding resident, common | Freshwater marshes, tidal creeks, Lowcountry |
| Tricolored Heron | Egretta tricolor | Breeding resident, uncommon | Coastal marshes, mudflats, Lowcountry |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | Breeding resident and colonizer, common locally | Pastures, marsh edges, Lowcountry to Midlands |
| Green Heron | Butorides virescens | Breeding resident, common | Wooded ponds, creeks, marsh edges, Midlands |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | Breeding visitor and common migrant, common | Colonial rookeries, marshes, tidal creeks |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Nyctanassa violacea | Breeding resident and migrant, common locally | Coastal marshes, mangroves, Lowcountry |
| American White Ibis | Eudocimus albus | Breeding resident, common | Salt marshes, mudflats, flooded fields, Lowcountry |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | Breeding visitor and migrant, uncommon | Marshes, shallow wetlands, Lowcountry |
| Wood Stork | Mycteria americana | Seasonal visitor and rare breeder, uncommon | Coastal swamps, wetlands, Lowcountry |
| Brown Pelican | Pelecanus occidentalis | Coastal resident, common on shorelines | Beaches, inlets, estuaries, Lowcountry coast |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus | Breeding resident and migrant, common | Coastal waters, lakes, reservoirs, Lowcountry |
| Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga | Summer resident and migrant, uncommon | Freshwater swamps, ponds, marshes, Lowcountry |
| Clapper Rail | Rallus crepitans | Breeding resident, common in marshes | Salt marshes, tidal creeks, Lowcountry |
| King Rail | Rallus elegans | Breeding resident and rare, uncommon | Freshwater marshes, brackish edges, Lowcountry |
| Virginia Rail | Rallus limicola | Breeding resident and migrant, uncommon | Freshwater marshes, cattail stands, inland wetlands |
| Sora | Porzana carolina | Summer breeder and migrant, common | Freshwater marshes, impoundments, Midlands |
| Common Gallinule | Gallinula galeata | Breeding resident, common | Freshwater marshes, ponds, rice fields, Midlands |
| American Coot | Fulica americana | Winter visitor and breeder locally, common | Freshwater lakes, marshes, coastal impoundments |
| Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | Breeding coastal resident, very common | Beaches, coastal marshes, Lowcountry |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | Winter visitor and common migrant, common | Coastal beaches, inland lakes, landfills |
| Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | Winter visitor and migrant, common | Coastal beaches, piers, inland lakes |
| Royal Tern | Thalasseus maximus | Breeding summer resident, common on coast | Beaches, barrier islands, estuaries, Lowcountry |
| Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis | Breeding summer visitor, uncommon | Sandy islands, coastal inlets, Lowcountry |
| Forster’s Tern | Sterna forsteri | Migration and summer visitor, uncommon | Coastal bays, marsh impoundments, inland lakes |
| Least Tern | Sternula antillarum | Breeding summer resident, locally common | Sandy beaches, river islands, coastal dunes |
| Black Skimmer | Rynchops niger | Breeding coastal resident, uncommon | Sandbars, estuaries, Lowcountry beaches |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | Chroicocephalus philadelphia | Winter visitor and migrant, uncommon | Coastal bays, inland lakes, Lowcountry |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | Winter visitor and migrant, uncommon | Coastal beaches, rocky piers, inlets |
| Black-bellied Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Migration and winter visitor, common on coast | Tidal flats, sandy beaches, barrier islands |
| American Oystercatcher | Haematopus palliatus | Breeding resident, common locally | Rocky shores, oyster bars, sandy beaches, Lowcountry |
| Semipalmated Plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | Migration and winter visitor, common | Mudflats, sandy beaches, tidal edges |
| Piping Plover | Charadrius melodus | Winter visitor and rare breeder, rare | Sandy beaches, overwash areas, Lowcountry |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Migration and winter visitor, common | Rocky shores, tidal flats, jetties, beaches |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | Migration and winter visitor, common | Beaches, sandy intertidal zones, Lowcountry |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | Migration stopover, very common | Mudflats, salt marsh edges, coastal stopovers |
| Least Sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | Migration and winter visitor, common | Mudflats, freshwater edges, marshes |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Migration and winter visitor, common | Mudflats, estuaries, coastal marshes |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus griseus | Migration and winter visitor, common | Marshes, mudflats, coastal impoundments |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Migration and winter visitor, uncommon | Coastal marshes, tidal flats, Lowcountry |
| Willet | Tringa semipalmata | Breeding resident and migrant, common | Salt marshes, beaches, mudflats, Lowcountry |
| Marbled Godwit | Limosa fedoa | Migration and winter visitor, uncommon | Mudflats, sandy bays, coastal marshes |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | Migration and coastal visitor, common on coast | Tidal flats, beaches, marshes, barrier islands |
| Red Knot | Calidris canutus | Migration stopover and winter visitor, uncommon | Beaches, tidal flats, estuaries (notable stopovers) |
| Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | Breeding resident, common and increasing | Rivers, reservoirs, coastal estuaries, statewide |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | Breeding resident, common | Coastal waters, rivers, reservoirs, Lowcountry |
| Northern Harrier | Circus hudsonius | Winter visitor and migrant, uncommon | Marshes, open fields, coastal impoundments |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | Migration and breeder, common | Woodland edges, suburban areas, Midlands and Upstate |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Accipiter cooperii | Breeding resident, common | Wooded suburbs, forest edges, Midlands |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | Breeding resident, common locally | Wooded river bottoms, swamps, Lowcountry and Midlands |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | Breeding resident and migrant, common | Open fields, roadsides, forest edges, statewide |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Buteo platypterus | Migration flocks and summer breeder, common in migration | Woodlands, ridge tops, Midlands and Upstate |
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | Breeding resident, common | Open fields, roadside perches, agricultural areas |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | Migration and breeding visitor, uncommon | Coastal cliffs, cities, reservoirs |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | Breeding resident, common | Woodlands, suburban yards, Midlands and Lowcountry |
| Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Breeding resident, common | Wooded neighborhoods, parks, forest edges |
| Hairy Woodpecker | Dryobates villosus | Breeding resident, uncommon to common | Woodlands, older forests, parks |
| Pileated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus | Breeding resident, uncommon | Mature forests, swamps, Upstate and Midlands |
| Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | Breeding resident and migrant, common | Woodlands, open fields, suburban yards |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus varius | Migration and winter visitor, uncommon | Wooded areas, forest edges, Upstate |
| Belted Kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon | Year-round resident and migrant, common | Rivers, ponds, coastal inlets, Lowcountry |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | Megascops asio | Year-round resident, common locally | Woodlands, parks, suburban areas |
| Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | Breeding resident, very common | Backyards, woodlands, suburbs statewide |
| Carolina Wren | Thryothorus ludovicianus | Breeding resident, very common | Shrubby edges, backyards, swamps, statewide |
| Carolina Chickadee | Poecile carolinensis | Breeding resident, common | Woodlands, suburban yards, parks |
| Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor | Breeding resident, common | Woodlands, suburbs, backyard feeders |
| Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Breeding resident, common | Woodlands, suburbs, parks statewide |
| American Robin | Turdus migratorius | Breeding resident and migrant, very common | Lawns, parks, woodlands, neighborhoods |
| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Introduced, widespread and common | Urban areas, fields, roosts, everywhere |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Introduced, common | Urban, suburban, farms, around structures |
| Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | Breeding resident and migrant, common | Shrubby edges, marshes, backyard thickets |
| White-throated Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | Winter visitor and migrant, common | Woodlands, shrublands, suburbs in winter |
| Swamp Sparrow | Melospiza georgiana | Breeding resident and migrant, common locally | Freshwater marshes, wet thickets, Lowcountry and Midlands |
| Eastern Towhee | Pipilo erythrophthalmus | Breeding resident and migrant, common | Shrubby edges, forest clearings, understory |
| House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Breeding resident, common | Urban, suburbs, open woodlands |
| American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Breeding resident and migrant, common | Fields, thistle patches, suburban feeders |
| Purple Finch | Haemorhous purpureus | Winter visitor and uncommon breeder, uncommon | Wooded areas, feeders in Upstate and Midlands |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | Breeding resident, common | Open fields, edges, farmland statewide |
| Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | Breeding resident and migrant, very common | Fields, parks, urban areas, marsh edges |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | Breeding resident, very common | Marshes, fields, roadside ditches, statewide |
| Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum | Breeding resident, common | Thickets, forest edges, suburban yards |
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | Breeding resident, very common | Suburbs, parks, open woodlands statewide |
| Chimney Swift | Chaetura pelagica | Summer breeder and migrant, common | Urban chimneys, hollow trees, towns and cities |
Images and Descriptions
Mallard
Familiar dabbling duck with iridescent green head on males and a distinctive quack. Easy to spot on ponds and city parks; adaptable, nests near water, and often first duck species newcomers recognize.
American Black Duck
Darker, browner cousin of the mallard with a subtle greenish speculum. More secretive in brackish marshes and reedbeds; often mixes with mallards during migration and winter.
Wood Duck
Spectacularly patterned male with crested head and colorful flanks. Cavity nester often seen perching in trees; one of the most beautiful North American ducks and popular at nest-box projects.
Northern Pintail
Slim, long-necked duck with a pointed tail in males and elegant flight. Seeks open shallow water and mudflats during migration; less common than teal and mallards.
Green-winged Teal
Small dabbling duck with a green cheek patch (male) and quick, whistling flight. Often forms large mixed flocks on shallow flooded fields and marsh edges.
Blue-winged Teal
Small teal with a blue wing patch in flight and males sporting a white facial crescent in spring. Early spring migrant and abundant during fall stopovers.
Northern Shoveler
Recognizable by its enormous spatulate bill used for filtering small invertebrates. Males show bold white, green and chestnut plumage; often feeds with dabbling flocks.
Gadwall
Subdued gray-brown duck with unique black rear end and patterned flank. Often mixes with other dabblers; easy to miss but common in mixed winter flocks.
American Wigeon
Round-headed duck with a whistling call; males have a green eye stripe and cream forehead. Feeds on vegetation and grazes often in mixed-waterfowl flocks.
Ring-necked Duck
Diving duck with peaked head and distinctive ring on bill. Males are sharply patterned; frequents deeper freshwater where it dives for aquatic plants.
Lesser Scaup
Stocky diving duck with round head and purplish sheen in males. Often abundant on coastal waters and open bays during winter; mixes with other diving ducks.
Bufflehead
Tiny, striking diver with a large white patch on the head of males. Fast and buoyant; often seen in small flocks on sheltered waters.
Ruddy Duck
Stiff-tailed diver with a blue bill in breeding males, often seen bobbing and tail-up. Compact and easily identified by its chunky profile and diving behavior.
Hooded Merganser
Small crested merganser with a dramatic fan-shaped crest (male). A fish-eater that dives in clear ponds; striking in hand and flashy in courtship.
Red-breasted Merganser
Slender, saw-billed diving duck with shaggy crest; common along the coast in winter. Fast-flying and fish-eating, often seen in flocks offshore.
Great Blue Heron
Iconic tall heron with slate-blue plumage, slow deliberate stalking and spear-like bill. Seen alone along shorelines and in flight with neck folded in an S-shape.
Great Egret
Large white egret with yellow bill and black legs; elegant and conspicuous. Colonizes rookery trees; historically hunted for plumes but now widespread.
Snowy Egret
Smaller white egret with black bill and yellow feet and lacy breeding plumes. Active forager using feet to stir up prey in shallow water.
Little Blue Heron
Slim heron that’s slate-blue as an adult; juveniles are white and can be mistaken. Forages in shallow water, picking small fish and crustaceans.
Tricolored Heron
Slim, dark heron with a white belly and long neck; active methodical hunter in tidal flats and shallow marshes. Once called Louisiana heron by some.
Cattle Egret
Smaller white egret often near livestock where it feeds on stirred insects. Quick to colonize new areas; shows orange buff in breeding season on head and back.
Green Heron
Small, stocky heron often seen perched and using tools like bait to catch fish. Cryptic and secretive, common in shaded waterways and backyard ponds.
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nocturnal, chunky heron with red eyes and black cap. Roosts in colonies during day; more active at dusk and at night.
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Nocturnal crustacean specialist with a pale crown and stout neck. Often seen along tidal creeks foraging for crabs at dusk and night.
American White Ibis
Long curved bill used to probe mud for crustaceans; bright white with pink bill and legs. Forms dramatic feeding flocks and rookeries.
Glossy Ibis
Dark, curved-billed ibis with iridescent plumage in breeding season. Often appears in small flocks probing shallow water for invertebrates.
Wood Stork
Large, prehistoric-looking stork that feeds by tactile snapping in shallow water. Vagrant to SC but increasingly regular in warm years and notable when present.
Brown Pelican
Large plunging seabird with a massive bill pouch. Iconic on the SC coast, often seen flying low in formation or diving for fish nearshore.
Double-crested Cormorant
Dark diving bird with long neck and hooked bill; often dries wings while perched. Versatile fish-eater from inland lakes to ocean inlets.
Anhinga
Sleek waterbird nicknamed “snake-bird” for its long neck and swimming with body submerged. Spreads wings to dry and fishes by impaling prey.
Clapper Rail
Secretive, long-legged rail with a deep bill, adapted to dense salt marsh vegetation. Best heard by its distinctive rattling calls and glimpsed in tidal channels.
King Rail
Largest North American rail with rufous flanks and loud calls. Secretive and declining; prized by marsh birders when heard or briefly seen.
Virginia Rail
Small secretive rail with a thin bill and ratchet call. Likes dense emergent vegetation and is often heard more than seen.
Sora
Chunky, short-billed rail with a descending whinny call. Tolerant of freshwater cattail marshes and one of the easiest rails to glimpse at marsh edges.
Common Gallinule
Dark waterbird with a red frontal shield and white flank stripe. Bold and vocal; walks on floating vegetation and swims among cattails.
American Coot
Chunky, dark waterbird with a white bill and lobed toes. Not a duck but often in mixed waterfowl flocks; noisy and active.
Laughing Gull
Recognizable by its laughing calls and black hood in summer. Ubiquitous on beaches and estuaries, scavenges and nests colonially along the coast.
Ring-billed Gull
Medium-sized gull with a black ring on the bill; common in winter around coasts, lakes, and urban areas where it scavenges for food.
Herring Gull
Large pale-backed gull often seen along the coast and in urban areas. Variable plumage by age; common in winter and during migration.
Royal Tern
Large tern with an orange bill and crested black cap. Plunges for fish from flight and nests on sandy beaches and islands.
Sandwich Tern
Slender tern with a shaggy crest and slender bill; nests in colonies on barrier islands. Skims and dives for small fish nearshore.
Forster’s Tern
Medium tern with a long tail and buoyant flight; hovers before plunge-diving for fish in shallow waters during migration.
Least Tern
Tiny, energetic tern that nests on open sand. Yellow bill tip in many plumages; dependent on undisturbed beaches for breeding.
Black Skimmer
Unique skimming bill—lower mandible longer than upper—used to catch fish by slicing water at low light. Striking black-and-white silhouette and colonial nester.
Bonaparte’s Gull
Small, delicate gull with a dark hood in winter and a buoyant flight. Often found in mixed flocks with other small gulls in winter.
Great Black-backed Gull
Largest gull with a powerful bill and bold presence. Dominant scavenger along the coast and occasionally seen inland during migrations.
Black-bellied Plover
Large plover that looks chunky on the ground; black belly in breeding plumage and striking in winter. Seeks open mudflats for invertebrates.
American Oystercatcher
Bold, long orange bill used to pry oysters and clams. Loud and territorial; unmistakable on barrier islands and estuaries.
Semipalmated Plover
Small plover with a short bill and partial webbing on feet. Energetic feeder on exposed mudflats during migration and winter.
Piping Plover
Small pale plover with a black neck band in breeding season; federally threatened and strictly protected during nesting on beaches.
Ruddy Turnstone
Bold shorebird flipping stones and shells to find invertebrates; black-and-white breeding pattern is striking. Regular on rocky and sandy shores.
Sanderling
Tiny energetic sandpiper that runs with waves; pale non-breeding plumage common on beaches. Familiar to beachgoers worldwide.
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Small sandpiper that concentrates in huge flocks during migration; fast-moving and favors tidal flats for feeding on tiny invertebrates.
Least Sandpiper
Smallest North American sandpiper with yellow legs and fine bill. Forages in shallow water and muddy edges, often in mixed peep flocks.
Dunlin
Chunky sandpiper with a downcurved bill in breeding plumage and a black belly patch. Common in winter on tidal flats and estuaries.
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed, secretive shorebird that pulses its bill in mud while feeding. Abundant in fall and spring migration in marshy wetlands.
Long-billed Dowitcher
Similar feeding style to short-billed but larger with a longer bill; occurs mainly in migration and rare in winter flocks.
Willet
Large, loud shorebird with bold wing pattern in flight and a loud piercing call. Found on marsh edges and open sandy shores.
Marbled Godwit
Long, slightly upturned bill and mottled plumage; probes deep into mud for invertebrates. Attractive and fairly large, often seen on wide tidal flats.
Whimbrel
Long-billed curlew-like shorebird with a distinctive downcurved bill and striped head. A familiar spring and fall migrant along the SC coast.
Red Knot
Large sandpiper famed for long migrations; refuels on horseshoe crab eggs and coastal invertebrates during migration stopovers in spring and fall.
Bald Eagle
Powerful sea eagle with a white head and tail in adults; nests near large water bodies. Recovery success story and increasingly common across SC.
Osprey
Fish-eating raptor that nests on poles and platforms; distinctive hovering and plunging for fish. Bright white underside and dark eye stripe.
Northern Harrier
Low-flying raptor with owl-like facial disk and long wings and tail. Hunts over marshes by quartering and is more often seen in winter.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Small, agile accipiter that preys on songbirds; often flashes through dense cover. Distinctive fast wingbeats and long tail in flight.
Cooper’s Hawk
Larger accipiter with rounded tail used to hunt birds in yards and woodlands. Bold and adaptable to suburban environments.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Distinctive rufous barred underparts and black-and-white wing pattern. Prefers forested wetlands and often calls with a clear kee-ah.
Red-tailed Hawk
Widespread raptor with a brick-red tail in adults and variable plumage. Commonly uses roadside perches to hunt small mammals.
Broad-winged Hawk
Short-tailed buteo famous for massive September migration kettles. Breeds in forests and is more secretive outside migration.
American Kestrel
Small falcon with hovering hunting behavior and colorful male plumage. Hunts insects and small vertebrates, often seen perched on wires.
Peregrine Falcon
Fastest bird, famous for high-speed stoops on prey. Breeding in coastal bluffs and urban skyscrapers; dramatic to watch in flight.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Medium woodpecker with red cap and barred back; often visits suet feeders. Loud rolling calls and energetic climbing on tree trunks.
Downy Woodpecker
Small black-and-white woodpecker with a short bill; often at feeders and easy to spot. Warier than hairy woodpecker and more diminutive.
Hairy Woodpecker
Larger black-and-white woodpecker that resembles a downy but with a longer bill. More likely in mature forests.
Pileated Woodpecker
Huge, crow-sized woodpecker with a flaming red crest and loud, resonant drumming. Excavates large rectangular cavities and is unmistakable.
Northern Flicker
Colorful woodpecker with spotted belly and red or yellow shafts to flight feathers depending on race; often feeds on the ground for ants.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Migratory woodpecker that drills neat rows of sap wells in tree bark; attracts other species that feed on sap and insects.
Belted Kingfisher
Stocky blue-gray bird that dives headfirst for fish and nests in riverbank burrows. Loud rattling call and distinctive silhouette.
Eastern Screech-Owl
Small, cryptic owl with variable gray or rufous morphs; surprised hoots and trills at night. Uses tree cavities and nest boxes in neighborhoods.
Northern Cardinal
Bright red male and warm brown female with crest; familiar backyard songster. Bold and easy to observe, often at feeders and in shrubby edges.
Carolina Wren
Loud, bubbly singer with a huge voice for its small size. Rusty-brown plumage and cocked tail; nests in unusual cavities including boots and mailboxes.
Carolina Chickadee
Small, black-capped chickadee with a distinctive fee-bee song. Energetic and curious at feeders; often forms mixed flocks in winter.
Tufted Titmouse
Plump gray bird with a tufted crest and curious nature. Frequent at feeders and noisy in mixed winter flocks.
Blue Jay
Loud, smart corvid with bright blue plumage and various calls. Bold at feeders and known for mobbing predators and storing food.
American Robin
Familiar orange-breasted thrush that forages on lawns for earthworms. Early spring harbinger and common backyard bird year-round in milder areas.
European Starling
Aggressive introduced species with iridescent plumage and complex vocal mimicry. Forms massive winter roosts and competes for nest cavities with native species.
House Sparrow
Small, chunky introduced sparrow that thrives around buildings and people. Males have black bibs; invasive and common in towns and farms.
Song Sparrow
Streaked, tuneful sparrow with great variation; sings a rich melodic song and is common in early-successional habitats and marsh edges.
White-throated Sparrow
Distinctive white throat and yellow lores with a clear whistled song. Common winter visitor that favors leafy ground cover and brush piles.
Swamp Sparrow
Plain, rusty-capped sparrow that prefers wet marsh edges and cattail stands. Quiet but characteristic buzzy song in breeding season.
Eastern Towhee
Large sparrow with rufous flanks, white belly, and a distinctive “drink-your-tea” song. Scratches in leaf litter for seeds and insects.
House Finch
Introduced western finch now widespread in yards and feeders; males are rosy red and sing a bubbly song. Common at seed feeders.
American Goldfinch
Bright yellow breeding males and undulating flight; specialist on seeds and thistle. Visits feeders and breeds in late summer when seeds are abundant.
Purple Finch
Rose-tinted finch similar to house finch but with stronger raspberry tones; less common and more arboreal when present.
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brood parasite that lays eggs in other birds’ nests, often seen in flocks. Males have glossy black bodies and brown heads.
Common Grackle
Large blackbird with iridescent sheen and long tail. Loud and gregarious, often in mixed flocks and known to form massive winter roosts.
Red-winged Blackbird
Male with bright red shoulder patches and a loud conk-la-ree song. Dominant marsh bird that nests in cattails and noisy in spring.
Brown Thrasher
Reddish-brown songster with an impressive repertoire and long curved bill. Forages on the ground by flicking leaves and is often secretive.
Northern Mockingbird
Famous mimic with tall displays and aggressive nest defense. Gray-bodied with white wing patches in flight; sings endlessly and defends territories vigorously.
Chimney Swift
Cigar-shaped aerial insectivore that nests in chimneys and caves. Flies continuously catching insects and roosts in large communal flocks at night.
