Do you like to watch the different birds that come into your backyard? Are you able to identify all of them? If not this article will help you identify the most common backyard birds in New Hampshire.
Which backyard birds of New Hampshire can you spot on your birdfeeders and what kind of birds should you look for on the ground? What kind of bird seed should you be using? All these questions will be answered.
This article will help you to identify common backyard birds in New Hampshire for all seasons. We will explain what to look for by color, shape, and size. We will also include a picture so you can refer to this guide when you can’t identify a bird in your backyard.
There are 418 bird species in New Hampshire. The most seen bird in New Hampshire is the Black-capped Chickadee.
The official state bird of New Hampshire is the Purple Finch. It became the state bird in 1957 but only after a good fight from the New Hampshire hen. You mostly find the Purple Finch in the northwestern part of the state.
The following birds are found in New Hampshire all year long:
Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jays, American Crows, Downy Woodpeckers, House Finches, Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadees, European Starling, Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Chipping Sparrow, and the Brown-headed cowbird.
These birds are only seen in New Hampshire during the summer months:
Red-eyed Vireo, Song Sparrow, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Flicker, Yellow Warbler, Gray Catbirds, Common Grackle, Eastern Phoebe, Purple Finch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, and the Scarlet Tanager.
There are a few other birds that also make an appearance in New Hampshire during the wintertime: The dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, and the Red-breasted Nuthatch.
For more birds that can be seen in New Hampshire see our article on Hawks, Woodpeckers, and Owls.
Below is detailed information on the birds of New Hampshire that you can see in your backyard.
Table of Contents
35 Backyard Birds of New Hampshire
1. 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
The Black-capped Chickadee is one of the most common backyard birds in New Hampshire.
Bird Notes
They are the town criers of the bird world, announcing everything from a crow or hawk coming to dinner.
Song And Call
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2. American Robin
Scientific Name:Turdus migratoriusSize: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 a 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:
3. Blue Jay
Scientific Name:Cyanocitta cristataSize: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 New Hampshire. 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 Notes
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
4. Dark-eyed Junco
Scientific Name:Junco hyemalisSize: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 long tails, round faces, and white on their 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 New Hampshire 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
5. 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 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 New Hampshire in places where there are trees. You will see them in residential areas, cities, farmland, and wooded areas.
Song And Call
Drumming
6. Cedar Waxwings
Scientific Name:Bombycilla cedrorumSize: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 New Hampshire, the Cedar waxwing can be identified by its dark brown body, white belly, and yellow undertail coverts.
Cedar waxwings are common in the northern U.S. and can be found in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.
Song And Call
7. Yellow-rumped Warbler
Scientific Name:Setophaga coronataSize:4.7-5.5 inches
Description And Field Marks
The males are dark gray with white on their wings, and yellow on their faces, sides, and rump. The east coast male could have a white throat instead of the yellow one. The females are duller and could be brown instead of gray with less yellow.
Nesting
Females built their nests in pine trees with materials brought to them by the male. She lays 1 to 6 white speckled eggs. The incubation period is 12 to 13 days with a nesting period of 10 to 14 days.
Diet
The yellow-rumped warblers eat insects during the summer.
Habitat
In New Hampshire, you will only see the yellow-rumped warbler during the summer months as they breed in New Hampshire and fly south for the winter. They like open areas, such as parks, woodland pine forests, dunes, and residential areas.
Song And Call
8. American 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 New Hampshire year-round.
Bird Notes
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
9. Song Sparrow
Scientific Name:Melospiza melodiaSize: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 New Hampshire. They can be found all over the state.
Song And Call
The Song Sparrow has a song that sounds like “chink, chink.”
10. Common Grackle
Scientific Name:Quiscalus quisculaSize: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 nesting spot 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.
The common grackle is a blackbird that is seen in New Hampshire during the summertime.
Song And Call
Grackles can also be heard making a wide range of calls that include whistles and rattling sounds.
11. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Scientific Name:Archilochus colibris Size: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 Hummingbird’s 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 New Hampshire. It is easy to identify because of its iridescent red throat and the fact that it can hover like a helicopter while feeding.
Song And Call
Wingbeat
12. 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 females 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 North American areas year-round. However, those that breed in Canada and the Midwest migrate to the southern US States for winter.
American Goldfinches are spotted in New Hampshire yearly, but their numbers increase during the breeding season. Breeding usually starts in late April or early May.
Bird Notes
In winter, check your finch feeder for Pine Siskins, which look like sparrows with yellowish accents.
Song And Call
13. 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
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.
14. Purple Finch
Scientific Name:Haemorhous purpureusSize:4.7-6.3 inches
Description And Field Marks
The Purple Finch is a small finch with a seed-eating bill. The male is raspberry in color and the female is a duller brown with white streaks throughout her body.
Nesting
Purple Finches make they nest in trees and bushes anywhere from 3 to 60 feet off the ground. The female builds the nest and lays 2 to 7 eggs. The incubation period is 12 to 13 days with the young remaining in the nest for 13 to 16 days.
Diet
During the summer Purple FInches mainly eat seeds from trees and nectar from flowers but during the winter they like seeds from your backyard feeders.
Habitat
The Purple Finch can be seen in New Hampshire year-round. During the summer months, they like pine forests while you will find them in your backyards during the winter.
Song And Call
15. House Sparrows
Scientific Name:Passer domesticusSize: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 various 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.
House Sparrows are common in New Hampshire backyards however not as common as they once were. They have been replaced by European starlings (another non-native species) in many areas.
Song And Call
16. Gray Catbirds
Scientific Name:Dumetella carolinensisSize:8.3-9.4 inches
Description And Field Marks
In the songbird family, the Gray Catbird is mostly gray but has some cinnamon brown under its tail and some black on its cap and tail.
Nesting
Female catbirds build their nest in shrubs, vines, and bushes usually around 4 feet off the ground. Nests are made of twigs, branches, and grass-like materials.
Catbirds can have 2 to 3 broods per mating season with 1 to 6 eggs each. Incubation lasts 12 to 15 days and the young remain with their parents for around 10 days.
Diet
They mostly eat insects, caterpillars, and moths but will also eat fruit and berries. They can become backyard pests if you grow fruit in your yard.
Habitat
Gray catbirds don’t like to fly in open areas so you will most likely see them in small vines, bushes, and trees. You will see them in your backyards so look in the branches of your bushes both in summer and winter.
Song And Call
The Gray Catbird songs all day long and will mimic other birds.
17. Tufted Titmouse
Scientific Name:Baeolophus bicolorSize: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
18. House Finches
Scientific Name:Haemorhous mexicanusSize: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, and trees but not dense forests.
Bird Notes
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.
19. American Crow
Scientific Name: Corvus brachyrhynchosSize: 15.8-20.9 inches
Description And Field Marks
The American Crow is not a crow at all. It is 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 glossier 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 New Hampshire 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.
You will find these crows 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
20. Hairy Woodpecker
Scientific Name:Leuconotopicus villosusSize:7.1-10.2 inches
Description And Field Marks
Very similar to the Downy Woodpecker in color and looks except the Hairy Woodpecker is larger in size and has a longer bill.
Nesting
Hairy Woodpeckers make their nest in trees, especially diet trees. They lay 3-6 all-white eggs with an incubation period of 10 to 12 days. The young woodpeckers remain in the nest for about a month.
Diet
Their main source of food is insects just they find in trees and branches.
Habitat
Year-round residence to New Hampshire’s backyards and also wood forests especially pine trees which are abundant in New Hampshire. If you don’t see them you will definitely hear them drumming on trees.
Call
Drumming
21. Eastern Phoebe
Scientific Name:Sayornis phoebe Size:5.5 to 6.7 inches
Description And Field Marks
The Eastern Phoebe is another songbird with a plump body and large head, It has a dark head with a grayish brown body. It has a white breast.
Nesting
Females built the nests usually 15 feet above the ground on roofs, streetlamps, under overhangs, or anyplace protected from the elements.
She lays 2 to 6 white eggs. The incubation period is about 15 days with a nesting period of 15 to 20 days.
Diet
The Eastern Phoebe eats insects but occasionally will eat seeds.
Habitat
The Eastern Phoebe breeds in North America in wooded areas near water. They are found in New Hampshire in spring and summer.
Song And Call
22. 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 underbelly, 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, lilac). 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.
They are migrating birds that breed in Canada and head south in the fall. White-throated sparrows are common birds in New Hampshire, 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”.
23. Red-eyed Vireo
Scientific Name: Vireo olivaceus Size: 4.7-5.1 inches
Description and Field Marks
The Red-eyed Vireo is the size of a small sparrow that has a thick neck and a strong long bill with a hook at the tip. It gets its name from its red eyes when it is an adult. Younger birds will have dark eyes.
It has a white breast with most of its body an olive green with some yellow under the tail and flanks. It has a gray cap on its head with white above the eyes.
Nesting
These birds like to make their nests in trees at least 10 to 15 feet high. The female makes the nest out of pine needles, grasses, and twigs. She lays between 1 and 5 dull white eggs that have an incubation period of 11 to 15 days. During that time the male feeds the female. The young stay in the nest between 10 and 12 days. The red-eyed vireo has 1 to 2 broods each year.
Diet
During the summer, Red-eyed Vireos mostly eat insects especially caterpillars (50%) of their diet). They also eat other insects such as moths, beetles, ants, and bees.
Habitat
You will hear the red-eyed vireo before you see it, especially in summer as its body blends into the tree’s leaves. Look for them in Maples and trees with large leaves.
Red-eyed Vireos will sing all day long. You will see them in New Hampshire during the summer as they migrate south to Mexico and South America for the winter.
Although they like forests and woodlands, they can be found in cities, backyards of residential areas, and parks with larger trees.
song and call
24. Eastern Bluebird
Scientific Name: Sialia sialisSize: 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 a 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
The Eastern Bluebird is another common backyard bird in New Hampshire that can be seen from July to March.
Song And Call
The Eastern Bluebird produces a beautiful melody with its vocals.
25. Chipping Sparrow
Scientific Name:Spizella passerinaSize:4.7-5.9 inches+
Description And Field Marks
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, a white brow, and 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.
26. Common Yellowthroat
Scientific Name:Geothlypis trichas Size:4.3-5.1 inches
Description And Field Marks
The Common Yellowthroat is another small songbird that has a long tail and round belly. The males have a dark mask with a yellow throat while the females are browner on their heads with a yellow throat and they do not have any black on them.
Nesting
The female builds the nest usually on the ground under bushes. She lays 1 to 6 white eggs with gray, brown, or black spots on them. The incubation period is 12 days and the young stay in the nest for 12 days.
Diet
Common Yellowthroats eat insects from the ground and off leaves, bushes, and flowers.
Habitat
You will usually see them in dense forests but during migration, you will see them in your backyards. They are in New Hampshire during the summer (warmer) months then head south for the winter.
Song And Call
27. Pileated Woodpecker
Scientific Name:Dryocopus pileatusSize:16.5 inches
Description And Field Marks
Large woodpecker almost the size of a crow, all black body with white stripes down a long neck and a bright red crest on top of the head. White under-wing and white wing patches are easily seen in flight.
Pileated Woodpeckers fly in fairly straight lines, unlike other woodpecker species, who fly in undulating lines.
These are noisy, loud woodpeckers. Their drum is slow and powerful, accelerates, and then trails off, not more than two times a minute.
Nesting
Pileated Woodpeckers drill out cavities in trees.
Diet
They really like Carpenter Ants, so they’re often found foraging at the bottoms of dead trees or on fallen logs.
Habitat
Likes mature hardwood forests and open woodlands. Pileated Woodpeckers look for dead trees and logs, which offer food and a nest cavity.
Bird Notes
Pileated Woodpecker holes are rectangular rather than round or oval like other woodpeckers, and they are deep enough to break smaller trees in half.
Call
drumming
28. Mourning Dove
Scientific Name:Zenaida mactouraSize: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
29. Yellow Warbler
Scientific Name:Setophaga petechia Size:4.7-5.1 inches
Description And Field Marks
The yellow Warbler is a small bird with a round head, black eye, and yellow body. The main difference between the male and female is that the male has some brown stripes on his breast.
Nesting
Nests are built by the female usually 10 feet off the ground. Its eggs are greenish gray in color and the female lays 1 to 7 eggs. The incubation period is 10 to 13 days with a 9 to 12 days nesting period.
Diet
Yellow Warblers eat small insects.
Habitat
The Yellow Warbler breeds in the northern United States and Canada. They migrate earlier than most other warblers in late summer or early fall. They fly nonstop from eastern North America to the Gulf of Mexico.
Song And Call
30. 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 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.
31. Nothern 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.
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.
The Northern Flicker is a common bird in New Hampshire.
Call
Drumming
32. Brown-headed cowbird
Scientific Name:Molothrus ater Size:7.5 inches
Description And Field Marks
Chunky, dark-eyed blackbird with short tails and thick bills. Adult males are glossy black with iridescent brown heads. Females are brown with light streaks on the belly.
Nesting
Brown-headed Cowbirds nest in trees, but there is no nest-building involved. Female Brown-headed Cowbirds are parasites – they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. In many cases, larger Cowbird nestlings will push the other species’ eggs or chicks out of the nest. Parasite hosts raise the Cowbird chick as their own.
Diet
Seeds, grasses, and insects make up most of the Brown-headed Cowbird’s diet. Females add snails and eggs from nests they parasitize; they need the extra calcium because they lay so many of their own eggs in other birds’ nests.
Brown-headed Cowbirds will come to feeders, usually with Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and European Starlings that sometimes overwhelm household feeders.
Habitat
Brown- Cowbirds can be found pretty much everywhere but in heavy forests. They got their name by foraging among herds of grazing buffalo and cattle.
In Winter, Brown-headed Cowbirds can be found among the large flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and European Starlings.
Bird Notes
The much smaller Yellow Warbler’s nests are targets for Brown-headed Cowbirds, but the Yellow Warbler has figured out a way to deal with this. Since they are too small to just push the Cowbird egg out of the nest, they build another nest on top of the Cowbird egg, smothering it and allowing their own eggs to hatch without intruders.
Song and Call
33. 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.
Call
Drumming
34. Eastern Kingbird
Scientific Name: Tyrannus tyrannus Size: 7.5-9.1 inches
Description and Field marks
The Eastern Kingbird is black and white in color. It’s mostly black above and white below. The tail is black but has a white mark on its tip. The head is a very dark black with a short bill. It’s the size of a Robin.
Nesting
The female builds the nest as the male watches over her, probably because he doesn’t want her to mate with another male. The nest is built with various materials in an open area in trees such as apple, mulberry, or Norway spruce trees.
The Eastern Kingbird female only has 1 brood each breeding period with 2 to 5 eggs. The incubation period is 14 to 17 days and the nestling period is 16 to 17 days.
Diet
During the breeding season, Eastern Kingbirds can catch insects midair. They prefer large insects but will also eat small insects. During the winter months, their diet is mostly fruit and berries.
Habitat
Eastern Kingbirds will visit backyards with trees especially if they are fruit trees like apples. You can also put in berry bushes which will attract them, especially in late summer and early fall.
You will see Eastern Kingbirds in New Hampshire during the breeding season of late spring and summer as they migrate to South America for winter.
Song and call
35. Scarlet Tanager
Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea Size: 6.3-6.7 inches
Description and field marks
The male Scarlet Tanager is bright red with black wings and tails. Females and immature are greenish-yellow with darker wings and tails. They both have rounded-thick bills and their tails are short.
Nesting
The Scarlet Tanager females built the nests, out of various materials, in tall trees normally at least 50 feet high. They lay 3 to 5 greenish-blue eggs with brown speckles. The incubation period is about 2 weeks and the nestling period is 9 to 15 days.
Diet
They at both insects and fruits. They can also catch insects while they are flying.
Habitat
You will see the Scarlet Tanager high in evergreen trees, either in forests or in your backyard trees. In New Hampshire, you will see these birds during the summertime, as they fly south for the winter.
Song and call
Conclusion
We just covered some of the many backyard birds in New Hampshire. For more information on other birds to see while in New Hampshire visit ebird New Hampshire.
Happy Birdwatching!
