I’ve been jotting down and recording all the species of birds I see in my Maine yard since March 2020. We’ve actually had feeders and noticed the birds for much longer than that, but this is the official start. Maybe it’s a form of collecting or saving all the birds that live in, visit, or pass through this space over the years. A Backyard Ark of Birds in a changing planet. Or maybe I just like birds and lists.
See All the Yard Birds>>
A gallery of each yard bird species.
The Yard Birds
- Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) | March 30, 2020
- Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) | March 31, 2020
- Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) | March 31, 2020
- American Robin (Turdus migratorius) | March 31, 2020
- Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubes | April 3, 2020
- Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) | April 3, 2020
- White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) | April 3, 2020
- Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) | April 3, 2020
- Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) | April 10, 2020
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) | April 11, 2020
- American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) | April 11, 2020
- Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) | April 11, 2020
- Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) | April 11, 2020
- American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) | April 11, 2020
- Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) | April 11, 2020
- Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) | April 19, 2020
- Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) | April 21, 2020
- Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) | April 25, 2020
- Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) | April 25, 2020
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) | April 26, 2020
- White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) | April 28, 2020
- Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) | May 2, 2020
- Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) | May 3, 2020
- Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) | May 3, 2020
- Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) | May 3, 2020
- Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) | May 6, 2020
- Common Raven (Corvus corax) | May 8, 2020
- Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) | May 8, 2020
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) | May 10, 2020
- Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) | May 15, 2020
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) | May 24, 2020
- Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) | March 19, 2021
- Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) | March 27, 2021
- Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) | March 27, 2021
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) | April 13, 2021
- Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis Phoebe) | April 13, 2021
- Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) | April 25, 2021
- Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) | April 27, 2021
- House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) |April 27, 2021
- Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) | April 30, 2021
- Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) | May 1, 2021
- European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) | May 6, 2021
- Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) | May 6, 2021
- Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) | May 6, 2021
- Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) | May 9, 2021
- American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) | July 22, 2021
- Ring-billed Gull (Larus argentatus) | July 24, 2021
- Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) | August 1, 2021
- Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) | August 5, 2021
- Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) | August 6, 2021
- Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) | August 29, 2021
- Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) | October 3, 2021
- Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) | December 10, 2021
- Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) | December 15, 2021
- Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) | March 13, 2022
- Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) | April 5, 2022
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) | April 5, 2022
- Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) | May 15, 2022
- Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) | May 16, 2022
- Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) | May 16, 2022
- Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) | May 16, 2022
- House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) | May 30, 2022
- Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) | September 14, 2022
- Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) | September 10, 2022
- Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) | September 26, 2022
- Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) | September 26, 2022
- Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) | October 7, 2022
- American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) | December 24, 2022
- White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) | May 14, 2023
- Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) | June 18, 2023
- Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) | August 13, 2023
To Learn More:
To learn more about birds I recommend The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds, its Merlin ID app, and (if you want to go deep) Birds of the World. Also, Audubon, the American Bird Conservancy, and any number of field guides are excellent resources. I’ve also shared some thoughts and suggestions about Ethical Birding and Nature Photography.
All photos copyright Alicia MacLeay / Click on an image to see it full size