Identifying

Backyard-Birds

From their songs, to their colors, identifying Massachusetts’s backyard-birds can foster excitement, wonder, and familiarity; recognizing the songs of local-birds can be nostalgic; sounds of childhood.

Listed below are Boston’s most common backyard-birds; have you seen, or heard some of them?

Shh…Listen carefully!

Black-Capped Chickadee

Song of Black-Capped Chickadee
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Calls of Black-Capped Chickadee
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Blue-Jay

Calls of Blue-Jay
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Calls of Blue-Jays #2
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Male

Female

Northern Cardinal

Song of Northern Cardinal
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Song of Northern Cardinal #2
Scott Crabtree
Calls of Northern Cardinal
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Carolina Wren

Song of Carolina Wren
Ted Floyd
Song of Carolina Wren #2
Rick Wheat

Mourning Dove

Song of Mourning Dove
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

American Goldfinch

Song of American Goldfinch
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Song of American Goldfinch #2
Thomas Ryder Payne

American Robin

Song of American Robin
AUDEVARD Aurélien
Song of American Robin #2
Rory Nefdt
Calls of American Robin
Ted Floyd

Common Grackle

Song of Common Grackle
Thomas Ryder Payne
Calls of Common Grackle
Jonathon Jongsma
Group of Common Grackles
Thomas Magarian

Grey Catbird

Song of Grey Catbird
Stanislas Wroza
Calls & Mews of Grey Catbird
Stanislas Wroza

Downy Woodpecker

Calls of Downy Woodpecker
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Drum of Downy Woodpecker
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Song of White-Breasted Nuthatch
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Calls of White-Breasted Nuthatch
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Tufted Titmouse

Song of Tufted Titmouse
Richard E. Webster
Song of Tufted Titmouse
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Calls of Tufted Titmouse
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Male

Female

Red-Winged Blackbird

Song of Red-Winged Blackbird
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Calls of Red-Winged Blackbird
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Dark-Eye Junco

Song of Dark-Eyed Junco
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Calls of Dark-Eyed Junco
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

House Sparrow

Song of House Sparrow
Lars Lachmann

Song Sparrow

Song of Song Sparrow
Kris

Northern Mockingbird

Song of Northern Mockingbird
Jarrod Swackhamer

European Starling

Song of European Starling
Thomas Magarian