Top 20 Most Common Bird in Hamburg
Hamburg hosts a diverse flora and fauna, creating an inviting environment for a variety of bird species. Among the 20 most common birds are ones having distinctive features, stunning plumages, and peculiar behaviors.
Most Common Bird
1. Common Wood Pigeon
Although primarily found in woods, the common Wood Pigeon is a large and bulky pigeon that is often seen in towns and cities. Those who inhabit urban areas are quite tame, approachable, and comfortable around humans. This pigeon is a popular game bird, particularly during its migration journeys. Its distinctive call can be heard year-round, particularly at dawn. This ground-dwelling bird gathers in large flocks that feed together.
2. Eurasian Blackbird
Unafraid of humans, the dark-winged eurasian Blackbird has gained a great deal of cultural significance, mentioned in popular nursery rhymes and songs across the world. Elegant and with an appealing song, they can be aggressive when they are in their breeding period.
3. Great Tit
Great Tit is a small and plump bird, with a thick black line running through its bright yellow face. It is a common sight in gardens, woodlands, and parks. It is often seen foraging for food in an acrobatic way. Well known for its intelligence, it has been observed using tools, solving problems, and even counting up to five. 
4. Carrion Crow
The loud cry from the carrion Crow lets everyone know the bird is in the area. It is often seen in semi and open habitats that include rural and suburban areas. The black-colored bird only gathers in large flocks when it is time to roost. Otherwise, it flies in pairs or small groups scavenging for insects, seeds, and even small animals.
5. European Robin
The european Robin is an aggressive bird that is commonly found throughout farmlands, woodlands, and suburban communities. These birds are mainly helpful insectivores for gardeners, but will also eat various seeds and fruits. The european Robin is used on British Christmas cards to represent postmen from the Victorian era who used to wear red waistcoats while delivering holiday cards.
6. Eurasian Magpie
The eurasian Magpie is a striking and intelligent bird known for its black and white plumage and long tail. It is highly adaptable, found in a variety of habitats, and known for its intelligence, similar to that of great apes. It is omnivorous, eating both insects and fruits, and it has a reputation for being mischievous and thieving.
7. Eurasian Blue Tit
The eurasian Blue Tit is a small songbird, very common in urban areas such as parks. This songbird has a wide range of calls and songs, but it's also known for its agility and acrobatic skills - it can hang upside down, reaching food that's not accessible to less-skilled birds. When the bird has young, it spends around 17 hours per day in the search of food for the offspring. It's a frequent visitor of bird feeders.
8. Mallard
The mallard is the most abundant duck species in the world, and the ancestor of all domestic ducks. Only the female can produce the distinctive "quack" sound. When the female lays eggs, the male abandons its mate, while the protective mother stays with the ducklings for a long time. This migratory species inhabits shallow waters and it's one of the most popular game birds.
9. Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull is a medium-sized gull found in Europe and Asia. It has a white body and grey wings, and a black head that turns chocolate brown in the summer. It is found in a variety of habitats, including coastal areas, lakes, and wetlands. It is migratory, wintering in southern Europe and parts of Africa.
10. Greylag Goose
The greylag Goose is a large, bulky bird primarily found around marshes, lakes, and wetlands. It has even been spotted inhabiting European parks. The bird migrates south in the winter to warmer climates. It also has an interesting claim to fame. The bird is one of the first domesticated geese and is the ancestor of most modern breeds.
11. Common Chaffinch
The common Chaffinch has a varied diet, mainly feeding on seeds and berries, but also eating insects, allowing it to thrive in different habitats. The Common Chaffinch is also known for its melodic song, with the males being particularly vocal during the breeding season. Their songs can often be heard in the spring and early summer.
12. Eurasian Coot
The eurasian Coot is a medium-sized, black-plumaged waterbird with a white bill and a distinctive red shield above its bill. It has webbed feet with a white patch on the toes and is often seen in large flocks, diving for food and fiercely defending its territory. Its aggressive nature and distinct features make it a memorable sight for birdwatchers.
13. Rock Pigeon
The rock Pigeon is a wild ancestor of all domestic and feral pigeons, inhabiting coasts, cliffs, and caves. Pairs nest in rock crevices, often mating for life. They are known for their ability to fly very long distances to return to their homes, navigating using the sun's position and the earth's magnetic fields. Thanks to this ability, pigeons were used as messengers, particularly during World Wars I and II.
14. Great Spotted Woodpecker
The great Spotted Woodpecker is a fairly common species to find in the trees of its native woodlands. Populations in the colder portions of their range migrate while others stay put year-round. They drill into tree bark not only to access insects but also to build nests. The great Spotted Woodpecker is sometimes confused with the smallest European woodpecker, the lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor), though they are noticeably different in size.
15. Eurasian Jay
The eurasian Jay is a striking bird with distinctive blue, black, and white plumage. It is known for its bold and curious nature, often seen rummaging through gardens and forests for food. Despite its small size, it is very intelligent and able to store food for later consumption. Its sharp calls and acrobatics in the trees make it a joy to observe in the wild.
16. Great Cormorant
The great Cormorant is a charismatic bird known for its diving abilities and fishing prowess. It has a glossy black plumage, a long neck, and a hooked beak. It is strong swimmers and divers, capable of reaching depths up to 30 feet to catch fish. It has a unique habit of spreading their wings in the sun to dry them after fishing, helping to maintain their waterproof feathers.
17. Common Moorhen
The common Moorhen is often found in slow-moving or standing-water aquatic ecosystems with dense vegetation coverage where they can hide and forage for food. If vegetation is dense enough, their large feet even enable them to walk across the floating plants. These birds are opportunistic feeders and will eat any food that is currently available.
18. Herring Gull
The herring Gull is a large common seabird often found on and near coastlines. These birds nest in colonies and create a hierarchy. They may travel considerable distances for food, which usually comes in the form of fish, insects, and other small invertebrates. Surprisingly, the herring Gull can live to be 30 years old, but is often injured or even poisoned before then.
19. Mute Swan
The most common inhabitant of urban lakes and one of the heaviest of all flying birds, the mute Swan got its name by being less noisy than other swan species. Although stunningly beautiful and graceful, it is also quite aggressive and territorial. The national bird of Denmark, the mute Swan is famously portrayed in Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale "Ugly Duckling" and Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake".
20. Eurasian Wren
Tiny and usually well-camouflaged with its brown plumage, the eurasian Wren is a fairly populous bird that may sometimes be seen hopping quickly and quietly along a forest floor, rustling sticks and flipping over leaves as it searches for insects. The species, though, is more often heard than seen; though quite small, the eurasian Wren has a loud, melodious song.
