Top 20 Most Common Bird in Black Forest

Frequent in urban environments and human-created habitats such as parks and backyards, the little house Finch is known for its loud but pleasant, cheerful singing. It feeds on the ground, mostly on seeds, berries, and other plant material. This bird is highly sociable and very adaptable. It often visits feeders.

Measurements: Length: 3.5-4.3 in (9-11 cm) Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (9-11 g) Wingspan: 19.7 cm (7.75 in) It ranges from southern British Columbia south through various discontinuous parts of the western U.S. (northwest U.S., Sierra Nevada range, southern Rockies, etc.), to central Mexico. It is usually found in pines (especially ponderosa pines), Douglas-firs, and other conifers. Pygmy nuthatches clamber acrobatically in the foliage of these trees, feeding on insects and seeds; less often they creep along limbs or the trunk like bigger nuthatches. Pygmy nuthatches nest in cavities in dead stubs of conifers, lining the bottom of the cavity with pine-cone scales, plant down, and other soft plant and animal materials. They may fill cracks or crevices around the entrance with fur; the function of this behavior is unknown. The female lays 4–9 eggs, which are white with fine reddish-brown spotting. She does most of the incubation, which lasts about 16 days. The young leave the nest about 22 days after hatching. This species is highly gregarious. A nesting pair may have other birds as helpers. Outside the breeding season, this bird wanders in noisy flocks. It also roosts communally; over 100 birds have been seen huddled in a single tree cavity. All plumages are similar, with a warm gray cap, blue-gray upper-parts, and whitish underparts. The only feature not seen in the photograph is a whitish spot on the nape, particularly in worn plumage (summer). Vocalizations are highly varied chirps, peeps, and chattering. This species is very similar to the brown-headed nuthatch of the southeastern U.S. Their ranges have no overlap. The pygmy nuthatch features prominently in the climax of the 2000 film Charlie's Angels, in which Cameron Diaz's character, Natalie, discovers the location of the villains' fortress by identifying the call of the pygmy nuthatch, which she says only live in Carmel, California—though the bird shown is not a pygmy nuthatch, which in any case is found in a much wider range. (The Hollywood impostor is a Venezuelan troupial, Icterus icterus.)

The white-breasted Nuthatch is the largest nuthatch in North America, but it's still a relatively small bird. It's a monogamous species and the pair usually nests in tree cavities. The white-breasted Nuthatch prefers old deciduous woodlands. When in search of food, it creeps along the trees up and down, relying on its strong legs, rather than using a tail for additional support like woodpeckers do.

In the search of its favorite food—ants—the northern Flicker often forages leaf litter and tree bark, which makes it the only ground forager in the woodpecker group. It's a migratory species, which is quite a rare behavior for woodpeckers, as well. The northern Flicker has an eastern (yellow-shafted) and a western (red-shafted) form. It lays a large number of eggs - the known record is 71 eggs in 73 days.

Steller's Jays are loud, large jays that live mostly in evergreen forests. Their "song" is a horrible screeching call, but they are also great mimics that can copy the sounds of other birds, dogs, cats, chickens, etc. Notorious nest-robbers, they are well-known for attacking and killing small adult birds, nestlings, and taking off with other birds' eggs.

The hairy Woodpecker is small and powerful, with a long bill that it puts to great use. The clean stripes of its head and exceedingly straight posture gives it the look of a soldier in the trees. Its call is more of a “whinny,” that can be heard in forests and parks. This bird is often found with its lookalike counterpart—the Downy woodpecker.

The mountain Chickadee is a flocking bird found in mountainous regions with dense evergreen coverage. These birds have an interesting feeding behavior where they hang upside-down on branches to find seeds and insects. They can survive on just ten calories per day so they often store excess seeds for later. They have a very distinct "chick-a-dee" call which gives them their name.

A large, familiar bird of urban and suburban areas, this black-billed Magpie is often seen standing on road signs and fence posts. This opportunistic bird is known as the "raider" of other birds' nests. Thanks to its long tail, it is able to change the direction of flight suddenly. In some cultures, the black-billed Magpie is considered a bad omen.

Though tiny, the broad-tailed Hummingbird is one of the largest of all North American hummingbirds. This tough species is well adapted to freezing night temperatures—when the night falls, it slows its heart rate and drops its body temperature, hibernating until the morning. Fast and acrobatic like all hummingbirds, it is able to achieve 50 wingbeats per second.

The american Crow is a big black bird that can be found in forests, fields, river groves, and among human habitations. Interestingly, it is known to stand atop ant hills and allow ants to climb onto its feathers; this apparently discharges their formic acid and makes them more palatable for the crow to eat. Sadly, american Crow numbers have been substantially affected by the West Nile virus in North America. Infected birds die from West Nile in less than a week.

One of the most famous and widespread doves of North America, the mourning Dove can be often seen in urban areas perching on telephone wires. It is named after its distinctive, plaintive-sounding song. It is also a popular game bird, but its population is still abundant thanks to the prolific breeding and its ability to raise up to five to six broods in a single year.

The smallest woodpecker in North America, the downy Woodpecker is almost identical to the Hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus), but it's significantly smaller and has a shorter bill. It inhabits woods and wooded areas, but is also regularly encountered in urban environments. It often visits birdfeeders, which is an unusual behavior among woodpeckers.

One of the most common birds of North America, the dark-eyed Junco lives in flocks in open forests, but it's very common in urban areas. This a highly variable species consists of at least five subspecies. This ground bird is often seen during winter, so it's sometimes called the "Snowbird," although it shares the nickname with the Snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis).

The pine Siskin is a very small finch that moves unpredictably between habitats from year to year. It can be abundant in an area one year but totally absent the next. This irregular movement is related to food sources - particularly the yields of hemlock, pine, and birch seeds and buds. This songbird is a sociable species that often joins flocks of goldfinches.

The american Robin is the most common, and largest, thrush in North America. It's a bird of striking colors, including its vibrant, red-breasted plumage and pale blue eggs. It likes to feed on summer fruit and berries, but worms play an important role in its diet as well. This songbird is a state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Its cheery song is considered one of the first signs of spring.

The colorful western Bluebird lives on the edge of coniferous and deciduous forests, usually in hollowed-out trees where there is plenty of room to perch; these birds will become especially territorial over nesting areas but are relaxed otherwise. Interestingly, nesting western Bluebirds have been documented receiving help from other birds of the species, most likely unintentionally.

One of the earliest spring harbingers in North America, the red-winged Blackbird migrates in enormous flocks. Gathered in these large groups, the songbirds produce a loud cacophony. The red-winged Blackbird is an opportunistic omnivore. It feeds on numerous insect species, keeping pests under control, but due to its preference for crops and berries, the red-winged Blackbird is sometimes considered a pest itself.

A common visitor of birdhouses or anywhere with birdseed, the lesser Goldfinch is a small, notch-tailed bird that enjoys gardens and open wooded areas. Its size has made it commonly overlooked, but listen out for its charming, chiming song. Social birds, they are often seen in large groups of hundreds traveling together at a time.

Brilliant yellow plumage characterizes the small american Goldfinch, but this prominent yellow color is present only in males during the mating season. A strict vegetarian, this bird feeds on seeds and other plant material. The american Goldfinch is an active and acrobatic bird, which can be often seen flying in a bouncy pattern.

Perched high in trees, the red-tailed Hawk watches for its prey: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, large insects, and occasionally fish. It's the most common hawk in North America. Highly territorial and monogamous, the red-tailed Hawk is relatively long-lived. Many of them die young, but those who survive can live up to 20 years.