Top 20 Most Common Bird in The Villages
Hidden in the heart of Florida, The Villages boasts a wealth of bird species, abundant in variety and uniqueness. This region's distinctive habitats, including lush wetlands and dense forestry, set the stage for the presence of an impressive 20 common bird species. From the iconic Red-cockaded Woodpecker to the enchanting Great Blue Heron, The Villages offers a vibrant birdlife, captivating any ornithological enthusiast or nature lover alike.
Most Common Bird
1. Great Egret
These tall birds are quite distinctive with their bright white feathers, black legs, and orange beaks. Great Egrets live near both fresh and saltwater, nesting high in trees to protect their eggs from predatory mammals. They are colonial nesters, living in large groups (colonies), and they find the majority of their food in the nearest body of water.
2. Anhinga
The anhinga uses its long beak to spear fish. Sometimes the fish gets stuck. and the bird has to swim to shore to pry it off. Unlike most other water birds, the anhinga doesn't have oil glands and therefore its feathers are not waterproof. While the lack of oil does allow the bird to move more efficiently underwater, after swimming it must spread its wings and dry them in the sun.
3. Northern Mockingbird
The northern Mockingbird is able to mimic the sound of more than 30 bird species, but this master mocker has also been known to imitate the sounds of a whistle, frog call, or a dog's bark. The mimicry keeps other birds out of the mockingbird's territory, but it also plays an important role in courtship - the male with the best mimicking skills is the most attractive to females. You will often hear this mockingbird singing on moonlit nights. Widespread throughout the US, the northern Mockingbird is a state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
4. Great Blue Heron
The great Blue Heron, the largest such bird in North America, is quite adaptable and thrives in various wet habitats. Silent, patient, and often motionless, this majestic bird always makes a spectacular sight. Thanks to its specially shaped neck and extremely good night vision, this wading bird is a quick and skilled fish predator. Since the great Blue Heron accumulates toxins in its body, researchers use it as an indicator of dangerous contaminants in local wetlands.
5. White Ibis
The white Ibis is a medium-sized bird with beautiful white plumage that is a known wanderer. It makes a quiet grunting "croo croo" noise as it forages for food. Unfortunately, these birds have been heavily impacted by the pollutant methylmercury. In the Everglades high concentrations of methylmercury from human pollution have greatly impacted the mating behavior and mating frequency of the white Ibis.
6. American Crow
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.
7. Northern Cardinal
The northern Cardinal is a distinctive, medium-sized songbird that inhabits temperate forests and yards. Its name is derived from the male's brilliant red plumage color which resembles red-robed Roman Catholic cardinals, while its crest looks like a bishop's mitre. Compared to the male, the female is much duller in color. The highly territorial males can be quite aggressive. Quite popular, this is the state bird of seven U.S. states.
8. Double-crested Cormorant
This large, dinosaur-like bird is the most common form of cormorant. A frequent visitor to bodies of fresh water, look out for double-crested Cormorants at the water's edge when they “wing-spread”. They will stand with their wings opened wide and tilted towards the sun to dry their feathers, because they are not waterproof.
9. Little Blue Heron
A fairly small heron, the little Blue Heron is found in wetland habitats. Born with white feathers, a juvenile goes through a dramatic change to an all-dark adult. During the young stage, it looks very similar to the Snowy egret, with whom juveniles often mix during feeding time to get free food. A quiet and calm feeder, this heron is often overlooked; however, it's not easily approachable.
10. Palm Warbler
The palm Warbler is a large warbler known for wagging its tail as it forages. These birds look for insects and berries on and near the ground, unlike other related species that stick to the trees. The palm Warbler is a migratory species that travels to the denser coverage in boreal forests in the north for breeding.
11. Blue Jay
The blue Jay is the largest and the most common Jay in North America. This frequent visitor of birdfeeders is quite opportunistic when it comes to food - it is known as "a nest robber." Able to produce a wide range of musical sounds, this loud songbird can even imitate a Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus). Intelligent and sociable, the blue Jay is said to form strong family bonds.
12. Mourning Dove
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.
13. Snowy Egret
The snowy Egret is a mid-sized, totally white egret that prefers nesting in urban areas rather than in isolated locations where there are more predators. In the late 1800s, the bird's beautiful plumes were in great demand as decoration for women's hats. Because of this snowy Egrets were hunted to near extinction before laws came into effect to protect them.
14. Sandhill Crane
The large sandhill Crane is found in open grasslands and wetland ecosystems, usually far away from human civilization. However, during the migratory periods they can be seen feeding on farmland. These birds have many physical cues for socializing and mating. For protection, they may even defend themselves by kicking their feet.
15. Boat-tailed Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackles, with their incredibly long tails, prefer to live near marshes and boat launches. Those found in different regions have different colored eyes. Boat-tailed Grackles have an unusual way of mating called "harem defense polygyny" in which females nest in a cluster colony together as males compete to mate and defend ALL of the females.
16. Red-winged Blackbird
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.
17. Tricolored Heron
The tricolored Heron is a common bird to come across wading in shallow freshwater, brackish, and saltwater ecosystems. Their hunting tactics change based on their environment. These birds are also very territorial and will defend their hunting grounds against other wading birds. Egretta tricolor is a migratory species, flying to parts of Central and South America during breeding months.
18. Osprey
This large raptor is commonly known as osprey and can be found in every continent apart from Antarctica. It nests near bodies of water as its diet is made up of mostly fish and hunts with its clear vision that can see objects in the water while flying. The Pandion haliaetus usually mates for life.
19. Fish Crow
The fish Crow is a social species and may be found alongside American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos). The fish Crow is slightly smaller and silkier than the American crow and also has a distinct call. As its name suggests, this species is found near fresh, brackish, and saltwater waterways looking for fish and invertebrates to eat.
20. Black-bellied Whistling-duck
It has a long red bill, long head and longish legs, pale gray head and mostly gray-brown plumage. The belly and tail are black, and the body plumage, back of the neck and cap are a rich chestnut brown. The face and upper neck are gray, and they sport a thin but distinct white eye-ring. The extensive white in the wings is obvious in flight, less so on the ground; it is formed by the secondary remiges while the primaries are black; the wing-coverts are brown. Males and females look alike. 
