Top 20 Most Common Bird in Lawrence
The array of avian life in Lawrence will amaze any ornithology enthusiast. The unique blend of rural landscapes and urban parks in Lawrence creates a tapestry of habitats perfect for diverse bird species. From the iconic American Robin to elusive warblers, Lawrence boasts an impressive variety of avian wonders. Keep an eye (and ear) out for 20 bird species that make Lawrence a birdwatcher's paradise.
Most Common Bird
1. 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.
2. House Sparrow
Just as its name implies, the little house Sparrow socializes with humans more than any other bird species. Able to adapt and thrive in almost any habitat, excluding the extremes such as deserts and mountain peaks, this species was once restricted only to North Africa and Eurasia but now is found across the globe. Unfortunately, this opportunistic eater is not completely harmless—it can cause considerable damage to crops.
3. 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.
4. Carolina Chickadee
This tiny and round songbird is often seen in urban environments, although the carolina Chickadee primarily inhabits woodlands. These birds mate for life, but the pairs live in a larger flock. The carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is almost identical to the Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), but their distribution rarely overlaps. In places where it does, the two species commonly interbreed, producing hybrids that can confuse birdwatchers.
5. Downy Woodpecker
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.
6. American Robin
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.
7. 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.
8. European Starling
The european Starling, a large, hardy songbird, is one of the most commonly seen bird species in North America. Originally from Europe, this species was brought to the U.S. in the 1890s by enthusiasts of William Shakespeare, who had the unique goal of bringing over every single species of bird that was mentioned in Shakespeare's collective works. Unfortunately, the european Starling, being an adaptable, generalist species, spread invasively across the continent, hurting many native species' populations in the process.
9. American Goldfinch
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.
10. White-breasted Nuthatch
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.
11. House Finch
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.
12. Red-bellied Woodpecker
The red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker that commonly nests in dead trees, sometimes taking over other birds' nests. In the search of insects inside tree cavities, it can extend its tongue almost 5 cm past its beak. By excavating insects and larvae from tree bark, this bird is able to "clean" the infested tree. The red-bellied Woodpecker is known to hide food in all kinds of places as a store for later use.
13. Tufted Titmouse
The tufted Titmouse is the largest of all titmouse species. Quite plain in appearance, but known for its echoing song, this woodland bird is a frequent visitor to urban areas, particularly during winter. It's a highly territorial bird that mostly feeds on insects, but won't shy away from seeds when need be. As a non-migratory species, it prepares food supplies for the winter by hiding seeds from birdfeeders for later use.
14. Song Sparrow
The song Sparrow can be found low to the ground in vegetation and thickets in nearly all habitat conditions, including suburban areas. They are frequent visitors to home birdfeeders but can also be seen foraging for food on the ground. Their appearance can differ across the 24 known subspecies, but all of them tend to only make short, fluttery flights.
15. 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.
16. Carolina Wren
The musical song of the carolina Wren can be heard all year round. This small, chunky songbird inhabits undergrowth, dense vegetation, and low tangles. Its nests can be found in backyards, often in most unusual places such as drain pipes. They live in pairs and do not migrate, so you can enjoy their love songs all winter.
17. 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.
18. Canada Goose
Though this large, widespread bird is mainly known for its aggressively territorial nature, often shown by spitting, chasing, honking, or attacking, the canada Goose does have more loving traits. They mate for life, and this species is one of the birds that has minimal “divorce rates.” Interestingly, they choose mates by size, so smaller geese will mate with other small geese, and larger geese with other large geese.
19. Eastern Bluebird
The tiny, distinctively-colored eastern Bluebird can often be seen in the countryside and other suburban, open areas. These small thrushes love nest boxes and so-called "bluebird trails" - a series of birdhouses put up especially for them along a certain route. These trails are part of conservation efforts that have helped to reverse their decline in population between the 1940s and the 1970s.
20. Brown-headed Cowbird
The Molothrus ater is a small obligate cowbird found in subtropical regions in North America. It is commonly called brown-headed Cowbird because of the brown feathers on its head. Interestingly it always lays its eggs in the nests of other perching birds.
