City Birdwatching Guide

Nothing thrills me more than hearing a cardinal out my window. Its cheerful singing draws me to the window to look around and spot the red bird in a tree.  Think bird watching is boring? Think again!  And finding birds beyond a pigeon and a common sparrow just takes looking out your window or a walk around the block.

Enjoy our beginner’s birdwatching guide:

Northern Cardinal (above)

Cardinals are year-round residents in Boston and in the spring you can hear their cheerful tweeting often.  The male cardinals are bright red with a black mask.  The female is a light brown with a tuft of red on top, wing, and tail. They usually travel as a couple.

Blue Jay

Blue Jays are the jerks of the bird community.  They are bright blue with a distinctive pointy head.  They are a member of the crow family and have a loud, strident “Jay! Jay!” call.  They are aggressive and always looking for a fight.

American Robin

Both male and female are grayish brown with a bright orangey red breast.

Black Capped Chickadee

Black-capped chickadees are small and round. They have black caps and throats with white cheeks. 

Common Grackle

These birds usually travel in packs and have shiny black feathers, with patches of green and purple gloss. They are very loud and highly vocal birds.

Mourning Dove

Named for the mournful sound of their cooing, mourning doves are brownish birds with small heads and long tails.  They are a fancier, more dressed-up pigeon.

Baltimore Oriole

Males have black heads, backs, and wings with bright orange below and on their tails. Females are much lighter with a pale orange, yellow, or tan color underneath. They love fruit and if you leave some in your backyard in the spring, you may find one feeding on it!

Downy Woodpecker

Downy woodpeckers are a medium-sized bird with a broad white stripe down the center of their back. Their black wings are marked with white horizontal bars and their faces are also striped black-and-white. Males have a bright red dot at the backs of their heads.

Wild Turkeys

Eastie is no stranger to wild turkeys.  Right now, it’s mating season for turkeys so watch out for the males.  They can get aggressive.

Swans

Believe it or not,  swans have been spotted hanging out in the city.   

Snowy Owl

If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a Snowy Owl in the city- often spotted in the winter near the beach and backyards in the city.

These are just some of the birds you may find in your neighborhood in the spring!  Let us know if you’ve seen any!  Here’s more information about birds and bird watching! 

Also spotted in the city – bald eagles!