The birds most likely to capture our attention with their songs during early spring in the Pacific Northwest are not migratory visitors, nor exotic strangers, but good old perennial neighbors. – Seattle Times
On that theme, from our backyard to the parks, to the outskirts of our immediate cities, most of these birds are very active in Spring in our area. I love listening to them (some start singing as early as 4am in distance) and watching them with naked eyes. Some are seen in other seasons, and some across throught the year.
Birds covered in this blog are:
Goldfinch, American Robin, Junco, Chiackadee, Wren, Towhee, Tanager, Grosbeak, Warbler, Flicker, Sparrows,
Nuthatch, Thrush, Finch, Bushtit, Kinglet, Blackbird, Cedar Waxwing, Jays, Doves, Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, Hawks,Falcons, Eagles, Gull, Albatross, Geese, Cowbird, Swans, Starling, Swallows, Cranes, Dipper, Cuckoo
Remember, this is just a list of most common birds we see around here; for a comprehensive list of birds and species in WA state, see near the bottom of the article for the link.
Thanks to the many awesome resources available to glean so much rich information about them: I had to do only little research to find their songs/calls, images for each. I hope this will give you a little glimpse, an auditory as well as a visual ‘tour’ of the enviroment. Would love to see and learn about birds (or plants, etc.) from your areas too! Near the bottom of this post, you’ll find some apps to aid bird identification in your areas as well.
BONUS: Chart for all Western Sparrows near the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
NAVIGATION TIP:
Be patient during loading for the first time! We’re pulling in lots of images and audio from various sources.
You can scroll within inside each frame to learn more about the bird, or scroll down the document for different birds. Each bird’s information (image and sound) are inside their respective frames. The ones with * next to names are my favorite sound-wise, but I love them all.
CREDITS:
Special thanks to: Seattle Audubon Society | Audubon Society: audubon.org | The Cornell Lab | Slater Museum Seattle | Northwestbirding.com | Allaboutbirds.com |
Goldfinch (State bird of Washington)
American Robin *
Junco (dark-eyed junco) *
Chiackadee (black-capped) *
Pacific Wren *
Bewick’s Wren *
Spotted Towhee *
Western Tanager *
Grosbeak *
Common yellowthroat (warbler) *
Northern Flicker *
Song Sparrow *
White-crowned Sparrow *
Red-breasted Nuthatch *
Varied Thrush *
Purple Finch *
Bushtit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet *
Red-winged Blackbird *
Cassin’s Finch *
Cedar Waxwing
Steller’s Jay
Blue Jay
Scrub Jay
Eurasian Collared-Dove *
Pileated Woodpecker *
Downy Woodpecker
Hawks *
Types: Types: Broad-winged, Cooper’s, Ferruginous, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Sharp-shinned, Swainson’s, Zone-tailed, Northern Goshawk
Barred Owl *
Great Horned Owl *
Eagles
Types: Bald, Golden Eagle
Goose *
Types: Canada, Emperor, Greater White-fronted, Ross’s, Snow, Taiga Bean-goose
Western Gull
Gull overview:
Gull better audio:
Swallows
Types: Purple Martin, Bank, Barn, Cliff, Northern Rough-winged, Tree, Violet-green
Sapsuckers
Types: Red-breasted, Red-naped, Williamson’s, Yellow-bellied
Starling
Falcons
Types: American Kestrel, Merlin, Gyrfalcon, Peregrine, Prairie Falcon
Swans
Types: Trumpeter, Tundra, Whooper Swan
Cowbird (Brown-headed)
Albatross *
Types: Laysan, Black-footed, Short-tailed, White-capped Albatross
Sandhill Crane *
American Dipper
Cuckoo
Types: Black-billed, Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Some apps and other resources I use:
- Mobile app: BirdNET (identifies birds by sound. Free)
- Mobile app: Merlin Bird ID (identifies birds by pictures. Free)
- Washington state specific birds info
A chart of sparrows found accross western United States:
