Identifying mostly brown-colored
birds in the yard
House Sparrow
|
Carolina Wren
|
House Wren
|
Mourning Dove
|
Brown Thrasher
|
American Robin
|
Northern Flicker
|
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, female
|
Song Sparrow
|
White-throated Sparrow
|
White-crowned Sparrow
|
Chipping Sparrow
|
House Finch, female
|
House Sparrow, mature male
House Sparrow, young male
|
House Sparrow, female
House Sparrows are often the most abundant birds in the yard, especially in urban areas or in rural areas around grain-fed livestock. They are an introduced species from Europe and cause great distress for native birds.
Mature male House Sparrows (top left) have gray heads and black bibs. The more mature the bird, the bigger and darker the bib. Compare the bib on the bird at top left with that on the bird to the left. Above, note that female House Sparrows are quite plain and have pink bills whereas males have dark bills. |
Find out why this introduced species from Europe causes such great distress for native birds and what you can do about it--including the National Audubon Society's recommendations--in Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't.
Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book.
Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book.
Carolina Wren
House Wren
|
Wrens are generally welcome birds in the yard primarily because of their lovely songs. Carolina Wren (left) stays with us year-round. It is best distinguished from House Wren by its long white eyebrow, longer d-curved bill, and richer reddish brown plumage. House Wren (left) may stay in the southern tier of states during winter, but Midwesterners see them only during breeding season. They compete with Eastern Bluebirds and others for nest boxes. To learn how these two wrens interact and how your backyard's year-round residents react to summertime breeders, see Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't. Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book. |
Mourning Dove
|
Mourning Doves are hard to misidentify. Generally over-all beige, they vary individually from gray-brown to tan to beige, depending on age and season. Prime game for hunters, Mourning Doves display some amazing behavior. Read about it in Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't. Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book. |
Brown Thrasher, sexes indistinguishable
|
Brown Thrashers are mimics, like Northern Mockingbirds and Gray Catbirds.They're somewhat secretive, nesting on or near the ground and foraging exclusively on the ground. They rarely if ever visit feeders.
Find out what world record these birds hold and what it takes to attract Brown Thrashers to your yard in Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't. Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book. |
American Robin, male
American Robin, fledgling
|
American Robin, female
American Robins surely rank as the all-American bird. Males are brighter than females. Fledglings have speckled breasts and wings and lack any vibrancy of color. To learn where robins spend their winters, how they know when to strip holly trees of their berries, and what they're really doing when they cock their heads, see their complete profile in Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't. Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book. |
Northern Flicker, female
Northern Flickers are odd woodpeckers in that they prefer to eat on the ground. The male (right) is separated from the female (above) by his black mustache. Both have red V's on the backs of their heads.
Find out why Northern Flickers eat on the ground--and what they eat there--in Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't. Click here for information. |
Northern Flicker, male
|
|
Female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are streaky brown with distinct eyebrows. Their large bills set them apart from all other birds. See more illustrations here. |
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow, white-striped form
To find out where White-throated Sparrows spend their summers and what kind of habitat they need in winter, see Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't.
Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book. 
White-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow, immature
|
Male and female Song Sparrows look alike. While individuals vary widely, from quite dark to very light plumage, Song Sparrows are probably the most common native sparrow among birds in the yard and stay in their general territory year-round. Their songs vary by regional "dialect." Find out why when your read the complete species profile in Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't. Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book. White-throated Sparrows breed in the far north but winter in the Midwest. Among the wintering birds in the yard, they are probably the most common.
White-throated Sparrows can be white-striped or tan-striped, referring the to stripes above their eyes. Note a white-striped form at left and a tan-striped form below. The stripes do not denote sex or age. 
White-throated Sparrow, tan-striped form
White-crowned Sparrows, like White-throated Sparrows, breed in the far north but winter in the Midwest. Sexes look alike and wear bold white crown stripes (left). They tend to be less prominent among wintertime birds in the yard, preferring to be in more brush areas. Immature White-crowned Sparrows (lower left) may be evident in wintertime yards. Rather than wearing the bold white crown stripes, they wear tan stripes. For additional details about these and other migrants--where they spend their summers and why they winter in the Midwest, see Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't. Click here to read the introduction and to get information about where to find the book. |
Chipping Sparrow, breeding adult
|
Chipping Sparrow, non-breeding
|
Chipping Sparrows (above left) move southward for the winter, but in mild winters may stay in the Midwest. They are among birds in the yard that readily nest near residences.
After breeding season, Chipping Sparrows tend to lose their bright russet caps (above right).
To see more complete comparisons of all our "Little Brown Jobs," see Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't.
Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book.
After breeding season, Chipping Sparrows tend to lose their bright russet caps (above right).
To see more complete comparisons of all our "Little Brown Jobs," see Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't.
Click here to read the book's introduction and to get information about where to find the book.
House Finch, female
|
House Finch, male
Female House Finch (left) looks similar to some sparrows, but the bird's bill and streaky breast will help separate it from other look-alikes. The male (above) shows varying degrees of red, brightest in late winter and early spring at the beginning of breeding season.
|
For more about and identification of about 100 common birds in the yard, including comparison charts that help you sort out the differences between similar species like House Finches and Purple Finches, see Birds in the Yard Month by Month: What's There and Why, and How to Attract Those That Aren't.
Click here to read the book's introduction and for information about where to find it.