12 Common City Birds You Can See Right from Your Apartment

About 68% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050.1 As cities expand, the importance of understanding and supporting urban bird diversity has never been greater.

Both public parks and private backyards play crucial roles in sustaining bird populations in cities. 

Smaller, centrally located parks can sometimes host even more species than larger parks. Here are 12 city-dwelling birds you can spot right from your apartment window.

1. House Sparrow

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The House Sparrow is a common sight in cities across North America. These small, brown and gray birds are known for their adaptability and can often be seen hopping along sidewalks or perched on power lines

Male House Sparrows have a distinctive black bib and white cheeks, while females have a more muted appearance.

House Sparrows are social birds and often form large flocks, especially during the winter months. They are opportunistic eaters and will readily feast on a variety of foods, including seeds, insects, and even human scraps.

2. Rock Pigeon

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Also known as the Rock Dove, the Rock Pigeon is a ubiquitous presence in cities worldwide. These large, plump birds are easily recognizable by their iridescent neck feathers and distinctive cooing calls.

Rock Pigeons come in a variety of colors, ranging from the classic blue-gray to white, brown, and even patterned varieties.

Rock Pigeons are highly adapted to urban life and can often be seen congregating in large flocks in city squares, parks, and near food sources. They have a remarkable ability to find their way home from great distances, making them one of the earliest domesticated bird species.

While some consider them a nuisance, Rock Pigeons play an important role in the urban ecosystem and have a rich history of coexistence with humans.

3. European Starling

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The European Starling is a medium-sized, iridescent black bird with a short tail and long, pointed bill. Originally native to Europe and Asia, these birds were introduced to North America in the late 19th century and have since become one of the most abundant bird species on the continent.

European Starlings are highly social and can often be seen in large, noisy flocks. They are skilled mimics and can imitate the sounds of other birds, as well as mechanical noises like car alarms. These adaptable birds are found in a variety of urban habitats, from parks and lawns to building ledges and streetlights.

4. American Robin

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The American Robin is a beloved harbinger of spring and a common sight in cities across North America. These large, plump birds have a distinctive orange-red breast, gray back, and white-tipped outer tail feathers.

American Robins are often seen hopping across lawns in search of earthworms, their favorite prey.

In addition to their foraging habits, American Robins are known for their beautiful singing. Males sing a loud, cheerful song to defend their territories and attract mates.

These birds are adaptable and can be found in a variety of urban habitats, from parks and gardens to residential areas.

5. Black-capped Chickadee

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The Black-capped Chickadee is a small, energetic bird with a distinctive black cap and bib, white cheeks, and gray back. These birds are found in cities and towns across much of North America, where they are known for their acrobatic foraging habits and cheerful, whistled songs.

Black-capped Chickadees are curious and bold, often approaching humans in search of food. They are a common sight at bird feeders, where they feast on sunflower seeds and suet. In the wild, these birds forage for insects and seeds in trees and shrubs.

Black-capped Chickadees are also known for their remarkable memory, with the ability to remember the locations of hundreds of food caches throughout their territory.

6. Northern Cardinal

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The Northern Cardinal is a stunning bird with a bright red body, black face mask, and prominent crest. These birds are found in cities and suburbs across the eastern United States, where they are a popular sight at bird feeders and in backyard gardens.

Male Northern Cardinals are particularly striking, with their brilliant red plumage serving as a signal of their fitness and territory ownership. Females are also beautiful, with a more subdued reddish-brown coloration.

Northern Cardinals are known for their loud, whistling songs and their strong pair bonds, with mated pairs often seen foraging and singing together.

7. Blue Jay

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The Blue Jay is a large, boldly patterned bird with a blue back, white underparts, and a prominent blue crest. These birds are found in cities and towns across eastern North America, where they are known for their intelligence, adaptability, and raucous calls.

Blue Jays are omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of foods, from acorns and seeds to insects and even small vertebrates. They are also known for their caching behavior, storing food in various locations for later retrieval.

In addition to their foraging habits, Blue Jays are notorious for their bold and aggressive behavior, often mobbing predators and competing with other birds for resources.

8. House Finch

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The House Finch is a small, colorful bird with a red head, breast, and rump in males, and a more muted brown coloration in females. Originally native to the western United States, these birds were introduced to the eastern states in the 1940s and have since become a common sight in cities and towns across the country.

House Finches are often seen in small flocks, foraging on the ground, or at bird feeders. They have a particular fondness for nyjer and sunflower seeds.

Male House Finches are known for their cheerful, warbling songs, which they use to attract mates and defend their territories.

9. Mourning Dove

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The Mourning Dove is a slender, medium-sized bird with a long tail, small head, and distinctive, cooing vocalizations. These birds are found in cities and towns across North America, where they are often seen perched on power lines or foraging on the ground.

Mourning Doves are primarily seed-eaters, feeding on various wild and cultivated seeds. They are also known for their strong pair bonds, with mated pairs often seen sitting close together on branches or wires.

In addition to their gentle cooing, Mourning Doves are known for their acrobatic flight displays, which involve steep ascents and rapid, fluttering descents.

10. American Crow

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The American Crow is a large, intelligent bird with glossy black plumage and a distinctive, cawing call. These birds are found in cities and towns across North America, where they are known for their adaptability, social behavior, and problem-solving skills.

American Crows are omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of foods, from seeds and fruits to insects, small animals, and even garbage. They are highly social birds, often forming large flocks and communal roosts.

American Crows are also known for their remarkable intelligence, with the ability to use tools, recognize human faces, and even learn from one another.

11. Chimney Swift

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The Chimney Swift is a small, sleek bird with long, curved wings and a short, stubby tail. These birds are found in cities and towns across eastern North America, where they are known for their aerial acrobatics and their habit of roosting and nesting in chimneys.

Chimney Swifts spend most of their time in flight, catching insects on the wing with their wide, gaping mouths. They are particularly active at dusk, when they can be seen swirling and diving in large flocks above the rooftops.

Chimney Swifts are migratory birds, spending the winter months in South America before returning to North America to breed in the spring.

12. Peregrine Falcon

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The Peregrine Falcon is a large, powerful raptor with a dark blue-gray back, barred underparts, and a distinctive black hood. These birds have adapted to life in cities, where they nest on tall buildings and hunt pigeons and other urban birds.

Peregrine Falcons are known for their incredible speed and agility, reaching speeds of over 200 miles per hour during their spectacular hunting dives. They have made a remarkable recovery from the brink of extinction due to the effects of DDT in the mid-20th century,(ref) and are now a symbol of urban wildlife conservation.

The birds that call our cities home are a diverse and fascinating bunch. By taking the time to observe and appreciate these feathered urbanites, we can gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world that exists right outside our windows.

Source:

  1. United Nations
nancy
Author & Editor | + posts

Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.