The Field Guide
Ten birds to begin with
Common companions of North American backyards, parks, and woodlands. Start here, and the sky will quickly start to feel less empty.
10 in / 25 cm
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
A rusty orange chest and the head-tilt-and-listen pose on the lawn.
Lawns, parks, woodland edges
8.5 in / 22 cm
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
A scarlet flash and a sharp metallic chip from a dense shrub.
Backyards, woodland edges, thickets
11 in / 28 cm
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Loud jay! jay! and a bouncy crested silhouette.
Oak woodlands, suburbs
5 in / 13 cm
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
A chickadee-dee-dee call where the number of dees signals danger.
Mixed forests, backyards
5 in / 13 cm
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Bright lemon yellow in summer, riding the air in deep undulating dips.
Weedy fields, backyards, gardens
12 in / 30 cm
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
A soft, sad coo-OO-oo at dawn — easily mistaken for an owl.
Open country, towns, farmland
6.5 in / 17 cm
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
A small black-and-white woodpecker tapping methodically up a slim branch.
Woodlands, parks, backyards
3.5 in / 9 cm
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
A tiny green helicopter and the audible hum of 50 wingbeats per second.
Gardens, woodland edges
4 ft / 1.2 m
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
A statue of patience at the water's edge, then a sudden lightning strike.
Marshes, ponds, shorelines
20 in / 51 cm
Barred Owl
Strix varia
A haunting Who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all from the deep woods at dusk.
Mature forests, swamps
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