Topic
Seasonal Birdwatching
Birds change with the seasons, and so does the best way to watch them. Spring brings song, color and returning migrants. Summer is nesting time, when birds are busy and often quiet. Fall brings movement again, with flocks and hawks heading south. Winter concentrates birds around food and open water, and can bring visitors from the north. The calendar is not exact. Timing shifts with latitude, elevation, weather and the year, so use dates as rough guides and check local reports. This hub connects the main tools and guides for seasonal planning. The guide on birdwatching through the seasons explains what to expect and how to adapt, while the seasonal calendar shows which birds are around in each season and region. For the bigger picture of movement, read about migration. Each regional guide also offers a season-by-season summary. Whatever the season, the same habits help: go early, move slowly, listen first, keep your distance from nests and flocks, and respect closures. Every season offers something new, even in the same familiar park.
Guides
Tools
By season
Presence varies. Bird presence and timing change with location, weather, habitat and migration. Treat this page as a starting point, then check recent local sightings (for example on eBird) before you go.
Spring
30 species in our library can be found in spring in at least one region.
American Goldfinch American Robin Anna’s Hummingbird Bald Eagle Barn Swallow Belted Kingfisher Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay Brown Pelican Canada Goose Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Horned Owl Greater Roadrunner House Finch Mallard Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Osprey Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sandhill Crane Song Sparrow Steller’s Jay Western Meadowlark White-breasted Nuthatch
Summer
30 species in our library can be found in summer in at least one region.
American Goldfinch American Robin Anna’s Hummingbird Bald Eagle Barn Swallow Belted Kingfisher Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay Brown Pelican Canada Goose Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Horned Owl Greater Roadrunner House Finch Mallard Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Osprey Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sandhill Crane Song Sparrow Steller’s Jay Western Meadowlark White-breasted Nuthatch
Fall
30 species in our library can be found in fall in at least one region.
American Goldfinch American Robin Anna’s Hummingbird Bald Eagle Barn Swallow Belted Kingfisher Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay Brown Pelican Canada Goose Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Horned Owl Greater Roadrunner House Finch Mallard Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Osprey Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sandhill Crane Song Sparrow Steller’s Jay Western Meadowlark White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter
28 species in our library can be found in winter in at least one region.
American Goldfinch American Robin Anna’s Hummingbird Bald Eagle Belted Kingfisher Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay Brown Pelican Canada Goose Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Horned Owl Greater Roadrunner House Finch Mallard Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Osprey Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Sandhill Crane Song Sparrow Steller’s Jay Western Meadowlark White-breasted Nuthatch