Top 20 Most Common Backyard Birds In British Columbia

Top 20 Most Common Backyard Birds In British Columbia

Putting up bird feeders and watching what comes to visit is a lot of fun, but it’s even more fun if you know who they are and can identify birds in your backyard. Now you may learn about the most popular birds that visit your feeders or hop across your yard in British Columbia. Before you go birding in BC, know that:

• The Stellar’s Jay is British Columbia’s provincial bird.
• In British Columbia, 516 different bird species have been identified.
• The Bald Eagle is the largest bird in British Columbia.
• The Calliope Hummingbird is British Columbia’s tiniest bird.
• The American Robin is the most frequent bird in British Columbia.
• 7 National Parks, 4 National Forests, 6 National Wildlife Areas, 7 Migratory Bird Sanctuary, and 31 Wildlife Management Areas in British Columbia provide excellent chances for bird watching.
• In British Columbia, Swainson’s Thrush and Cedar Waxwing are more numerous in the summer, while Dark-eyed Junco and Anna’s Hummingbirds are more prevalent in the winter.

So if you’re ready to do some backyard birding then read on to find out how to identify birds of Canada in British Columbia and how to attract more birds to your yard.

1. American Robin
2. Song Sparrow
3. Northern Flicker
4. Dark-eyed Junco
5. Northwestern Crow
6. Spotted Towhee
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Swainson’s Thrush
9. Golden-crowned Sparrow
10. Cedar Waxwing
11. European Starling
12. Red-winged Blackbird
13. Barn Swallow
14. House Finch
15. Red-breasted Nuthatch
16. Anna’s Hummingbird
17. Chestnut-backed Chickadee
18. Pine Siskin
19. White-crowned Sparrow
20. Yellow-rumped Warbler

1. American Robin

American Robin

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American Robins, which consume earthworms, are a common sight on lawns. Their heads and backs are black, while their breasts are crimson or orange. Because they prefer to roost in trees during the winter, you’re more likely to see them in your backyard starting in the spring.

American Robins can be found in a variety of environments, including woods, forests, and mountains, as well as fields, parks, and lawns. Earthworms, insects, snails, and fruit are among their favorite foods.

Sunflower seeds, suet and peanut hearts, fruit, and mealworms can all be used to attract more American Robins to your yard. Platform feeders or food distributed on the ground are ideal. Plant juniper, sumac, hawthorn, and dogwood, are natural plants that produce berries.

2. Song Sparrow

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Song sparrows aren’t as noticeable as other backyard birds, but in the spring and summer, these primarily brown-streaked birds use their almost continual song to attract mates.

They are commonly perched on a low shrub singing in open, shrubby, and damp settings. They’re frequently seen at backyard feeders. Beetles, caterpillars, midges, spiders, and earthworms are among the insects and plants that Song Sparrows eat. Buckwheat, sunflower, raspberries, wild cherries, blackberries, wheat, and rice are among the foods they will eat.

Put black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and nyjer on platform feeders to attract more song sparrows to your backyard feeders.

3. Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker

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Northern Flickers are large woodpeckers with brownish coloring, black spots, bars, and crescents, and red on the neck, about the size of a robin or a crow. Eastern birds’ tails and wing feathers are bright yellows, while western birds’ are red.

In woods and forest margins, they can be spotted on the ground hunting for ants and beetles. Those that breed in Canada or Alaska move to the south, but they can be found throughout the lower 48 all year.

Suet and black oil sunflower seeds will attract more Northern Flickers to your garden feeders.

4. Dark-eyed Junco

Dark Eyed Junco

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Dark-eyed Juncos are sparrows that come in a variety of hues depending on where they are found. In the east, they are slate-colored, whereas, in the west, they are black, white, and brown.

They are abundant over the continent and can be found in open and slightly wooded areas, generally on the ground. Some people live in the Appalachian Mountains and the western US states all year. In the winter, those who breed in Canada and Alaska move south to the United States.

Black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, millet, and peanuts can all be used to attract additional Dark-eyed Juncos to backyard feeders. The ideal feeders are platform feeders or those that are dispersed on the ground.

5. Northwestern Crow

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Northwestern Crows are slightly smaller than regular American Crows, but their plumage and bill are the same.

They are frequently seen foraging along the shore near the water’s edge or other open places, mudflats, or river mouths in the Pacific Northwest. Crows in the Pacific Northwest eat crabs, clams, whelks, tiny fish, and other birds’ eggs. Northwest Crows can also be seen in residential areas, and they, like other crows, are opportunists who eat a variety of foods, including garbage.

6. Spotted Towhee

Eastern Towhee

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Spotted Towhees are large sparrows with black heads, throats, and backs in males and brown heads, throats, and backs in females. Males and females both have reddish-brown sides, white bellies, and white dots on their wings and backs. They are roughly the size of a Robin and have lengthy tails.

Scratching for insects such as beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, wasps, and bees, Spotted Towhees can be seen on the ground among dense tangles of plants. Acorns, berries, and seeds are also eaten by them.

They are native to the US Pacific coast and Vancouver Island, but they travel after breeding from southwest Canada and northern central US states, appearing in a swath from north to south across the central states in the winter.

If you allow overgrown borders in your yard, more Spotted Towhees will visit platform or ground feeders for Black Oil Sunflower seeds, Hulled Sunflower seeds, Cracked Corn, Millet, and Milo.

7. Black-capped Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee

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The Black-capped Chickadee has a small body and a large round head. These birds will happily eat from backyard feeders and will inspect everything, including you!

Their beaks and heads are black, their faces are white, and their backs, wings, and tails are gray. Forests, open woods, and parks are all good places to look for them. Seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and suet are eaten by black-capped chickadees.

Suet, sunflower seeds, and peanuts or peanut butter are all good ways to attract additional Black-capped Chickadees to your yard. They’ll even eat from your hand, and they’re usually the first to notice new feeders. They’ll use nest boxes as well, especially if they’re filled with wood shavings.

8. Swainson’s Thrush

Swainson’s Thrush

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Swainson’s Thrushes are medium-sized thrushes with spotted chests and brown backs on the underside.

During the breeding season, Swainson’s Thrushes can be seen foraging along the forest floor in leaf litter for insects and primarily red fruits such as blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, and sumac. Ants are also a part of their diet, and the nestlings will be given other insects.

Swainson’s Thrushes breed in Canada and Alaska before migrating to Central and South America for the winter. They are only observed in the lower 48 states during migration, in the spring and fall. Ground-level birdbaths and tree and shrub cover can help to attract more Swainson’s Thrushes to your yard.

9. Golden-crowned Sparrow

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Sparrows with golden crowns are grayish-brown on the underside and streaked brown on the back. Their heads have a brilliant yellow forehead and a black crown. The hues are duller in the winter, with brown on the crown and a duller yellow forehead.

Before traveling to the West Coast for the winter, they breed in Alaska and far western Canada. They can be found scraping for seeds such as dock, sumac, and geranium in weedy fields in the winter, and they also eat fruit such as apple, grape, elderberry, and olives. Ants, beetles, butterflies, and termites are among the insects that they consume.

Seeds in ground feeders or fruit-bearing native plants will help you attract more Golden-crowned Sparrows to your yard.

10. Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing

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Cedar Waxwings are graceful sociable birds with a light brown head, chest, and crest that fades to gray on the back, wings, and tail. The tip of their tail is bright yellow, and their belly is pastel yellow. Their eyes are hidden under a tight black mask, and their wingtips are blazing red.

They breed in Canada before migrating south for the winter. They spend the entire year in the northern states of the United States. They can be found in berry bushes, forests, and near streams, and have a high-pitched call.

Plant natural trees and shrubs wa ith small fruit, such as serviceberry, dogwood, juniper, winterberry, and hawthorn, to attract Cedar Waxwings to your yard. Fruit can also be used in platform feeders.

11. European Starling

European Starling

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European starlings are not native to the United States, yet they have become one of the most common songbirds. They’re stocky black birds with purple, green, and blue iridescent tones. Some consider these birds to be pests because of their aggressive demeanor. They can be found perched in groups on the tops of trees or flying over fields in flocks.

Beetles, flies, caterpillars, earthworms, and spiders are among the insects that starlings eat. Fruit such as cherries, holly berries, mulberries, Virginia Creeper, sumac, and blackberries, as well as grains and seeds, are consumed by them. Black oil sunflower seeds, suet, cracked corn, and peanuts can all be used to attract more European Starlings to your backyard feeders.

12. Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbirds

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The all-black plumage of red-winged blackbirds, save for the vivid red and yellow shoulder patches, makes them simple to distinguish. In comparison to the brown streaky coloring of the males, the females are quite drab.

They are frequently seen sitting on telephone wires, and during the breeding season, the males will fiercely protect their territory, even attacking individuals who come too close to nests. During the winter, they roost in enormous flocks, numbering in the millions. Spread mixed grain and seeds on the ground to attract more Red-winged blackbirds to your yard. They’ll eat enormous tube feeders or platform feeders as well.

13. Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

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Barn Swallows are small birds with a deep-blue back, wings and tail, and reddish-brown underneath and across the face. The tail has long outer feathers that give a deep fork. They breed over most of North America before heading to Central and South America. They can be found flying over meadows, farms, and fields looking for insects and usually build mud nests on man-made structures such as in barns.

You can attract more Barn Swallows by putting up nest boxes or cups and may eat ground-up eggshells on a platform feeder.

14. House Finch

House Finch

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Male House Finches have a red head and breast, while females have brown-streaked coloring. It was originally exclusively found in western states, but it was introduced to eastern states and has thrived, even displacing the Purple Finch.

Parks, farms, woodland margins, and backyard feeders are all good places to look for them. They graze on seeds, buds, and fruit such as thistle, cactus, cherries, apricots, plums, strawberries, blackberries, and figs, and can be found in noisy groups that are difficult to miss. Black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube feeders or platform feeders will attract more House Finches to backyard feeders.

15. Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

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Red-breasted Nuthatches spend the entire year in northeastern and western states, Alaska, and Canada, but if cone crops are poor in the winter, they may migrate south across North America. They have a reddish underbelly and a blue-gray body with black and white stripes on the head.

Red-breasted Nuthatches can be found scavenging for cones in coniferous woodlands, and they do come to backyard feeders. Black oil sunflower seeds, suet feeders, peanuts, and mealworms can all help to attract additional Red-breasted Nuthatches to your yard.

16. Anna’s Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

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Anna’s Hummingbirds are little birds with a green and gray color scheme. The female’s throat is grayish with traces of red spotting, while the male’s head and throat are iridescent reddish-pink.

Anna’s Hummingbirds are the most abundant hummingbird throughout the Pacific Coast, despite the fact that they do not migrate. During courting, the males climb up to 130 feet in the air before falling back to the earth with a burst of noise from their tail feathers.

During the spring, they can be seen near enormous colorful blossoms and frequently visit hummingbird feeders, which you can fill with homemade hummingbird food and which they may visit throughout the year.

17. Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadees are little birds with black and white heads, rich chestnut backs, gray wings, and gray bellies. They are common visitors to backyard feeders and reside in flocks in damp evergreen woods along the Pacific Coast. Caterpillars, spiders, wasps, and aphids make up the majority of their diet, with seeds, berries, and fruit accounting for the remainder.

Black-oil sunflower seeds, suet, nyjer, peanuts, or mealworms in tube feeders, platform feeders, or suet cages can all be used to attract Chestnut-backed Chickadees to your yard. They’ll also make use of nest boxes.

18. Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin

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Pine Siskins are tiny finches with brown wing and tail streaks and yellow wing and tail streaks. Their tail is forked, and their wings are pointed, with a short pointed bill.

Pine Siskins breed in Canada and can overwinter in most of the United States, but their migration is dependent on pine cone yields, so they may not travel in some years. Some birds spend the entire year in the west’s pine forests.

Pine Siskins eat seeds from conifers, but they also eat immature buds and seeds from grasses and weeds, as their name suggests. Thistle and nyjer feeders, as well as black oil sunflower seeds and suet, can attract Pine Siskins to backyards.

19. White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

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Large grey sparrows with long tails and small bills and striking black and white stripes on their heads, White-crowned Sparrows are large grayish sparrows with long tails and short bills.

They breed in Alaska and arctic Canada before migrating south for the winter to the lower 48 states and Mexico. Some may stay for the entire year along the Pacific Coast and west. White-crowned Sparrows forage for seeds of weeds and grasses, as well as fruit such as elderberries and blackberries, in weedy fields, along roadsides, woodland margins, and in yards.

Sunflower seeds and a variety of other seeds dropped by other birds at feeders will attract more White-crowned Sparrows to your yard.

20. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Yellow-rumped Warblers have a gray body with yellow flashes on the face, flanks, and rump, as well as white wings. Females are slightly browner than males, and winter birds are paler brown with bright yellow rumps and flanks, which turn bright yellow and gray in spring.

They migrate in vast numbers south after breeding mostly in Canada, over most of southern and central North America, the Pacific Coast, and throughout Mexico and Central America. Sunflower seeds, suet, raisins, and peanut butter can all be used to attract Yellow-rumped Warblers to your yard.