Have you ever thought about what kind of birds live at the back of your homes in Maine? Do you require assistance as to how to identify the most popular species of birds that visit your backyard in Maine so that you can feed them, and coexist as part of one large community?
It’s a wonderful experience to put your bird feeders in the air and observe the birds who visit however it’s much more satisfying when you know what they’re called.
This article will look at the most popular backyard birds of Maine, especially birds that live near to home. First, let’s take an understanding of the best way to identify birds in Maine.
Additionally, you can download our free bird images to assist you in bird identification and also to keep an eye on the birds that frequent your backyard.
- Song Sparrow
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Robin
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Common Yellowthroat
- Mourning Dove
- Blue Jay
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Downy Woodpecker
- Northern Cardinal
- Tufted Titmouse
- Cedar Waxwing
- Gray Catbird
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Chipping Sparrow
- Common Grackle
- Eastern Phoebe
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- European Starling
1. Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
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Song sparrows aren’t so impressive as other backyard birds, however, the brown-streaked birds rely on their song almost continuously to draw mates during the spring and summer months.
They are often located in open, shady, and wet areas, usually perched on low tree singing. They are typically found near backyard feeders.
You can draw additional song sparrows and birds at your feeders in the backyard by adding sunflower seeds that are black in oil-cracking corn, Nyjer on feeders with platforms.
2. American Crow
American Crow
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American Crows are massive all-black birds that make the sound of a cawing, hoarse. They are widespread birds that can be seen in all habitats such as treetops, forests beaches, fields, or in towns.
They eat almost everything and generally feed on earthworms and insects that eat earthworms seeds, fruits, and seeds.
You can lure more American Crows into your backyard with the scattering of peanuts.
3. American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
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American Goldfinches are popular birds with males who have bright black and bright yellow coloration in the spring. Females are dark brown, as are males in winter.
To draw additional American Goldfinches to your backyard Try planting milkweed and thistles. They are frequent visitors to bird feeders, and they will prefer sunflower seeds and nyjer seeds.
4. American Robin
American Robin
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The American Robin is a frequent sight on lawns, eating earthworms. They are black-headed and backs, with orange or redbreasts. They are known to nest in the trees during winter, so it is more likely that you will find them in your backyard in spring.
They consume sunflower seeds as well as suet, peanut hearts, fruits, and mealworms. Platform feeders are ideal for food that is scattered in the dirt.
5. Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
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The Black-capped Chickadee is an adorable bird with a round head and a tiny body. They will happily eat at backyard feeders and explore everything, including the human!
They sport black-capped beaks and black-caps as well as white cheeks. They have a gray back as well as wings and tails.
To draw more Black-capped Chickadees, you can try Suet, sunflower seeds and peanuts, or peanut butter. They may even feed off your hands.
6. Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroats are tiny songbirds with brownish on the back, and bright yellow under and have long tails. Males wear black masks across their faces. The yellow’s intensity will vary by location, and they might be lighter under the skin in certain areas.
They reproduce throughout North America and so can be found during spring and summer, usually in wetland or marshy areas as well as in fields of brush in thick, tangled plants.
They are primarily a dietary source of insects and are often frequent visitors to large backyards which are surrounded by thick plants.
7. Mourning Dove
Morning Dove
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Mourning Doves are beautiful tiny-headed birds with large bodies with long tails. They’re a light brown, with black spots on their wings.
They can be seen perched on telephone wires or foraging in the dirt for seeds.
It is possible to attract additional Mourning Doves in your yard by scattering millet over the ground or in platform feeders. They also consume the seeds of black sunflower, Nyjer crack corn, peanut hearts.
8. Blue Jay
Blue Jay
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Blue Jays generally are songbirds that have blue upright crests with black and blue backs as well as white undersides. They can be loud birds that move in families, eating acorns, if they are available.
To draw additional Blue Jays try peanuts, suet, sunflower seeds however they prefer them feeders on trays or hopper feeders that are mounted on posts. They also like an outdoor birdbath.
9. White-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
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White-breasted Nuthatches are lively birds that have gray-blue markings on the back, white on the belly and face, and have black caps.
They cram huge nuts and acorns in tree bark before whacking them with bills to break them open or “hatch” them to take the seed out.
It is possible to attract more white-breasted nuthatches to your garden by planting sunflower seeds and peanuts in Suet or tube feeders.
10. Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
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Downy Woodpeckers are tiny birds that are often seen in backyard feeders. They are usually paired with other birds like nuthatches and chickadees.
They have black and white colors, and an orange patch on the rear of their heads. They resemble their cousins, the Hairy Woodpecker.
To draw additional Downy Woodpeckers in your yard Try suet feeders, but they are also known to eat black millet, sunflower seeds in oil, millet, and peanuts that are on platforms.
11. Northern Cardinal
Nothern_Cardinal_(Redbird)
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The bright male Northern Cardinal with black around their faces is an amazing picture, especially when viewed in winter when the background is white. Females are also quite dazzling with their brown coloring and sharp brown crest red highlights as well as red-colored beaks.
Northern Cardinals will sometimes attack their reflections during the breeding season when they are compelled to protect their territory.
It is possible to attract many more Northern Cardinals to backyard feeders by using sunflower seeds, peanut heart millet, milo.
They feed off big tubes, feeders, and platforms feeders, or food scattered over the ground.
There’s an amazing number of red-headed birds in Maine to be spotted.
12. Tufted Titmouse
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Tufted Titmouse Tufted Titmouse appears gray at the rear, and white beneath with a cute gray crest and big eyes that frequently are a favorite of chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers.
They may be aggressive over smaller birds and can be frequently seen in parks, woodlands, and backyard feeders.
It is possible to attract Tufted Titmice to your backyard food sources by placing sunflower seeds and suet and peanuts placed on suet cages or tube feeders. They also feed on platforms for feeding.
13. Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
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Cedar Waxwings are beautiful social birds. They are light brown on the chest, head, and crest. It turns grey on their back the tail and wings.
The belly of the bird is pale yellow and bright yellow on their tips. They wear a thin black mask that covers their eyes. They also have bright red on their wingtips.
They live all-time in northern states, and during the winter months in the south. They have a high-pitched chirp and are often found in berry bushes in woods and streams.
To draw Cedar Waxwings into your yard, plant native trees and shrubs with small fruits, such as dogwood, serviceberry winterberry, and hawthorn. Try fruit in feeders on platforms.
14. Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird
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Gray Catbirds are so named due to their unique catty mew song that can last as long as 10 minutes.
They are medium-sized songbirds that have gray-slate coloring with black tails and caps as well as reddish patches under their tails.
You can find Gray Catbirds in dense shrubs or small trees in hedgerows and along edges of the forest.
It is possible to attract even more Gray Catbirds to your backyard feeders by planting fruit plants or trees like winterberry, dogwood, and serviceberry.
15. Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbirds
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The red-winged blackbird is very widespread and easy to recognize due to its all-black color, except for the bright yellow and bright red shoulder patches. Females tend to be dull in comparison to the streaky brown coloring.
They are frequently seen in the vicinity of telephone wires. males will fiercely defend their territory during the breeding season and even attack people who get close enough to nests. In winter, they will roost in huge numbers, reaching millions.
To attract more red-winged blackbirds to your yard, try mixing seeds and grain spread on the ground. They take advantage of large feeder tubes as well as platforms feeders.
The blackbird-wingednged wings are used to identify it.
16. Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrows are slim long-tailed birds with greyish-brown bellies and black-streaked backs. They also have an unrusty crown as well as a black line of their eyes. In winter, their shades are more muted.
Breeding across a large portion of North America and Canada then traveling towards Mexico in Florida or further south, they are there all the time.
They are seen in small groups on the open ground. They are known to visit backyards to feed on various kinds of birdseed seed.
17. Common Grackle
Common Grackle
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It is also known as the Common Grackle is a blackbird that is larger and more tail than the typical blackbird, and has a shiny Iridescent body.
They eat a variety of crops, but they mostly eat corn. They form noisy groups high in the trees.
It is possible to attract even more Common Grackles to your backyard by using the majority of mixed seeds and mixed grains sprinkled over the ground or placed on platforms feeders.
18. Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
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Eastern Phoebes are large songbirds with a grayish-brown back and whitish beneath, with a dark head.
They usually are by themselves, and not in flocks or pairs, in quiet woods, waving their tails from perches on low perches.
They usually build nests on barns, bridges, or houses, creating an edifice out of grass and mud. They may be attracted by your backyard by nest boxes.
19. Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
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Red-breasted Nuthatches are found throughout the year throughout the Northern states and even Canada but they could move to the south during winter if cone crops are not as good.
They’re blue-gray birds with white and black stripes on their heads and a rusty underside.
Red-breasted Nuthatches are found in coniferous woodlands, where they hunt in search of cones. They also frequent backyard feeders.
You can draw more red-breasted nuthatches to your garden with sunflower seeds that are black in oil suet feeders and mealworms.
20. European Starling
European Starling
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European Starlings are not native but they are among the largest songbirds. They are large, black birds with iridescent green, purple and blue tones.
They are considered to be a nuisance by some because of their aggressive nature, These birds fly in huge crowds of noise and are seen perched on treetops or flying in flocks over fields.
It is possible to attract additional European Starlings to your garden feeders by using sunflower seeds that are black-oil suet, cracked corn, and peanuts.
Maine Landscape and Birding Seasons
A bird-friendly landscape is one with a few crucial habitat elements, including plenty of food and water and adequate sites for nesting and protection from harsh weather. Since Maine can provide all that, it is an ideal habitat for year-round birding. It is divided into six regions, including:
- Interior and southern Maine, rich in forests, wetlands, and lakes ideal for Maine water bird watching.
- Northern Maine, a sparsely populated region, is a favorite area for breeding birds and Neotropical migrants.
- The climate in the Western mountains is harsh, but the most sought species live here.
- You can find wide bird diversity on the Southwest coast sand beaches, marshes, and saltmarsh estuaries.
- Midcoast includes island bays and rocky peninsulas attractive to numerous bird species, including vagrant migrants.
- Downeast is a region with a unique boreal character that offers the most opportunities for birding in Maine.
Birders can birdwatch in Maine during three different periods during the year. The spring birding season starts in April when migrants like ducks, finches, and hawks arrive in Southern Maine.
From May to mid-June is the summer season, when you can see 140 species in southern and 125 in eastern and central state parts. Hawks will be the first to migrate at the end of the season in September, followed by sea ducks. Species breeding in Canada comes to Maine in November.
Maine Birding Hotspots
Maine is rich in breathtaking bird hotspots where you can enjoy birding and photographing birds, but there is a list of the most popular ones. The list includes:
- Monhegan Island
- Rachel Carson NWR – Timber Point Trail
- Biddeford Pool – East Point Sanctuary
- Stratton Island
- Fort Foster Park, Kittery
- Scarborough Marsh-Eastern Rd.
1. Monhegan Island
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Monhegan Island is a small, 1.6-mile-long (2.6-kilometer) island 11 miles (18 kilometers) off the shore. It’s best to go in the spring and autumn when it’s teeming with resident species and all of the eastern United States’ migratory birds. It’s also known for having a large number of rare birds.
2. Biddeford Pool – East Point Sanctuary
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East Point Sanctuary, managed by Maine Audubon, is a well-known 27-acre (11-hectare) site on Saco Bay’s south end. It is regarded as the top birdwatching location in the state. From fall to spring, you can witness 260 different bird species, including ducks, shorebirds, and wading birds.
3. Stratton Island
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The most diverse waterbird population is found on small Stratton Island, which is truly unique. Several endangered bird species, such as herons and wading birds, nest among the tall shrubs in this location. A tern colony with about 120 Roseate Terns and 1,900 Common Tern pairs can also be found.
4. Rachel Carson NWR – Timber Point Trail
Timber Point, at the mouth of the Little River, is a haven for shorebirds, waterfowl, sparrows, raptors, and early migrants, including forest, salt marsh, freshwater swamp, and rocky shoreline. The American Bald Eagle, Northern Harriers, and a variety of hawks, ducks, and loons are among the endangered species seen here.
5. Fort Foster Park, Kittery
The Birding Trail in Maine ends at Fort Foster on Gerrish Island, at the southernmost point. Birders flock here because of the diversified ecosystem, which spans about 100 acres (40.5 hectares) and is home to 90 different bird species, including seabirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, woodpeckers, sparrows, and owls. On the pier, there is a platform where you may watch migrating songbirds.
6. Scarborough Marsh-Eastern Rd.
Scarborough Marsh is Maine’s largest salt marsh, covering 3,100 acres (1,254.5 hectares) and offering year-round birding opportunities. Here you can see a variety of wading birds and waterfowl flocks. Hawks visit this unique location regularly in the winter, but seeing rare Snowy Owls requires chance.
FAQs
What kind of birds live in Maine?
According to the official Maine bird list, there are 464 confirmed bird species, including 136 rare or accidental species, five introduced and already established species and four finally extinct species.
How many species of birds are there in Maine?
Many of 292 Maine wild birds occur statewide, but you need to check specific habitats during particular seasons when it comes to migrant species.
How do you find out what bird I saw?
You should install the Merlin Bird Photo ID if you have Android and take a picture, and this free iOS app will identify the bird immediately.
What is the biggest bird in Maine?
Albatrosses with the largest wingspans among birds are occasionally seen in Maine, but you can also find Bald Eagle, the largest, and Wild Turkey, the heaviest bird in this state.
Are there falcons in Maine?
Among other Maine birds of prey, you can often spot Peregrine falcon, American Kestrel, and Merlin, but also accidental species, such as Crested Caracara and Gyrfalcon.
What birds stay in Maine in the winter?
If you prefer watching Maine winter birds, you should look for American Crow, American Robin, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Chickadee, Cowbird, Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, and Purple Finch.
Are there pelicans in Maine?
You can see two species of these large water birds with a recognizable pouch under the beak in Maine, including Brown Pelican and American White Pelican.
Where are the puffins in Maine?
The Eastern Egg Rock, Matinicus Rock, Seal Island, Petit Manan Island, and Machias Seal Island attract about 4,000 puffins each year to spend the summer on the shore.