Spring time in New Hampshire means the sweet sounds of chickadees singing, the tulips popping out of the ground, warm weather, rain, and more. It means spending a lot of time outside before the bugs get bad (although those pesky mosquitos are out already, aren’t they?). If you’re not gardening or biking, maybe you’re looking for something fun to do in NH. Have you thought about birding?
Bird watching, or birding, is the act of looking to spot birds. While a lot of people just look at the robins on their front lawns, others may set up specific bird feeders to watch birds come and go. But there are all kinds of birds native to NH that can be interesting and fun to spot. Some birds are even region specific, so when you travel across NH, you can see some of these birds.
Let’s get to know a few fun and easy birds to spot.
Common & Easy to Spot Birds
Canada Goose, Branta hutchinsii
One of the easiest geese to spot. Usually they’re making a mess along beach areas or being loud and obtrusive overhead.
Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura
A “hoo hoo hoo” sound emits from this bird, and they’re often seen in mated pairs. They look sort of like grey pigeons. You may be familiar with them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDYXr8YjECs
Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapilla
Most commonly known from its “cheeseburger” call, you’ll hear these guys singing all spring long!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buOzYlVxIPg
European starling, Sturnus vulgaris
Speckled feathers makes this bird easy to spot. Would you believe it was actually brought over from Europe?
Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
Easy to spot from the bright, vibrant, fiery colors on the wing of this blackbird.
Northern Cardinal, Carindalis cardinalis
Bright red males and brownish females, these are usually super easy to spot amongst the bright green scenery surrounding it. When they mate, they feed each other seeds beak to beak!
Rare Birds
Snowy Owl, Bubo scandiacus
A bird with white and black feathers. Males are almost entirely white, and because they’re nocturnal, they can be increasingly difficult to spot.
Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos
A brown eagle that is often used in falconry. It is dark brown and has large, sprawling wings. It has a high pitched chirping call that you may have heard before.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris
A bottle-green hummingbird with bright red feathers on the throat, this one is hard to spot because of how quickly they come and go. You can attract them with hummingbird feeders, of course.
Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus
A black and white bird with a red head, that commonly looks like Woody the Woodpecker.
You can learn more about rare NH birds on the NH Audubon website. Spotted some cool birds? Let us know in the comments below!
