California is a vast state that encompasses numerous habitats. That is why it also carries within itself a wide array of bird species. In this article, we will talk about the most common backyard birds of California and discuss the seasonal component of the species. Winters are pretty mild in California, making it a home to many of the bird species. Apart from this, many other birds make their way to California in the winter season. Here are some of the most common
backyard birds of California.
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House Finch
House Finch is one of the most common backyard birds in California. Although the state is also home to some other red finches, House Finch is the only one that takes the top spot due to its presence in the residential areas. House Finches are almost 6 inches in size and are larger than goldfinches. These birds have round heads while their bills are pretty short and conical in shape. The upper parts of these birds are brown and grey with streaks, while the underparts are pale. The male species are known to have red crowns and, in some cases, orange crowns, chests, and rumps.
Mostly these birds appear in the form of small flocks that can be seen sitting on the wires, treetops, and bushes. House Finches are melodious birds while they rely on the consumption of sunflower seeds and tube feeders. These birds can also eat from thistle socks.
Black Phoebe
Black Phoebe is the second most appearing bird in California. These birds are medium in size are identical in size to that of white-crowned sparrows and Eastern Towhee. These birds have big peaked heads while having long slender tails and pot bellies. The bills of these birds are straight and quite wide. The upper and lower parts of these birds are sooty black, while their bellies are white. These birds are mostly found near the water and in grassy backyards. Black
Phoebe builds its nests from muds on the porches or outbuildings. These birds mostly do aerial pursuits and rely on eating insects. These birds usually don’t eat at the bird feeders, but they will need your birdbath to make their nests.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird is found everywhere where there are people. It is also quite common in California while being popular for its melodious voice and singing. These birds are larger than other typical hummingbirds of America. Anna’s Hummingbird is quite smaller than the goldfinch. The shape of Anna’s Hummingbird is quite plump while its wings cover all of its body up to the tail. It has a bill that is longer than its head is quite round, down-curved, and wide.
The color of these birds comprises green upperparts, while the underparts comprise greenish casts on the sides. The head and throat of male Anna’s Hummingbird are metallic rose pink while the females have pink throats. These birds are found in open woods and gardens. Anna’s Hummingbird feeds mostly on the nectars of flowers and small insects. However, these birds also, tend towards bird feeders and are immediately attracted to the feeders with sugary water.
American Crow
The American Crow is the largest blackbird species that are present in California. These are popular in California because of their infamous cawing. These birds are almost 17 inches tall from the bill to the tail. Although the size varies in the species as some of the American Crows are smaller. These birds are smaller than black ravens. American crows have relatively thicker necks, with larger heads and smaller tails. The bills of these birds are almost longer than their heads and are thick and black. The color of American crows is glossy black.
The preferred habitat of American Crows is open areas, but can also be seen in the trees, fields, city sides, and farms. These birds travel in large flocks, while their numbers can go into thousands while traveling. American Crows are omnivorous; hence they rely on eating large insects, small grains, carrions, and small mammals. You don’t want flocks of these in your backyard. That is why you don’t try to feed table scraps to these birds.
Mourning Dove
Mourning Doves are some of the most frequent and widespread species of bird found in almost 48 states of the United States. That is why their observational frequency sums up to 34%. Mourning Doves are nearly 12 inches tall from the tip to the tail. These birds are somewhat similar in size to that of the Northern Flicker but are considerably larger than American Robin. The shape of these birds is very plump and has a small but rounded head. Mourning Doves have long pointed tails while having short legs. The bills of Mourning Doves are pretty small and slender.
Mourning Doves have a pink body, darker shade of wings and tail, while their tails have white edges. These birds are commonly found in half-open areas such as woods and farmlands but are typically seen sitting on wires and fences. Mourning Doves are present in every part of California, and they make a mournful cooing sound while sitting somewhere. These birds exclusively eat sunflowers seeds, but their food choice isn’t only limited to these. Mourning
Doves also enjoy eating from tray feeders and the ground.
California Scrub-Jay
California Scrub-Jay is one of the loudest and noisy birds that is present in California. The size of this bird is similar to that of American Robin and Northern Mockingbird. These birds are slightly larger than European Starlings while more petite than a Mourning Dove. The shape of the California Scrub-Jay comprises a strong body with a thick neck and a big bulgy head. California Scrub-Jay boasts about their long legs and full feathery tail. The bill of California Scrub-Jay is long and curved, while the bird has blue upperparts and white underparts. California Scrub-Jays have a black bill and its wings and back are greyish-brown in color.
They are mainly found in Oak Woodlands and residential areas. In California, these birds are primarily found in the high mountains and the western deserts. California Scrub-Jays are omnivorous as they rely on eating small insects and animals but aren’t limited to these. Apart from this, they eat bird eggs and berries too. These birds are known to harass other birds at the feeders while they eat large quantities of sunflower seeds and peanuts. That is why most people put wired cages on the top of their hoppers and tube feeders to keep these birds out of their territory; hence making it easier for smaller birds to eat.
White-crowned Sparrow
The White-crowned Sparrow is most commonly found in California during the severe winter season. It makes its home near the coast of the sea or higher in the mountains. It is almost seven inches in size, making it bigger than a house finch and smaller than a starling. Apart from this, the shape of a White-crowned Sparrow encompasses a long body with a round head and a relatively long tail, while the bill of the bird is quite conical and small. White-crowned Sparrow has a brown back with grey underparts. The crown of the White-crowned Sparrow is made up of white and black stripes. They make their nests in the open and in shrubs. These birds are known to sing during the migration seasons. These birds rely on weed seeds, grains, and insects. Apart from this, they also love eating from feeders and eat sunflower seeds too.
In Conclusion
These are some of the most common birds that are found in the state of California. There are some other birds such as European Starling, California Towhee, Lesser Goldfinch, and Yellow-rumped Warbler, which are widely seen in California too. Apart from these, numerous other birds are quite popular because of their physical features and melodious voices.
