Birds in New Jersey

Most people wouldn’t think of birds in New Jersey when planning their bird watching trip. After all, what could a state so densely populated and filled with tourists, suburbs, and a crazy number of factories offer in terms of birds? A lot actually, for New Jersey has enough habitat that most people don’t pay attention to unless you’re a seasoned bird watcher.

What Is the State Bird Of New Jersey?

It was in 1935 that Eastern Goldfinch became New Jersey’s state bird. Iowa and Washington have also given the species the same status. Similar to what the name would suggest, the male of the species has a bright yellow body with tail and wings that are black in color. The yellow color is a bit dull in the female species. The tail and wings are also dark brown instead.

What Are The Top Spots To Go Bird Watching In New Jersey?

Any birdwatcher would agree that Island Beach State Park is one of the best birding sites to find birds in New Jersey. In a park with marsh, woodlands, and at least 10 miles of dunes, birds find this spot perfect for nesting and migrating during the season. Scoters, Great Cormorant, Northern Gannet can be seen here during spring. Saltmarsh Sparrow, American Oystercatcher, Black Skimmer are summer visitors.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a place where visitors get to learn its history and enjoy recreational activities. The nesting birds here are quite famous, such as Hermit Thrush, Blackburnian Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush.

About 10 miles north of Atlantic City resides Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge whose three-fourth part is covered with the salt marsh. Hailed as one of the best in the Atlantic coastal area, it has been home to Ibises, Roseate Spoonbill, and 16 different species of Heron from time to time.

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How Many Birds Can You See In  New Jersey?

New Jersey is quite a good state to visit for birdwatchers with its count of 474 species. A dedicated birder can spot 433 species in Cape May County alone. Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cumberland are also good places to visit, with their count of 395, 387, 376, and 342 respectively.

Cape Island is definitely a favorite among bird watchers with 366 species spotted in total in the area. Two other loved hotspots are Sandy Hook and Edwin B. Forsythe NWR with a count of 361 and 321.

Top Birds To See In New Jersey

The first thing that comes to mind when you see a Cedar Waxwing is how pretty it is. And it is undeniably so, with its brown-gray body, black bill with a whitish tinge and a contrasting lemon-yellow bordering the wings.

The appearance of a Gray Catbird is photo-worthy with its light gray shade color. But its the call of the bird among the birds in New Jersey that any birdwatcher would remember for the rest of their life. If you ever hear the bird call, fair warning- it is the bird calling and not a cat. Because yes, as the name suggests, Gray Catbird’s call sounds like that of a cat!

Common Birds To See In New Jersey

Who hasn’t seen a Seagull in Jersey city at least once? House sparrows and woodpeckers are also just as common. Newark and Atlantic city also witnesses a good amount of seagulls, along with European Starling and Cliff Swallows.

Tufted Titmouse, Robin, and American Goldfinch are common as well. You are quite likely to see them in your backyard in any of these cities.

Final Thoughts

If you visit New Jersey with the sole purpose of birdwatching, you would come across places you had no idea existed in the state. The cities allow you to look at plenty of wonderful birds as it is. However, the hidden natural areas are another story, one worth exploring for birding in New Jersey.