Ontario Backyard Bird ID 101-1

Who is visiting your back yard? Find out with this list, broken down into five parts with five birds per article.

Whether you have a bird feeder or not you have likely asked yourself, “What bird is that?” Maybe this list will be helpful! Visiting species will be dependent on the types of bird feeders (platform, tube, suet) you use, range of the species, time of year, and available habitat nearby. This series of articles includes abundant backyard birds that frequently use feeders in Ontario, listed alphabetically. I listed only the most common calls and some of the key id features. The similar species only apply to other birds within Ontario as many birds have look-alikes in different regions.

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

An all-black bird with glossy plumage. About twice the size of a blue jay but smaller than a common raven. Notice the short, squared tail and curved beak. A flock of crows is known as a murder. They are highly intelligent and opportunistic and will chase away larger birds such as hawks and owls.

Common Call: Usually a hoarse cawing.

Similar Species: Common Raven (Ravens are larger and make a croaking sound).

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

Goldfinches are roughly sparrow-sized. This species is sexually dimorphic, which means the males look different than the females. This difference is most prominent during the breeding season. Males have black foreheads, yellow bodies with black wings tipped in white. Females look drabber with beige bodies.

Common Call: po-ta-to-chip is common during flight or tee-yee for males seeking mates.

Similar Species: Evening Grosbeak (Grosbeaks are larger with heftier beaks).

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

If you haven’t figured out how to ID this little cutie you have a lot of practice ahead of you! But don’t be discouraged. Birding takes practice—recognizing plumage, shape, size, and behaviour can all help with identification. There are as many as 296 different species of birds in Ontario alone!

Common Call: chick-a-dee-dee-dee, cheese-burger

Similar Species: None within Ontario.

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Another iconic species characterized by various shades of blue on their wings and a black “necklace”. Similar to Northern cardinals they have a feathered crest on their heads that may be raised upwards in a cone shape.

Common Call: A loud jeering sound but they can mimic other sounds.

Similar Species: None within Ontario.

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

This is a brown bird about the size of a robin with a more slender shape and dark streaking on the chest. Notice the tail, beak, and legs are longer than a robins would be. Tails will often be cocked upwards. Beaks are usually black while legs are pale.

Common Call: A smacking kiss sound.

Similar Species: Wood thrush (A side by side comparison will reveal the wood thrush has a shorter beak and tail with a spotted belly).

Learn More

To learn about more birds (and other things) check out my other articles! And to learn even more about birds check out All About Birds or consider downloading the iBird App on your phone. There are also numerous bird guides and other resources available such as The Sibley Guide to Birds: Second Edition which is written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley.

Photos were sourced from All About Birds.

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Written by Kelsey Reich on February 11/2021 in Ontario.