Here are suggested lists of forty common species for the east coast, mid west and west coast. You'll have to adjust them
for your locale. Most are commonly seen, but some are also chosen to illustrate different families or easy to recognize calls.
You'll have to tweak them for the season or specific habit in which you'll run the class.
If you don't have a local checklist to start from, check www.ebird.org. This website will make lists of common species
for your area.
www.eBird.org
East Coast Beginner Birds
Double Crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Mute Swan Canada Goose Mallard Turkey Vulture
Osprey Bald Eagle Sharp-Shinned Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Wild Turkey
Killdeer Sanderling Laughing Gull Herring Gull Common Tern Rock Dove Mourning Dove Great Horned
Owl Eastern Screech Owl Downy Woodpecker Red-Bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Tree Swallow Blue
Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Eastern Bluebird American Robin Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird Red-Eyed Vireo Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Mockingbird Northern Cardinal White-Throated
sparrow Song Sparrow Dark-Eyed Junco Red-Winged Blackbird Common Grackle House Finch American Goldfinch
House Sparrow European Starling
Mid-West Beginner Birds
Here's a list for the Mid West:
Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Great Horned Owl (evening, early morning)
Barred Owl (evening, early morning)
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Northern (Yellow-shafted) Flicker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Common Crow
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Brown-headed Cowbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Eastern Meadowlark
Starling
House (English) Sparrow
[Eurasian Tree Sparrow is possible.]
Cardinal
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Wood Duck
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Killdeer
Turkey Vulture
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Common Nighthawk
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Pewee
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Chimney Swift
House Wren
Brown Thrasher
Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern (Baltimore) Oriole
Indigo Bunting
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Chipping Sparrow
West Coast Beginner Birds
Here's a list for the mid Pacific Coast, developed by Jay Withgott
Pacific Loon |
Western
Grebe |
Brown
Pelican |
Double-crested
Cormorant |
Brandt's
Cormorant |
Mallard |
Surf Scoter
|
Red-shouldered
Hawk |
Red-tailed
Hawk |
California
Quail |
American
Coot |
Killdeer |
Black-necked
Stilt |
American
Avocet |
Willet |
Marbled
Godwit |
Western
Sandpiper |
Least
Sandpiper |
Heermann's
Gull |
California
Gull |
Western
Gull |
Glaucous-winged
Gull |
Forster's
Tern |
Rock Dove
|
Mourning
Dove |
Anna's
Hummingbird |
Black Phoebe
|
Western
Kingbird |
Western
Scrub-Jay |
American
Crow |
Common
Raven |
Cliff
Swallow |
Chestnut-backed
Chickadee |
Bushtit |
Pygmy
Nuthatch |
Bewick's
Wren |
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet |
American
Robin |
European
Starling |
Yellow
Warbler |
Yellow-rumped
Warbler |
Townsend's
Warbler |
Wilson's
Warbler |
Western
Tanager |
California
Towhee |
Song Sparrow
|
White-crowned Sparrow |
Dark-eyed
Junco |
Brewer's
Blackbird |
House Finch
|
Lesser
Goldfinch |
House
Sparrow |
Planning Considerations
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