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A great egret is fishing in a freshwater pond.
Great Egret Great egrets mainly eat small fish.

Stories in New Jersey

Birds of New Jersey

Did you know there are over 480 species of birds found in New Jersey? Get to know common species near you.

April 26, 2021

Just like the weather, the bird species you'll see in New Jersey change with the seasons. Learn more about some of the birds you can see and hear at different times of the year in our state. 

Spring

Two adult purple martins are hovering above a birdhouse.
A male purple martin is flying with its wings spread wide.

Purple Martin

Spring marks the arrival of purple martins to New Jersey. These chatty songbirds have broad chests, forked tails, and slightly hooked bills. Males are dark blue-purple, while females are duller blue-purple with variable amounts of gray. Almost all purple martins in New Jersey nest in birdhouses, like the one at our South Cape May Meadows preserve. 

Purple Martin

Purple Martin song.

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Purple Martin song. 

A bright yellow warbler is perched in a blooming tree.
Mid-spring marks the start of breeding season for yellow warblers in New Jersey.

Yellow Warbler

These small, uniformly yellow songbirds are most often found near the tops of trees and tall shrubs. They forage restlessly, hopping from branch to branch. Yellow warblers breed in New Jersey, usually towards the end of May or the beginning of June. 

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler song.

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Yellow Warbler song. 

An adult osprey is perched on the edge of its nest.

Osprey

These large brown and white raptors begin their nesting season in late March to early April. During the spring months, ospreys can be seen flying overhead carrying nesting material as they get ready for their chicks' arrival. Take note of their M-shaped wings while they fly above. 
 
Read more about recovering osprey in New Jersey and check out the live-streamed osprey nest at our South Cape May Meadows preserve. 

Osprey

Osprey call.

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Osprey call.

An adult killdeer is flying over a body of water.

Killdeer

If you haven't seen killdeer, you've probably heard them. Killdeer are very vocal, so much so they have been nicknamed Chattering Plover and Noisy Plover. They begin nesting in New Jersey in the early spring months. They are ground-nesters and can often be seen fiercely defending their nests. 

Killdeer

Killdeer call.

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Killdeer call. 

Summer

An adult great egret is flying above a pond.
Great Egrets fly slowly but powerfully: with just two wingbeats per second their cruising speed is around 25 miles an hour.

Great Egret

These tall, long-legged wading birds have yellow dagger-like bills that they use to strike prey, usually fish or aquatic invertebrates. Great egrets can be seen in wetlands and freshwater ponds, standing immobile or wading slowly, anticipating the perfect opportunity to capture a fish.

Great Egret

Great Egret Call.

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Great Egret Call.

A common yellowthroat is perched in a thorny shrub.

Common Yellowthroat

Common yellowthroats arrive in New Jersey in the spring to kick off their breeding season. These small songbirds live in thick, tangled vegetation. They are most common in wet areas where there is dense vegetation close to the ground. 

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat song.

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Common Yellowthroat song.

An adult green heron is perched on a tree branch.
Green herons arrive in New Jersey in the early spring to start their breeding season.

Green Heron

Compared with most other herons, green herons are short and stocky. From a distance, they appear to be all dark in color, but up close they deep green with a rich chestnut breast. Look for them in wetland areas, especially along the banks. 

Green Heron

Green Heron call.

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Green Heron call. 

An American oystercatcher sitting on eggs on the beach.

American Oystercatcher

American oystercatchers are most often found in New Jersey during their breeding season which starts in March and ends in July. Their preferred habitats are sandy, shelly beaches for nesting. These chatty shorebirds are known for their high-pitched, sharp calls and their flashy courtship displays.

 

American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatcher call.

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American Oystercatcher call. 

Autumn

An adult sharp-shinned hawk with yellow eyes sits center screen.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

These tiny hawks are extremely acrobatic fliers, navigating through thick woods at top speed in pursuit of their prey. Sharp-shinned hawks are nearly identical to Cooper's hawks. One way to tell them apart is by looking at their tail feathers: Sharp-shinned hawks have straight tail feather tips, and Cooper's have curved tail feather tips. Hint Hint: Straight starts with S, sharp-shinned hawk starts with S. Curved starts with C, Cooper's hawk starts with C.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned hawk call.

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Sharp-shinned hawk call. 

A blue tree swallow is perched on a branch.
Hundreds of adult tree swallows are flying above the tree line.

Tree Swallow

After breeding season, these iridescent blue songbirds start their migration south. Migration numbers peak in New Jersey come early autumn. Enormous flocks numbering in the hundreds or thousands of tree swallows can be seen gathering about an hour before sunset, swirling around like a massive tornado. 

Tree Swallow

Tree swallow song.

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Tree swallow song.

A double-crested cormorant is sunning after a swim.
Double-Crested Cormorant These waterbirds are colonial birds that seek aquatic bodies big enough to support their mostly fish diet.

Double-crested Cormorant

These large waterbirds have long necks, yellow-orange skin on the face, and strongly hooked bills. Double-crested cormorants' feathers are not waterproof and will become waterlogged, allowing them to dive deeper after prey. After a swim, they can often be seen with their wings spread wide, allowing them to dry out. 

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant call.

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Double-crested Cormorant call. 

A red-tailed hawk has its wings spread open wide.

Red-tailed Hawk

One of the more common hawks in North America, red-tailed hawks live in New Jersey year-round. However, the autumn months bring on the start of their fall migration, allowing for the best opportunities to see this species. Juveniles are usually the first to move south and typically move further south than the adults. 
 

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk call.

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Red-tailed Hawk call. 

Winter

Two adult gadwalls are flying through a forested area.

Gadwall

About the same size as mallards, male gadwalls are gray-brown with a black patch at the tail. Females are patterned with brown and buff. Gadwalls have square heads and a white patch on their wings, visible during flight. Look for gadwalls on small bodies of freshwater with plenty of aquatic vegetation. 

Gadwall

Gadwall call.

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Gadwall call. 

An adult green winged teal is sitting in a pond.

Green-winged Teal

These tiny ducks are the smallest dabbling ducks in North America. In flight, both males and females have an iridescent green patch in their wings. During the winter months in New Jersey, green-winged teals can be seen foraging in shallow ponds and wetlands. 

Green-winged Teal Female

Green-winged Teal Female call.

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Green-winged Teal Female call. 

Green-winged Teal Male

Green-winged Teal Male call.

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Green-winged Teal Male, 

A white throated sparrow is perched in a bare tree.

White-throated Sparrow

White-throated sparrows are a common sight during New Jersey winters. After wrapping up its breeding season in Canada, this species makes its way to most of eastern and southern North America to overwinter. During winter, you’ll find white-throated sparrows along the edges of thickets, weedy fields, suburbs, backyards, and even city parks.

White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow call.

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White-throated Sparrow call.

Three northern pintails are flying against a clear, blue sky.

Northern Pintail

Northern pintails are elegant, long-necked ducks with lengthy, pointed tails. They winter throughout most of New Jersey, and can often be found foraging in groups along shallower edges of lakes and ponds. Northern pintails are generally social birds and readily associate with other ducks during the nonbreeding season. 

Northern Pintail

Northern pintail call.

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Northern pintail call. 

Year-Round

A bright red male cardinal is perched in a tree.
Northern cardinals don't migrate as they prefer to live within a mile of where they were born.
A tan female cardinal is resting on a branch.
Female Cardinal Female cardinals will call from the nest, signaling to the male to bring her food.
Northern cardinals don't migrate as they prefer to live within a mile of where they were born.
Female Cardinal Female cardinals will call from the nest, signaling to the male to bring her food.

Northern Cardinal

Perhaps one of the most well-recognized birds in New Jersey is the Northern cardinal. Males boast brilliant red feathers, while females are pale brown with reddish tinges on the wings and tail. Both have a black face and a bright red-orange bill. Northern cardinals can be seen at nearly any bird feeder, especially if they are filled with black sunflower seeds. 

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal song.

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Northern Cardinal song.

The male mallard is called a drake and the female a hen.

Mallard

Mallards are a familiar sight in New Jersey. The male's green head, yellow bill, and brown and black body make it one of the easiest identifiable birds. Mallards can live in almost any wetland habitat, artificial or natural. Look for them in ponds, lakes, or even suburban parks. Male mallards don't quack. The female's call is the "standard" duck sound. 

Mallard Call

Mallard call.

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Mallard call.

A red-winged black bird is singing from a small tree branch.

Red-winged Blackbird

These ground foraging songbirds can usually be seen sitting atop cattails and telephone wires. Males are glossy black with red and yellow shoulder patches, while females are brown with pale streaks. The males are fiercely territorial. 

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged blackbird song.

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Red-winged blackbird song.

A turkey vulture is making a landing in a grassy field.

Turkey Vulture

Often seen soaring above, these large, dark raptors have "fingers" at their wingtips and a featherless red head. Turkey vultures lack the organs to form a proper song. Instead, they make a low, guttural hiss.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey vulture call.

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Turkey vulture call.

Put Your Skills to the Test!

Our preserves throughout the state provide much-needed habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Now that you've learned about the appearance, habitats, and calls of these common bird species, test your knowledge at one of our New Jersey preserves! 

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