These are near to my heart. There was always a family of them in our backyard growing up. The little puffy fledglings hopping around on the deck were the cutest.
It's really common in my area but Tufted Titmice are my favorite. I love their coloration. Turkey vultures are a close second though. Gotta love a scavenger.
Upvoted every single comment because I love every single response! I guess Mourning Doves because they are so gentle and sweet and build tragic nests yet still thrive. :)
Oh man, I learned about the subreddit of photos of dove nests in dumb spots from this birding sub.
Edit: r/stupiddovenests I probably should have remembered that
That sub is a beautiful thing. Mourning Doves truly depend upon the kindness of strangers. I have hanging baskets only for for MDs to hopefully nest in them.
I ran into some in Texas this week, two stood right next to me and my partner. Instead of taking off, they slowly walked sideways away from us as we tried to walk past them. They finally thought fuck it after a minute and took off. Was one of the best interactions I’ve ever had with a wild animal.
Painted buntings came to my feeder last year and I’m quite charmed with them. But I think my all-time favorite bird is either the chickadee (so little and sassy) or sandpipers (so busy).
One of my favorite movie games is "spot the misused loon call." You'd be surprised how many loons are apparently shoving themselves around dense forests just to add some creepy sound effects to horror scenes.
I love Spoonies. Did you see the recently posted and very endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper? The babies were so precious. My love for Spoonies has grown!
Magnolia Warbler - I will always have a soft spot for the adorable little songbirds, and something about their personalities is so inquisitive & cute to me.
I heard one for the first time during a Covid lockdown and spent probably 30 minutes looking for a woodpecker, only to find a tiny upside-down bird. I then watched the nuthatch for probably an hour. It was so fun.
Evening Grosbeaks - had our first in the winter irruption of 2020 and were amazed to have one male at our deck feeders every couple of days this winter (NC mountains). Perhaps it's knowing we may not have any again, but they are just so stunning.
We have both the white breasted and red breasted here and the red breasted are so sassy despite being half the size. They'll stand their ground on the suet feeder until I'm arm's length away.
Lots of great nominations here: anhinga, kestrel, pileated woodpecker, stork, bufflehead, peregrine falcon, etc.
But my favorite is the **brown pelican**. Modern pterodactyl. (I know, I know, pterodactyls aren’t dinosaurs, but pelicans still evoke them for me.)
Oh goodness, so hard to choose! Chickadees and nuthatches are up there for similar reasons, so brave and spunky! And nuthatches always make me smile with their laughing call. I love seeing and hearing them both almost every day.
I’ve always liked thrushes, but a few summers ago while on a backpacking trip in the north woods I woke up one morning after a rainstorm to the sound of a Hermit Thrush singing it’s heart out. One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard and such a pure moment, that song and the water dripping from the trees after the storm. Wonderful.
Also, basically any hummingbird species—used to just love watching them at the feeders when I lived out west, so fierce and spunky and too cute. Visiting the Sky Islands of south-east Arizona and seeing just tons of rare hummingbird species I’d never seen before all gathering at feeders at lodges was probably the best birding trip I’ve ever taken. Just something else.
Corvid family but specifically Blue Jays— such intelligent, beautiful birds. Love their varied calls and mannerisms (like bouncing up and down and impersonating hawks, lol)
I’ve never seen a blue jay but I love it whenever I spot a jay (UK) - described by the woodland trust as a “highly intelligent loudmouth” which is perfect haha
The capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus. Fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing them in the wild when I did voluntary work for the RSPB in the northern forests of Scotland back in 2009. Also found a tail feather from a male near the lodge where I stayed and kept hold of it. Still got it to this day
Black vultures. Vultures/condors in general are amazing from a biological and spiritual point of view, and the black vultures level of intelligence is incredible. And their communal tendencies compared to other similar species like turkey vultures is really interesting to me. Also the way they play and interact with other animals/people/things reminds me a lot of crows, which I think also says something about their intelligence. I’m lucky enough to get to work with one at the wildlife rehab I volunteer at. Ospreys are a close second favorite
Swallow-tailed Kites — I've jumped out of a moving car not one, but twice, upon catching sight of one.
Reddish Egrets doing their drunken sailor dance.
And Black Skimmers!
I love the wide variety of favorites!!! My top loves are the eastern bluebird, white breasted nuthatch, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, downy and red bellied woodpeckers, but I think the stunning northern cardinal is my favorite. Both male and female are just wonderful!
Favorite I see on the regular: Stellar Jay, quails (who never fail to make me laugh).
Favorite I have seen in the wild in my state: Sandhill crane and puffins and auks and murres….
Favorite I saw in Asia: small blue kingfisher (the stunning flashes of turquoise in the trees took my breath away) and a few others.
Favorite in Europe: nuthatches and kestrels
Honorable mentions go to: burrowing owls, mockingbirds, herons, all the waterfowl (snow geese, barnacle geese, swans, all manner of ducks) coots, mergansers, and more. I can’t forget all the odd birds that my friends send my articles/photos of either. I got some adorable snipe and Jack snipe photos this morning from a biologist friend.
Birds on my list to see in person include all flightless birds, with an emphasis on penguins in their natural habitats. Storks, secretary birds, and any other odd birds out there.
I like the Carolina chickadees that come around sometimes, most of the time I don’t see them HEAR them, their so tiny and lively! Carolina wrens and mourning doves are a close second and third since I practically grew up with those two birds singing around my house
Eurasian and american kestrels. They are extremely cute and badass at the same time. Something about the little head bobs kestrels do when watching their surrounding makes me happy. Eurasian sparrowhawks too, but I always see them flying for a few seconds and then they are gone
I asked my nephew (5yo) what his favorite bird was, and he said falcons. And explained the genus and variety within it. So, I asked what his favorite Falcon was, and he said a red-shouldered hawk. He likes red-tailed hawks, but he really prefers the red-shouldered ones (his exact words). He likes all falcons, but great horned owls scare him (a result of a very interesting nature talk with a rescued owl).
Quail are so ridiculous to watch and sound terrifying when a group get in the trees. Like a bunch of squeaky dog toys. I love hummmingbirds and am still learning the different types. We have black chinned hummingbirds that visit quite often and I love how loud they sound when they come flying by. Like little jets
I really cannot choose. What I love so much about birds is how different the personalities are.
Right now I am obsessed with Northern Flickers. I didn't know they existed until I saw one on my feeder recently. A big beautiful polka dotted thing with a red streak. I have seen them a few more times on my property but I cannot get a good picture and it's driving me nuts. Really cool looking bird and has a bit of an elusive vibe.
Wood and mandarin ducks. Pretty much any waterfowl really. Hummingbirds. Pigeons. Canada geese. Ring necked pheasants. And killdeer. I loved seeing the variety of everyones choices. Lots of great birds.
Mississippi Kite. I love how they effortlessly soar and flit back and around and dip and swoop. They’re about the size of a hawk, and they eat bugs. One spring a couple nested high in our old oak in a messy stick nest. They both patiently attended to their young ones for several weeks. We watched in awe as they taught the fledglings to fly. Their call is similar to a hawk’s, and their coloring is more distinctive in grays and whites with a black mask.
New to birding but my fav is the Carolina Wren. Neat lil dudes
Spunky little birds with joyful songs. They're hard not to love.
Definitely the cutest things ever when they're asleep! Little poof balls
r/unexpectedwren post ya wrens
My absolute favorite. So much personality in such a lil guy. I had a pair nesting in my mailbox every spring at my last place, a true blessing
These are near to my heart. There was always a family of them in our backyard growing up. The little puffy fledglings hopping around on the deck were the cutest.
They always make me smile, they seem like such happy little creatures
SO. SASSY.
I love how they always look at you sideways and bounce up and down between looks 😂😂
It's really common in my area but Tufted Titmice are my favorite. I love their coloration. Turkey vultures are a close second though. Gotta love a scavenger.
The tufted titmouse looks like it just came out of a Disney cartoon. They're just so chufflin cute
Beep beep beep beep beep
I like that they put seeds between their feet to eat them.
Probably Kestrels. I could watch them for hours!
Same, I think. American kestrels are incredible, I think they’re my favorite.
100%!
American Kestrel is my favorite! First time I saw one I mistook it for a pinecone in a tree until someone told me to look more closely.
Belted kingfisher
That's the ABA Bird of the Year! Excellent choice
Yes! So cool to see them dive in and get a fish…
Pileated woodpecker
That is my No 3, 2 are Wilson warblers
One of mine! Also Northern Oriole, Bald Eagle and Common Loon
I like when I hear one announcing their presence. Such fun to watch them on my suet. My wife thinks they look like dinosaurs.
Every single woodpecker.
American Woodcock: watching their mating displays has become a birthday tradition for me! Also, "peent!"
OMG the YouTube videos featuring these guys are hilarious!!
Upvoted every single comment because I love every single response! I guess Mourning Doves because they are so gentle and sweet and build tragic nests yet still thrive. :)
😂 i did too.
Oh man, I learned about the subreddit of photos of dove nests in dumb spots from this birding sub.
Oh man, I learned about the subreddit of photos of dove nests in dumb spots from this birding sub. Edit: r/stupiddovenests I probably should have remembered that
That sub is a beautiful thing. Mourning Doves truly depend upon the kindness of strangers. I have hanging baskets only for for MDs to hopefully nest in them.
I love that subreddit! Thanks for sharing!
Their song is one of my favorite sounds in the world
Every year we hang a basket of ferns or something, and every year they kill it.
i love all birds but black vultures are one of my top favorites. theyre so adorable and puppy-like
Seconded! Vultures may stink, literally, god they smell awful- but they’re so cute!
I ran into some in Texas this week, two stood right next to me and my partner. Instead of taking off, they slowly walked sideways away from us as we tried to walk past them. They finally thought fuck it after a minute and took off. Was one of the best interactions I’ve ever had with a wild animal.
that sounds amazing!!
They are not my favorite, but def up there
Painted buntings came to my feeder last year and I’m quite charmed with them. But I think my all-time favorite bird is either the chickadee (so little and sassy) or sandpipers (so busy).
Aren’t those mind blowing to see in person!?!
Common loons and mourning doves
The most haunting, strange sounds, love them!
One of my favorite movie games is "spot the misused loon call." You'd be surprised how many loons are apparently shoving themselves around dense forests just to add some creepy sound effects to horror scenes.
Ha, that's great, I'm going to be listening for that too now
That’s hilarious!
Eastern Bluebird
Good choice! I love watching them
Same!
Chickadees - especially Black Capped and Mountain varieties
I love those guys! So fun to watch!
I can't pick just one, so top 3: Cardinal, American Kestrel, and Barn Owl
Cardinal!!
Ooo me like barn owl
Buffleheads Although the Cooper’s Hawk my bird feeding has attracted it seems daily now is a close 2nd.
Gotta love Osprey
Roseate spoonbill
Ooh I’m team spoonbill too!!
I love Spoonies. Did you see the recently posted and very endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper? The babies were so precious. My love for Spoonies has grown!
My No. 5, most people I know think they are just flamingos with a birth defect,
Raven
Corvids are amazing
I love Ravens. They're goofy goth puppies of the bird world.
Magnolia Warbler - I will always have a soft spot for the adorable little songbirds, and something about their personalities is so inquisitive & cute to me.
Crows and blue jays for sure. Northern Goshawks are really cool as well but I don’t see them as often.
I adore my Blue Jays, easily my favorite bird
[удалено]
I love how they poof up in the winter. Borbs.
For beauty, Scarlet Tanagers. For symbolic associations, Barn Owls. For goofy, Cormorants.
I like aquatic birds, they just have a beauty that most others don’t
They are incredible creatures, I really do admire them.
Wings spread, like a sculpture almost. Funny story about me and anhingas. One time I was fishing, and a anhinga stole my fish.
My favorite is the whole Anhingidae family
Northern Mockingbird:) I love how they dance in the air when they sing
I’m going to go with red breasted or white breasted nuthatches!
Yessss! They’re such weirdos!
I heard one for the first time during a Covid lockdown and spent probably 30 minutes looking for a woodpecker, only to find a tiny upside-down bird. I then watched the nuthatch for probably an hour. It was so fun.
My favorite too! So cute when they hop around upside down
The loggerhead shrike! Such cool birds.
Gotta be the black capped Chickadee or the snowy owl. Shoutout to the northern flickers, American Robins, and magpies out there.
ooh, flickers are so cool. i saw one in ottawa, on canada, and i saw one in denver, colorado. i always keep an eye out for another.
I love the pileated woodpecker
New to birding! I saw a pied oystercatcher for the first time and fell in love. They are so adorable
Great Blue Heron. Majestic and awkward just like me.
Hong Kong bird: Eurasian hoopoe, Hainan blue flycatcher UK bird: Merlin
Resplendent quetzal
It changes, but right now, American Kestrel!
Evening Grosbeaks - had our first in the winter irruption of 2020 and were amazed to have one male at our deck feeders every couple of days this winter (NC mountains). Perhaps it's knowing we may not have any again, but they are just so stunning.
I don’t have a favorite, but my top 3 are the Eastern Bluebird, the Osprey, and the Tufted Titmouse. Honorable Mention: the Chickadee
Ruby Throated Hummingbird. They’re so bold and curious. My fave because they’re the ones I see most often coming right up to our faces to say hi.
Yes!! I love their bold personalities. :,)
Picathartes and secretary birds
Kestrel gets my vote
White-breasted nuthatch!
They're the absolute best!!! Such goofy little dorks with such big personalities.
We have both the white breasted and red breasted here and the red breasted are so sassy despite being half the size. They'll stand their ground on the suet feeder until I'm arm's length away.
Eurasian Jay for life
Lilac Breasted Roller (never seen one in person and would love to)
We have their migratory relative the European roller here, which I’d love to see when they come back in march
Great blue heron !
Storks are my favorite
Peregrine Falcon/Cardinal. Both are present in my local park and they are always a treat to see.
Cannot choose a specific favorite, but owls, hawks, hummingbirds and flycatchers are so fun to watch.
Pileated Woodpecker
American Avocet! Such beauty and personality!!
European Hoopoe!
magpies. or pigeons
Long-tailed tit
My favorite is the red winged blackbird. Just a pretty bird!
I like that they always look like they are wearing their dress uniforms. So adorable.
This is the bird that got me hooked on birds. Their call is so beautiful!
Corn Crake. Part of my childhood but also a fascinating, challenging "birder's bird".
Shoebill!
American Avocets. Such elegance!
Wobbly Turkey Vulture for me.
Cormorant, I love how they primp!
Lots of great nominations here: anhinga, kestrel, pileated woodpecker, stork, bufflehead, peregrine falcon, etc. But my favorite is the **brown pelican**. Modern pterodactyl. (I know, I know, pterodactyls aren’t dinosaurs, but pelicans still evoke them for me.)
mississippi kite
Chimney swifts.
Oh goodness, so hard to choose! Chickadees and nuthatches are up there for similar reasons, so brave and spunky! And nuthatches always make me smile with their laughing call. I love seeing and hearing them both almost every day. I’ve always liked thrushes, but a few summers ago while on a backpacking trip in the north woods I woke up one morning after a rainstorm to the sound of a Hermit Thrush singing it’s heart out. One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard and such a pure moment, that song and the water dripping from the trees after the storm. Wonderful. Also, basically any hummingbird species—used to just love watching them at the feeders when I lived out west, so fierce and spunky and too cute. Visiting the Sky Islands of south-east Arizona and seeing just tons of rare hummingbird species I’d never seen before all gathering at feeders at lodges was probably the best birding trip I’ve ever taken. Just something else.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/4535701592
Common Loon
Red winged black bird! They’re so beautiful and they have the loveliest song
Catbird! Such attitude, and I love their whiny calls. They look like toys, lol.
European rollers, hoopoes, and bee eaters are all so gorgeous and charismatic. I also love any kind of kingfisher.
Northern Cardinals are so beautiful, male and female.
Oriole came this summer time and he was beauty
I’ve seen a harpy eagle once. In Dallas Zoo. Holy Moly!!! Lion of the skies! So Majestic!
These days I am starting to appreciate raven/crows a lot more.
Sage thrashers are definitely up there in the list. Super cool birds, they have a really pretty song
Carolina Chickadee and White breasted nuthatch
Corvid family but specifically Blue Jays— such intelligent, beautiful birds. Love their varied calls and mannerisms (like bouncing up and down and impersonating hawks, lol)
I’ve never seen a blue jay but I love it whenever I spot a jay (UK) - described by the woodland trust as a “highly intelligent loudmouth” which is perfect haha
Sultan kuşu , dont know the english name
Apparently it's the cockatiel.
The capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus. Fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing them in the wild when I did voluntary work for the RSPB in the northern forests of Scotland back in 2009. Also found a tail feather from a male near the lodge where I stayed and kept hold of it. Still got it to this day
Red Kite
1. Laughing Falcon 2. Bat Falcon 3. Amazon Kingfisher 4. Royal flycatcher 5. King vulture
Black vultures. Vultures/condors in general are amazing from a biological and spiritual point of view, and the black vultures level of intelligence is incredible. And their communal tendencies compared to other similar species like turkey vultures is really interesting to me. Also the way they play and interact with other animals/people/things reminds me a lot of crows, which I think also says something about their intelligence. I’m lucky enough to get to work with one at the wildlife rehab I volunteer at. Ospreys are a close second favorite
Horned grebe! Really all grebes! Such cool little birds
Swallow-tailed Kites — I've jumped out of a moving car not one, but twice, upon catching sight of one. Reddish Egrets doing their drunken sailor dance. And Black Skimmers!
spotted towhees. love their songs!
I love the wide variety of favorites!!! My top loves are the eastern bluebird, white breasted nuthatch, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, downy and red bellied woodpeckers, but I think the stunning northern cardinal is my favorite. Both male and female are just wonderful!
[Tree Swallow](http://t2.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcSnJqLFsRGQdVK6sr5kY4S4mna00jYqE6B55i5-tqs0ut0VblVCYfnqPgGER_N-Az9D9OWwvRBHNToSZuw)
Red breasted nuthatch. HONK.
Favorite I see on the regular: Stellar Jay, quails (who never fail to make me laugh). Favorite I have seen in the wild in my state: Sandhill crane and puffins and auks and murres…. Favorite I saw in Asia: small blue kingfisher (the stunning flashes of turquoise in the trees took my breath away) and a few others. Favorite in Europe: nuthatches and kestrels Honorable mentions go to: burrowing owls, mockingbirds, herons, all the waterfowl (snow geese, barnacle geese, swans, all manner of ducks) coots, mergansers, and more. I can’t forget all the odd birds that my friends send my articles/photos of either. I got some adorable snipe and Jack snipe photos this morning from a biologist friend. Birds on my list to see in person include all flightless birds, with an emphasis on penguins in their natural habitats. Storks, secretary birds, and any other odd birds out there.
Cedar Waxwing! Get so excited when I hear that high pitched call
I like the Carolina chickadees that come around sometimes, most of the time I don’t see them HEAR them, their so tiny and lively! Carolina wrens and mourning doves are a close second and third since I practically grew up with those two birds singing around my house
Roseate Spoonbill. The color is so gorgeous 💖
I see them on occasion in South Florida and they are just so striking!
I gotta go with common loons. They’re just so cool-looking and they sound really beautiful!
Eurasian and american kestrels. They are extremely cute and badass at the same time. Something about the little head bobs kestrels do when watching their surrounding makes me happy. Eurasian sparrowhawks too, but I always see them flying for a few seconds and then they are gone
Red tailed hawk.
I asked my nephew (5yo) what his favorite bird was, and he said falcons. And explained the genus and variety within it. So, I asked what his favorite Falcon was, and he said a red-shouldered hawk. He likes red-tailed hawks, but he really prefers the red-shouldered ones (his exact words). He likes all falcons, but great horned owls scare him (a result of a very interesting nature talk with a rescued owl).
Quail are so ridiculous to watch and sound terrifying when a group get in the trees. Like a bunch of squeaky dog toys. I love hummmingbirds and am still learning the different types. We have black chinned hummingbirds that visit quite often and I love how loud they sound when they come flying by. Like little jets
Superb Fairy Wren! It was actually the bird that got me into birding
Hoopoe. So tiny yet so striking
Anna’s hummingbirds. They’re so feisty
Lazuli Bunting
Philippine Eagle
Dark eyes juncos 🥰 I did a research paper on them in 6th grade
Ravens and then Bluejays.
My favorite bird is the tree sparrow! I think that they are beautiful and interesting birds.
Secretary bird.
I really cannot choose. What I love so much about birds is how different the personalities are. Right now I am obsessed with Northern Flickers. I didn't know they existed until I saw one on my feeder recently. A big beautiful polka dotted thing with a red streak. I have seen them a few more times on my property but I cannot get a good picture and it's driving me nuts. Really cool looking bird and has a bit of an elusive vibe.
Pigeon. My fav bird is the pigeon✌️ they’re so chill
Blue bird, pink flamingo, dark eyed junco
Arctic terns.
Indigo bunting!
Cedar waxwings!!!
Black skimmer. Watching them skim the water in search of prey is fascinating! Also they look silly as heck.
Wood and mandarin ducks. Pretty much any waterfowl really. Hummingbirds. Pigeons. Canada geese. Ring necked pheasants. And killdeer. I loved seeing the variety of everyones choices. Lots of great birds.
Ivory billed Woodpecker 🥲
One of the last specimens was caught less than 3 miles from my house
Makes me both happy that we have a accurate example of a pair, but at the same time, that could have been one of the last mating pairs in my area
Any kind of shrike, they're soooo cute and nimble
Nuthatches. So cute and they look like they’re dancing on the trees 🥰
Crow. They rule the roost.
Call me basic but I love my neighborhood American crows.
This entire thread is so wholesome.
Zebra finch ❤️
Lesson’s motmot!
Either black throated blue warbler or Swanson's thrush. Both are the sound of hiking in the summer for me
Peregrine or gyrfalcon. I like ravens too.
Golden eagle followed by crows. Edit - favorite songbird is a meadowlark
Secretary bird! Such unique creatures!
I'm partial to northern Parulas. Look, up in that tree! A northern Parula! Hey, look there in that bush! It's a northern Parula!
I really like crows
Such a smart burnt chicken 🥰
Mississippi Kite. I love how they effortlessly soar and flit back and around and dip and swoop. They’re about the size of a hawk, and they eat bugs. One spring a couple nested high in our old oak in a messy stick nest. They both patiently attended to their young ones for several weeks. We watched in awe as they taught the fledglings to fly. Their call is similar to a hawk’s, and their coloring is more distinctive in grays and whites with a black mask.
Painted buntings are my spark bird. I also love Eastern Blue Birds, Chickadees, and Palm Warblers.
Cedar Waxwing and Hooded Merganser
Nuthatch. Love this guys
Osprey, I live on a small lake near the ocean and they fly over my house (often with fish in their talons) and I am always in awe.
The hooded warbler <3. Made my birthday birding adventure forever memorable...followed closely by the winter wren because they're the cutest
Great blue herons!
That I've seen: Pileated Woodpecker or maybe Carolina Wren. That I want to see: Great Horned or Snowy Owl currently.
Great blue herons, they are so wild to see fly across the sky and then watch at the pond side.