Common Birds That Sing

North American Songbirds

• Over one hundred species of songbirds call North America home. Homeowners regularly fill seed-feeders to attract these musical friends to backyards across the United States. Some of the most common songbirds in North America are chickadees, mockingbirds, finches, warblers, cardinals and sparrows. Among these bird species, several sub-species exist. In fact, over 30 different sub-species can be found in the finch family alone.

Neotropical Migratory Songbirds

• Many songbirds migrate to Central and South America during the harsh winters of the north. Birds that mate in North America during the summer and then migrate south each winter are classified as neotropical migratory birds. Neotropical migratory birds, such as the Scarlet Tanager, a vibrant red songbird common to North America, typically migrate to parts of Central and South America in October and return to North America in April. Orioles, warblers, thrushes, and vireos are also neotropical migratory birds.

Domestic Songbirds

• Finches and chickadees are commonly kept as pets because of their petite size, brightly colored feathers and beautiful songs. Chickadees are small black, white and gray birds with short, black beaks. Finches, although their appearance varies depending on sub-species, are small, brightly colored songbirds, also with short black beaks. Both birds will fill any house or terrace with beautiful songs and both birds require very little maintenance.

Mockingbirds

• Infamous for their trickery, mocking birds are in a category all their own. Although the mocking bird does not have its own song, it has an uncanny ability to imitate the songs of other birds. The most common mockingbird to the United States is the Northern Mockingbird. Northern Mockingbirds can be found across the United States and are gray-brown. They are known for singing just about all the time, even at night. They will repeat the melodies of 10-15 birds.