List of Birds of Massachusetts

Birds of Prey

• Massachusetts claims 12 different species of owl, including the famous great horned owl. Nearly all Massachusetts owls are mottled shades of brown and white, with the exception of the snowy owl, the only pure white owl in North America. The state is also a habitat for several species of eagle, including the white-tailed eagle, the golden eagle and America's national bird, the bald eagle. Other birds of prey in Massachusetts include the turkey vulture, the black vulture and the osprey.

Birds of the Woods

• The woods of Massachusetts shelter nine species of blackbird and 33 species of sparrow. The state bird of Massachusetts, the black-capped chickadee is a common woodland specimen often found nesting in birch or alder trees. Warblers are commonly found in overgrown shrubs along the edges of the state's many forests, and they are often sighted during their migration season in late August or early September. Massachusetts has a wide variety of warblers, including Lucy's warbler, the American redstart, the cerulean warbler and the golden-winged warbler.

Birds of the Sea

• Massachusetts seabirds include pelicans, murres, murrelets and an abundance of gulls. The American white pelican and the brown pelican are known for their oversized bills and large bodies. Murres and murrelets are smaller, short-tailed birds that possess the ability to fly but are considerably more agile in the water. Massachusetts gulls are normally black, gray or white, the most familiar being the herring gull, the most widespread gull in North America.

Birds on the Pond

• The pink-footed goose, the barnacle goose and the snow goose are a few of the waterfowl making their homes near Massachusetts' lakes and ponds. Also represented is Ross's goose, the smallest species of goose in North America. The mute swan and the tundra swan can be found near the marshes that provide their food supply. Massachusetts also accommodates over 30 species of duck, from the bufflehead, which flaunts a white patch behind its eye, to the black scoter, the only pure black duck in North America.