The objective is to assist you in recognizing the most common birds across Canada, even if you want to expand your garden with flowers to entice various species or you’re just interested in identifying the species that are most common across Canada.
And if you’re ready to meet their nutritional requirements, particularly throughout the winter, that’s even better!
You’ll note that a large number of birds on this list may be discovered all around North America, not only in Canada.
| Image | Name |
|---|---|
 | Black-Throated Blue Warbler |
 | Common Loon |
 | Barred Owl |
 | Canada Jay |
 | Bald Eagle |
 | Green-winged teal |
 | Great Blue Heron |
 | Peregrine Falcon |
 | Black Capped chickadee |
 | American dipper |
Most Common Birds in Canada
1. Black-Throated Blue Warbler
Last but not least, my favorite warbler is the black-throated blue warbler, mostly due to the slate-blue color contrasted with the white underparts and enlarged black mask of adults.
You’ll have to hunt somewhat harder for this small bird in its nesting habitat of mixed and deciduous woods. However, they’re often spotted feeding on invertebrates in the bushes and lower canopy.
The black-throated blue warbler was one of the first birds to show that birds might “divorce” and be observed nesting with a new spouse close to the preceding year’s partner.
Where to Find It?
From southern Quebec and Ontario to the Maritimes, in generally undisturbed mixed and deciduous woods.
Look for the Following Trait
Males possess dark blue upper parts that mix with their white abdomen and black mask and neck. Females have olive skin, a light brow, and a partial eye circle (undereye only).
What to Look Out For?
Their song is a sequence of buzzes that are somewhat low-pitched: Zu Zu zho zhray zhree or a slower zhray zhray zhree.
2. Common Loon
The common loon might be absent from any top ten list of Canadian birds. Although it is the provincial bird of Ontario, it may also be discovered in lakes around the nation.
Many of those in cottage country are familiar with its legendary plaintive howl in the midst of a starry night, occasionally interrupted by insane laughing.
The common loon loves to nest directly at the water’s edge in a shallow bed of grasses and trash. Its stunning black-and-white plumage coat contrasted with a devilish red eye. They can remain underwater for many minutes, allowing them to earn a livelihood by collecting different types of fish.
Where to Find It?
Breeds on the banks of lakes throughout North America. From April through June, keep an eye out for downy chicks riding on their parents’ backs.
Look for the Following Trait
The back has a distinctive white and black checkerboard design, an iridescent greenish neck and head, and white lines on the side of the neck.
Avoid Confusion
Its nearest cousin, the yellow-billed loon, has a greater checkered back design and a larger white or yellow beak.
3. Barred Owl
I just must include a “night bird” on my listing, if only to entice you to try searching for and hearing for birds in the dark nights. I could pick any of the various owls, large and little, but the barred owl is the simplest to hear and distinguish.
This greyish-brown owl, which stands a little over a foot tall and has bars on its breast and streaks on its abdomen, lacks the fluffy ear tufts typical on comparably sized great-horned owls.
Barred owls may be spotted in early summer via their hooting cries, which can be heard within all provinces.
Where to Find It?
North America has a wide range of woodland ecosystems. It is common across the Maritimes and British Columbia.
Look for the Following Trait
Brown bars on the tail and chest, black eyes, brown streaks on the abdomen, and a yellowish beak.
What to Look Out For?
A succession of rhythmic hoots
4. Canada Jay
Naturally, I must begin with the Canada jay. Since it’s the bird that a lot of us believe will become Canada’s national bird in the near future.
This bird is also known as the whiskey jack, grey jay, or the loving moniker “camp robber,” which stems from its curious temperament and ability to steal food.
In July, officially, their name was reverted to Canada jay. This friendly, clever bird with modest feathers may be spotted across every territory and province. Still, to observe it, you must walk into the elevated altitudes of the boreal forest-containing national and provincial parks.
Where to Find It?
Northern woods from Alaska through Newfoundland, particularly spruce and fir regions.
Look for the Following Trait
Grey feathers have a whitish neck, white head, black crest, and short beaks. It has a dark, smokey grey wing and a tail.
Avoid Confusion
Clark’s nutcracker has a larger beak and a whitish wing spot, whereas the northwestern mockingbird lacks a black crown and possesses a long tail.
5. Bald Eagle
Returning to the larger birds. The bird that we nearly lost due to organochlorine pesticides is the bald eagle, which can be observed from coast to coast across Canada.
They are, however, returning in large numbers in several regions of the nation, notably on the west and east coastlines. It takes around five years for these dark brown eagles to grow the characteristic white heads and tails that mark sexual maturity.
They are frequently seen near huge bodies of water, although they sometimes nest in towering trees, even in suburban areas. These predominantly carrion eaters are not afraid to take fish from ospreys.
Where to Find It?
Breeds in wooded places near bodies of water and along coastlines, even when humans are present.
Look for the Following Trait
Young juveniles (less than a year old) are dark brown all over; after four years old, they have started to grow white heads. Adults do have a white head, a long, wedge-shaped white tail, a pointed yellow beak, and yellow paws and legs.
Avoid Confusion
Golden eagles possess golden-brown plumage on their long necks and are located largely in northeastern Canada.
6. Green-winged Teal
I have two favorite duck species, although you’re more likely to encounter a green-winged teal than a harlequin duck. Green-winged teals, particularly males having their contrasting rich scarlet and forest green feathers, are certainly as beautiful as harlequins.
These small ducks enjoy turning onto the water with their rumps in the wind, feasting on aquatic insects and seeds. They may be spotted around marshy wetlands and mudflats throughout every province. They are quite quick flyers, particularly when pursued by a peregrine falcon!
Where to Find It?
Lakes between shallow marshes or deciduous forests with abundant flora.
Look for the Following Trait
Males get a rusty head, a green and black patch on their hindwing, a deep green ear spot, and a beautifully detailed design on their light grey body. Females do have grey-brown body patterning with a green spot on the hindwing.
Avoid Confusion
The blue-winged teal is a bigger bird with a varied wing pattern.
7. Great Blue Heron
Not only is this bird huge and simple to distinguish, but it also frequents nearly every kind of water body in southern Canada, from the seashore to sewage lagoons and farmers’ fields to roadway ditches.
The great blue heron, a lengthy bird, that has a long neck, and might seem to stay motionless for hours searching for prey. During the summer, it’s not unusual to observe 50 to 60 herons over tidal flats throughout coastal provinces such as British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, foraging for tiny fish as well as other aquatic invertebrates.
Where to Find It?
Marshes, wetlands, river and lake borders, and coastal environments are found throughout the United States and southern Canada.
Look for the Following Trait
A grey to blue body with shaggy feathers, an S-shaped grey neck, as well as a white forehead with a blue dark blaze over each eye.
Avoid Confusion
The tri-colored heron has a slightly smaller size and a black beak with white underparts. Tricolored herons are mostly found in Mexico, the southern United States, and South and Central America; however, they have been reported to visit the Canadian Maritimes occasionally.
8. Peregrine Falcon
If you’d like to watch this incredible aviator, skilled in diving with speeds of about 320 kilometers per hour, easily fly to the near big city — Montreal, Halifax, Winnipeg, Toronto, Edmonton, etc.
They glance upward towards the cliff edges and skyscrapers windowsills, which mimic the natural canyons about which peregrine falcons typically nest. This falcon, which mostly hunts migratory birds and pigeons, was nearly extinct when its numbers were ravaged by the widespread use of harmful organochlorine pesticides like DDT.
The prohibition of those pesticides, along with the release and captive breeding initiatives, has resulted in their reintroduction in greater numbers than ever before. Although they frequently overwinter in major cities, the ideal time to observe and listen to them is from the month of May to July.
Where to Find It?
Breeding on and foraging from the ledges of towering skyscrapers in cities or on the high seacoast cliffs.
Look for the Following Trait
Adults have pale underparts with heavy longitudinal striping and grey-to-bluish wings. They get a sharp “tooth” at the upper beak, like other real falcons, that they utilize to attack their prey.
Avoid Confusion
The prairie falcon features a brighter head color and brown sandy underparts, and the gyrfalcon, which is bigger and bulkier with a longer tail.
9. Black Capped chickadee
The black-capped chickadee would be another must-see on every Canadian birder’s checklist. The New Brunswick official bird is a gentle and friendly little youngster that will perch in your palm to eat a flake of dog kibble or sunflower seed.
It can be discovered from coast to coast in many types of woodland environments but is also quite common at garden feeders. They are famous not just for their capacity to save seeds for the winter season but also because of their extraordinary memory, which can remember the places of their stored food.
Where to Find It?
From natural woods to suburban parks, there is a vast range of woody environments.
Look for the Following Trait
A little bird with buff-colored sides that have to fade, vivid white cheeks, white-edged wing feathers, and a striking black helmet and bib.
What to Look Out For?
Their cry is a raspy tsick-a-deee-deee-deee that anybody who has spent time outside in the summer would recognize. Their voice is very loud, crisp beee-beee-bee with a higher-pitched opening note.
10. American Dipper
You’ll need to travel towards the west to watch this beautiful songbird throughout Canada. Mostly in Yukon, British Columbia, and southern Alberta, you can find the American dipper.
It is very frequent in watery areas, however, not in the same way that herons do. You’ll only observe a dipper in a fast-flowing, chilly trout stream.
This small grey bird is frequently found jumping upward and downward on their two legs when perched on the rock in the riverbed and enjoys immersing beneath the water in quest of stonefly nymphs amid the round pebbles.
They make their nesting on notches on the downside of stream bridges but frequently in riverside holes as well as in furnished nesting boxes.
Where to Find It?
Rivers and streams across Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta’s Rockies that are cold and swift.
Look for the Following Trait
Adults are mostly dark grey, with a black straight beak, pink legs, and short, curved wings.
What to Look Out For?
Their singing is a harsh, confusing series of whistles, warbles, and trills; their cry is a sharp bzzt, uttered individually or in fast succession; and their song is a loud, disorderly sequence of whistles, warbles, and trills.
Conclusion
These are just a couple of the Canadian birds you might encounter in your area. Certain of these birds are much more secretive and discrete, while others are outright considered pests.
Irrespective of your feelings towards them, you may discover how to entice the birds you want to see in your area.
You may even go so far as to build nesting boxes for the bird couples you’d want to have in your garden.
You may experiment with various strategies for bringing birds to the garden by learning what to offer them and what sorts of feeders they’re most likely to frequent.
FAQ
Which birds can only be spotted throughout Canada?
Three of the species on the checklist (Ross’s geese, the whooping crane, and Harris’s sparrow) exclusively breed across Canada.
How many different kinds of birds are there in Canada?
They do so in this part, where we’ll show you a selection of the 462 bird species found throughout Canada.
Where do the majority of birds congregate in Canada?
Throughout British Columbia, where 363 species are found on a routine basis, and in Ontario, wherein 318 species are found on a frequent basis.
What is Canada's biggest bird?
Whooping cranes are North America’s largest birds! International conservation programs by Canada and the United States have assisted in saving this vulnerable species from going extinct.
Last Updated on March 22, 2023 by Lily Aldrin
Dear Lily, I am Hailemariam Tadesse from Ethiopia and graduated with an Advanced diploma in tourism Management and working as a tour operator in a private Tour Company and what I would like to recommend that, please come to my home country Ethiopia, with the highest Biodiversity in Africa as well as home to 31 species of Mammals and about 862 species of Birds. as an ornithologist, it is a better access to you to study these bird species and it is also vital to your future carrier