Hello! Welcome to my article on the 16 common birds found in New Mexico.
If you’re a nature enthusiast or a bird lover, you’re in for a treat.
New Mexico is home to a diverse range of bird species, from vibrant songbirds to majestic raptors.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most frequently spotted birds in this beautiful Southwestern state.
So, let’s spread our wings and embark on a journey to discover the fascinating avian residents of New Mexico.
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If you don’t have the time to read the whole article, check out this video on 16 Common Birds in New Mexico for a quick understanding.
Common Birds in New Mexico
1. Dark-eyed Juncos
Dark-eyed Juncos have several variants, but in the United States, you will most commonly see the grayer one, with approximately two-thirds of its body in grey color, and the underneath portion is white.
Dark-eyed juncos are of various colors depending primarily on which state they reside.
So the environment and that state are a determiner of their color.
In the east, they are greyish, and in the west, they are brown.
New Mexico is peculiar because it is one of the few states where all variants of dark-eyed juncos can be found.
They mostly feed on seeds and insects in summer.
Dark Oil Sunflower seeds and suet can draw in this bird, yet you will need to utilize a ground feeder and certainly spread a few seeds on the ground around the feeder just to assist with getting their considerations.
Below are the characteristics of Dark-eyed Juncos,
Scientific Name | Junco hyemalis |
Family Name | Passerellidae |
Length | 5.1 to 6.3 inches (13 to 16 cm) |
Weight | 0.6 to 1.0 ounces (18 to 28 grams) |
Wingspan | 7.9 to 9.8 inches (20 to 25 cm) |
Habitat | Forests, woodlands, and mountains |
Food | Seeds, insects, and berries |
2. American Robin
American Robin have a wide variety of adobes, and they have multiple habitats from tundra to forest they are widely seen.
They are also very comfortable around people and can be seen very often in your backyard.
Easily seen, having their heads of black color and their back is red and orange breast.
American robins are very much common, and they can be witnessed everywhere.
They can be found in your backyards.
They are in parks, lawns, and forests.
They rarely visit bird feeders.
They are insectivorous.
As insects and worms are very much common in our lawns, American robins are easily seen in our lawns feeding on their favorite meals.
Moreover, they are fond of eating berries and wild fruits, which is why American robins are also witnessed in the wilderness.
Below are the characteristics of the American Robin,
Scientific Name | Turdus migratorius |
Family Name | Turdidae |
Length | 9.8 to 11 inches (25 to 28 cm) |
Weight | 2.7 to 3.0 ounces (77 to 85 grams) |
Wingspan | 12.2 to 15.7 inches (31 to 40 cm) |
Habitat | Forests, woodlands, gardens, parks |
Food | Forests, woodlands, gardens, parks |
3. House Finch
House Finch is one of the most common birds that are abundant in number.
They can be easily witnessed in the eastern and western parts of the country.
They are pretty much easily attracted by feeders, and you can have their attention very easily.
Their back is brown, and their tails are also brown in color.
More ever, their face is red.
Although their female counterpart is not completely red and has a grayish-brown color
Primarily they eat insects, and also, they find their meals on the ground and in trees.
They also feed on feeders, so they are a bit socializing birds.
You can attract these birds by installing feeders in your backyard as well.
They are seen a lot in gardens, parks, backyards, farms, etc.
They can also be observed in open woods, grasslands, and also deserts.
They prefer to feed on nuts, berries, wild fruits, and seeds.
Usually, they tend to feed on vegetables and green food but very rarely, they feed on insects also.
Below are the characteristics of the House Finch,
Scientific Name | Haemorhous mexicanus |
Family Name | Fringillidae |
Length | 4.9 to 5.9 inches (12.5 to 15 cm) |
Weight | 0.6 to 1.0 ounces (16 to 27 grams) |
Wingspan | 7.5 to 9.8 inches (19 to 25 cm) |
Habitat | Urban areas, woodlands, shrublands |
Food | Seeds, fruits, buds, insects |
4. Western Bluebird
Western bluebirds have a very beautiful blue color on their heads their throats, and their feathers.
Their breast is of orange color that is rust in the shade, and that color extends from their breast to down their limbs.
Females generally have a dim and duller color.
They can be easily seen in your lawns and backyards, though not so much at feeders.
They can be easily seen through the length and breadth of New Mexico all year round.
Although they may be absent in the northeastern corner and during winters, they fly towards the southern parts.
The favorite meals of the western bluebirds are mainly insects in summer and arthropods, and they are also insectivorous like American robins.
Moreover, they also feed on raspberries, blueberries, junipers, and all sorts of berries and are very much liked by these beautiful blue creatures.
Below are the characteristics of the Western Bluebird,
Scientific Name | Sialia mexicana |
Family Name | Turdidae |
Length | 6.3 to 7.9 inches (16 to 20 cm) |
Weight | 0.9 to 1.1 ounces (26 to 31 grams) |
Wingspan | 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) |
Habitat | Open woodlands, meadows, gardens |
Food | Insects, spiders, fruits, berries |
5. Mourning Dove
Mourning doves are smaller in size with beautiful, elegant bodies.
They have elongated tails that are very much attractive.
Their heads are small, and mourning doves have a fascinating body structure that has black spots on the wings and is of soft brown color.
They are fluffy birds having a dense amount of feathers.
They can be seen resting on phone wires and scrounging for seeds and their meals on lawns, fields, and grasslands.
Mourning Doves are easily observable in open regions or on the edge of forests and wilderness.
They are almost in every state but tend to migrate after the breeding season.
They like eating cracked corn and black sunflower feeds.
If one needs to attract mourning doves to your lawn and backyard, one can do it by spreading millet on the field.
Below are the characteristics of the Mourning Dove,
Scientific Name | Zenaida macroura |
Family Name | Columbidae |
Length | 9 to 13 inches (23 to 33 cm) |
Weight | 3.5 to 6.0 ounces (100 to 170 grams) |
Wingspan | 17 to 18.5 inches (43 to 47 cm) |
Habitat | Open habitats, woodlands, urban areas |
Food | Seeds, grains, fruits |
6. Northern Flicker
Northern flicker belongs to the woodpecker tribe.
They are large in size and are large woodpeckers.
They have brown in color and have spots of black color all over them.
Underneath the tail and the feathers, the major part is yellow in the birds that dwell in the east, and the western birds have these features in red color.
They can be a witness on the ground looking for their food, which is mostly beetles and ants in forest edges or jungles.
Those birds that tend to breed in northern areas like Canada or Alaska most likely migrate downward to southern states where the temperature is more temperate than the harsh, severe winter in the north.
They are easily attracted to backyard feeders that consist of suet or have sunflower seeds and also black oil.
Below are the characteristics of the Northern Flicker,
Scientific Name | Colaptes auratus |
Family Name | Picidae |
Length | 11 to 14 inches (28 to 36 cm) |
Weight | 3.9 to 5.6 ounces (110 to 160 grams) |
Wingspan | 16.5 to 20.1 inches (42 to 51 cm) |
Habitat | Forests, woodlands, open areas |
Food | Insects, ants, beetles, fruits, nuts |
7. Spotted Towhees
Spotted Towhees are big sparrows whose heads and throats are of black color.
Males have black backs, whereas their female counterparts have a brown color.
Both the genders, male and female, have brown sides more like a reddish-brown, and bellies are of white color, and tiny white spots exist on the feathers and the wings.
Moreover, they have an elongated tail similar to a Robin.
They can be found on the ground in thick entangled shrubs searching for bugs, ground dwellers, crawlers, honey bees, crickets, and grasshoppers, just like the American robins.
Other than this, they also eat oak seeds, berries, and seeds.
They reside along the Pacific coast yet fly from the central states in the north after they are done with breeding and show up in winter in huge numbers from north to south across every central state.
You can draw in a huge number of Spotted Towhees to your backyard if there are overgrown leaf borders, and they will most likely pay a visit to the little bit heightened feeders or ground feeders for oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet black, hulled Sunflower seeds, and milo.
Below are the characteristics of the Spotted Towhees,
Scientific Name | Pipilo maculatus |
Family Name | Passerellidae |
Length | 6.9 to 8.7 inches (17.5 to 22 cm) |
Weight | 1.1 to 1.8 ounces (32 to 52 grams) |
Wingspan | 8.7 to 11.4 inches (22 to 29 cm) |
Habitat | Brushy areas, thickets, woodlands |
Food | Insects, seeds, fruits, berries |
8. American Crow
American crows are enormous all-dark birds that make a harsh, cawing sound.
They are normal birds found in many environments, including treetops, fields, woods, seashores, or towns.
They are majestic black beauties and can be easily witnessed throughout the length and breadth.
These creatures are usually scavengers, and they eat most things they can find in the ground ranging from worms, fruits, seeds, and insects.
They also feed on fish, baby turtles, and mussels and will also feed on eggs and tiny small baby infant birds.
Normally they are amongst the few flying creatures that also feed on meat as well as fruits, berries, and veggies.
They can also be witnessed on garbage heaps looking out for a meal.
They are the most abundant ones, and in usually northern areas, they are of full black color, but down in southern states, they might have a greyish neck and the remaining body of black color.
Below are the characteristics of the American Crow,
Scientific Name | Corvus brachyrhynchos |
Family Name | Corvidae |
Length | 16 to 21 inches (40 to 53 cm) |
Weight | 11.1 to 21.9 ounces (314 to 620 grams) |
Wingspan | 33 to 39 inches (84 to 99 cm) |
Habitat | Various habitats, including forests, fields, urban areas |
Food | Omnivorous, feeding on fruits, seeds, insects, small animals |
9. Canyon Wren
Canyon wrens are common to see in the Grand Canyon.
They are found throughout the western region of the United States and Mexico.
They have a long, thin, curved bill.
They have small wings and tiny backs that are red in color, blended with high pigment brown.
Their tails are long that are brighter.
The flanks of the birds, the lower portion of their breast, and the underbelly of this bird are rust-red too, and from beneath the beak till the highest portion of the breast, they are of white color.
This white shading stretches out evenly nearly to the rear of the head, with the leftover upper part of the face being the banded patterns, with heavier brownish color than the rust.
These birds have long, bent, yellow, and dark bills.
As the name proposes, they flew on greater heights as compared to their small sizes.
These birds are most frequently going to be found somewhere in the range of 1000 and 6000-foot heights, dwelling in canyons and slopes.
They should be visible in certain parks now and again, and they range out to looking for food sometimes and then, so watch out, and you may very well recognize a Canyon Wren.
They like to feed on nuts; berries can be found in the woods.
Moreover, they are also fond of eating insects and crawlers that usually dwell on the ground.
Below are the characteristics of the Canyon Wren,
Scientific Name | Catherpes mexicanus |
Family Name | Troglodytidae |
Length | 4.9 to 5.9 inches (12.5 to 15 cm) |
Weight | 0.4 to 0.6 ounces (11 to 17 grams) |
Wingspan | 9.1 to 10.2 inches (23 to 26 cm) |
Habitat | Rocky canyons, cliffs, ravines |
Food | Insects, spiders, small invertebrates |
10. White-winged Dove
They are usually found in desert towns.
They are a bit bigger in size than a Mourning Dove.
Also, they have more muscle mass and a muscular neck than a mourning dove, having a tail that is squarer in structure.
However, having short sizes and are slender.
They are brown in color, and their under-tail part is black in color and has a broad white tip.
They have wings of white colors.
They are observable in southwestern America and the Caribbean.
That can be seen searching for water.
Mainly they are a summer resident in the region.
They prefer seeds, berries, and some fruits as well.
They feed on many seeds; those can be from wild plants.
Also, they can cultivate corn; they eat grains, seeds, and fruits of the saguaro cactus.
They prefer eating on a feeder that is on a raised platform from the ground.
They will eat dark oil, sunflower seeds, and corn.
Below are the characteristics of the White-winged Dove,
Scientific Name | Zenaida asiatica |
Family Name | Columbidae |
Length | 11 to 12.5 inches (28 to 32 cm) |
Weight | 5.3 to 8.1 ounces (150 to 230 grams) |
Wingspan | 18.5 to 21.3 inches (47 to 54 cm) |
Habitat | Woodlands, deserts, urban areas |
Food | Seeds, fruits, grains, insects |
11. Western Kingbird
The Western Kingbird is a bird family that is found in North and South America.
They don’t tend to migrate and are more nonstationary birds, so it stays in a single region all year.
It eats insects, bugs, and bluejays.
They are in abundance and have beautiful colors.
Western kingbird’s heads are of gray color, and their bellies are yellow, the frontal part that makes up their breast portion is white, and the throat is likewise.
Their tails are black in color.
A few different realities concerning these birds are that they have specifically highly contrasting patterns or plumage with a solid yellow stripe on their eyes.
The male has a very dark chest area, while the female has a chest area that is brownish in color.
The kingbird is a mediocre excellent flycatcher that never ceases to hunt its target.
They are found in the central and northern parts of America.
The Western Kingbird is a type of bird in the Tyrannidae family.
It is found in the United States, Peru, Columbia, Argentina Bolivia.
Its normal, natural surroundings are subtropical or tropical high-height shrubland, swamps, and intensely corrupted previous timberland.
These birds and insectivorous in nature, but it is not a hard truth.
They can also feed on fruits and berries.
Below are the characteristics of the Western Kingbird,
Scientific Name | Tyrannus verticalis |
Family Name | Tyrannidae |
Length | 7.5 to 9 inches (19 to 23 cm) |
Weight | 1.3 to 1.8 ounces (36 to 52 grams) |
Wingspan | 13 to 15 inches (33 to 38 cm) |
Habitat | Open habitats, fields, meadows, farmlands |
Food | Insects, berries, fruits, small vertebrates |
12. House Sparrow
These beautiful creatures live in the summer in cold regions of the far north in Alaska and Canada; then, they come south to the United States during the winter.
They are very easy to find and are in great numbers.
Their foreheads are of white color .house sparrows have a bold black and white striped head while the rest of their face, chest, and body remain brown, having shades of black and white color in it.
They like to look for their meals in fields and along with the suburbs of the trails and can also they can be seen on the sideways roads.
These sparrows will come to bird feeders but are most likely to stay on the ground and pick up spilled seeds.
Their origins were in the Middle East, and then they spread to most of Asia and Europe.
Introduced in South America, Africa, and Australia–nearly anywhere there are people and cities.
They eat grain, seeds, and bugs. To deter them from your container and plate feeders, don’t take care of birds’ human food scraps.
They have a touch of trouble eating from tube feeders.
Below are the characteristics of the House Sparrow,
Scientific Name | Passer domesticus |
Family Name | Passeridae |
Length | 5.5 to 6.3 inches (14 to 16 cm) |
Weight | 1 to 1.4 ounces (28 to 40 grams) |
Wingspan | 7.9 to 9.1 inches (20 to 23 cm) |
Habitat | Urban areas, agricultural lands |
Food | Seeds, grains, insects, scraps |
13. White-breasted Nuthatches
White-breasted Nuthatches are dynamic and hyperactive little birds that have backs of blue color, faces of white color, and midsections of darkish color.
They look for their food along the trunks of trees and branches just like woodpeckers do, but they don’t need their tail for any surplus support; instead, they use their strong legs and strong hops.
They do not very often feed on the ground.
They frequently visit feeding hotspots in search of sunflower seeds that they most likely store.
These birds are noisy birds and have, and there is a wide range of voices that these birds can make.
They can be found in the wilderness, backwoods, forest edges, yards, and parks with trees or at feeders.
They predominantly eat bugs, including bugs and their hatchlings and their eggs, caterpillars, subterranean insects, and furthermore bugs.
Below are the characteristics of the White-breasted Nuthatches,
Scientific Name | Sitta carolinensis |
Family Name | Sittidae |
Length | 5.5 to 6.3 inches (14 to 16 cm) |
Weight | 0.6 to 1 ounce (18 to 28 grams) |
Wingspan | 8.5 to 11 inches (22 to 28 cm) |
Habitat | Woodlands, forests, parks |
Food | Insects, seeds, nuts, tree sap |
14. Greater Roadrunner
Maybe no species brings out pictures of the desert southwest more than the Greater Roadrunner.
They are in abundance in New Mexico, roadrunners are normal in some Albuquerque suburbs, and will even visit feeders often when planning to eat mealworms.
They can be witnessed in the early morning with their feather and wings perched on fence posts or puffed on rocks.
Normally this phenomenon is known as sunbathing.
Around evening time, desert temperatures can get so chilly that roadrunners will go into a condition of slowness.
Sunbathing in the first part of the day permits the birds to bring their internal heat level back up without utilizing a lot of energy.
To assist with this, the skin on a roadrunner’s back is dark, expanding the bird’s capacity to absorb as much heat as it can because dark colors are good heat absorbers and poor emitters.
The state bird, the Greater Roadrunner, shows up on everything from gift espresso cups to city paintings.
Its similarity is even painted on the vehicles of the Albuquerque-Santa Fe trainline, which is known as the Rail Runner.
Below are the characteristics of the Greater Roadrunner,
Scientific Name | Geococcyx californianus |
Family Name | Cuculidae |
Length | 20 to 24 inches (51 to 61 cm) |
Weight | 8.1 to 12.3 ounces (230 to 350 grams) |
Wingspan | 17 to 24 inches (43 to 61 cm) |
Habitat | Arid and desert regions, scrublands |
Food | Insects, lizards, small mammals |
15. Barn Swallow
In-flight, the barn swallow shows up in a cone shape with a head that is flat in shape, shoulders that are broad, and wings that are pointed.
The tail of the barn swallow broadens from the wing, and the long feathers of the tail give it a look more like a fork.
The size of the outbuilding swallow is somewhat greater than the tree swallow and more modest than the bluebird.
The wings, tail, as well as the back of the barn swallow, is blue, while the beneath part is rosy brown.
Usually, the males are more vibrant colors.
And brighter than the females.
The blue-colored crown and face work out in a good way for a warm shade of brown on the forehead and the throat.
White spots should be visible under the tail.
Barn swallows join different swallows for feeding when the insects of the marine life hatch eggs, barn swallows hunt on them.
Animal barn swallows love to catch bugs from simply over the water or ground with the assistance of their wings.
They never coast on-air and like to fly with a steady flow, which assists them with taking sharp turns and rapid quick dives.
Barn swallows can be effectively spotted in open fields, parks, gardens, and on streets.
Other than that, they are additionally normal to be found in swamps, lakes, glades, as well as waterfront waters.
The homes of outbuilding swallows are spotted effectively, which are generally worked under sheds, spans, and different developments.
Barn swallows are most likely to feed on insects, and close to 100% of their eating preferences and diet contains little bugs.
Moths, grasshoppers, house and pony fly, insects, wasps, wild honey bees, winged subterranean insects, and genuine bugs are a portion of their beloved food.
Below are the characteristics of the Barn Swallow,
Scientific Name | Hirundo rustica |
Family Name | Hirundinidae |
Length | 5.9 to 7.5 inches (15 to 19 cm) |
Weight | 0.6 to 0.7 ounces (16 to 20 grams) |
Wingspan | 11.8 to 13.4 inches (30 to 34 cm) |
Habitat | Open areas, farmlands, wetlands |
Food | Insects, flies, beetles, mosquitos |
16. Black-chinned Hummingbird
Dark chinned Hummingbirds are dull metallic green on the back and grayish-white under.
The male birds have dark throats with bright, luminous bellies and breasts, and the females usually don’t have a bright appearance like males have.
They can easily adapt to different habitats and can be found in riparian regions and arid as well.
They like more to be in shaded areas and are usually found in mountain foothills, canyons, and urban and suburban gardens and parks.
They can frequently be seen sitting at the highest point of dead trees on small uncovered branches and regularly return to a most loved roost.
They can be found along gorges and waterways in the southwest or by obscure oaks on the Gulf Coast.
Dark chinned Hummingbirds breed in eastern states and move to western Mexico, the Gulf Coast, in the colder time of year.
They eat nectar, little bugs, and insects, and their tongues can lick 13-17 times each subsequent while benefiting from nectar.
To draw in more Black-chinned Hummingbirds to your yard, make nectar made with sugar and water in Hummingbird feeders and local trumpet blossoms in red and orange.
Below are the characteristics of the Black-chinned Hummingbird,
Scientific Name | Archilochus alexandri |
Family Name | Trochilidae |
Length | 3.5 to 4 inches (8.9 to 10.2 cm) |
Weight | 0.1 to 0.2 ounces (2.8 to 5.7 grams) |
Wingspan | 4.3 to 4.7 inches (11 to 12 cm) |
Habitat | Open woodlands, gardens, meadows |
Food | Nectar, insects |
Conclusion
In conclusion, New Mexico offers a captivating haven for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts alike.
The state’s unique geography and varied ecosystems provide a rich habitat for a wide array of bird species.
From the vibrant plumage of the Western Tanager to the soaring flight of the Golden Eagle, each bird brings its own charm and beauty to the landscape.
Whether you’re exploring the desert, mountains, or forests, keep your eyes and ears open for the diverse avian residents of New Mexico.
Take the time to appreciate their melodies, observe their behavior, and marvel at their intricate adaptations.
By immersing ourselves in the world of birds, we gain a deeper understanding of the natural wonders that surround us and the importance of preserving their habitats.
So, grab your binoculars and embark on your own birding adventure in the Land of Enchantment—New Mexico.
FAQ
The best time to spot birds in New Mexico is during the spring and fall migration seasons. Many bird species pass through the state during these times, making it ideal for birdwatching.What is the best time of year to spot birds in New Mexico?
Yes, there are a few endangered bird species in New Mexico, such as the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and the Mexican Spotted Owl. Conservation efforts are in place to protect these vulnerable species and their habitats.Are there any endangered bird species in New Mexico?
New Mexico offers numerous birdwatching hotspots. Some popular locations include Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Sandia Mountains, Gila National Forest, and the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. These areas provide diverse habitats and attract a wide variety of bird species.Where can I go birdwatching in New Mexico?
Yes, New Mexico occasionally attracts rare bird species that stray from their usual migratory paths. Birdwatchers may have the chance to spot unusual visitors, such as the Elegant Trogon or the White-winged Crossbill.Are there any rare bird species that can be seen in New Mexico?
Yes, New Mexico hosts several birding festivals and events throughout the year. The Festival of the Cranes at Bosque del Apache and the Hummingbird Festival in Silver City are two popular gatherings that celebrate the diverse birdlife of the state.Are there any birding festivals or events in New Mexico?
Last Updated on June 5, 2023 by Lily Aldrin
Hi My name is Liliane and my husband and i own the Domes Nature Retreat in the mountains near High Rolls. We have many birds here and I saw one the other day I haven’t been able to identify. About the size of a grackle, a beautiful taupe colour all over except a pale cream underbelly. Beak like a jay, and long tail feathers that glistened blue in the sun. Any ideas?
Love it, nice website. So many birds here on the property. Say about 14 Hummers now, but my favorite new bird is missing(titmouse).
Thanks David