8 Most Common Birds in Kansas (with Pictures)

Kansas is a beautiful city in Missouri State.

This city is a blend of astonishing cultures and traditions. It is known for its cultural heritage, land birds, and its flora-and-fauna.

When it comes to birds, Kansas City has the most exotic bird species. You do not have to go to specific places to see them; you can find them in your backyard or while taking a stroll on a random day.

According to Great Plains Nature Center, till now, 475 bird species have been found in Kansas.

Now that nature has provided us with beautiful rich habitats with fascinating birds; It is our utmost duty to keep the environment clean and healthy.

NOTE: For all the bird lovers out there, You do not have to cage the birds, You can simply keep water and bird food in your backyard for these birds, and you will occasionally see them.

In this article, I have mentioned the most common birds that you can see in Kansas. With the information provided below, you will be able to recognize them too!

ImageBird NameFeaturesPrice
American Robin

American Robin

  • Scientific Name: Turdus migratorius
  • Length: 20 - 28 cm
  • Weight: 2.7 - 3.0 oz (77 - 85 g)
  • Wingspan: 12.2 - 15.8 inches (31 - 40 cm)
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Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

  • Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis
  • Length: 8.3 - 9.1 inches (21 - 23 cm)
  • Weight: 1.5 - 1.7 oz (42 - 48 g)
  • Wingspan: 9.8 - 12.2 inches (25 - 31 cm)
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Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove

  • Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura
  • Length: 9.1 - 13.4 inches (23 - 34 cm)
  • Weight: 3.4 - 6.0 oz (96 - 170 g)
  • Wingspan: 17.7 inches (45 cm)
9.1
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Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse

  • Scientific Name: Baeolophus bicolor
  • Length: 5.5 - 6.3 inches
  • Weight: 0.6 to 0.9 oz
  • Wingspan: 7.9 - 10.2 inches
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Blue Jay

Blue Jay

  • Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata
  • Length: 9.8 to 11.8 inches
  • Weight: 2.5 to 3.5 oz
  • Wingspan: 13.4 to 16.9 inches
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American Crow

American Crow

  • Scientific Name: Corvus brachyrhynchos
  • Length: 15.8 - 20.9 in (40 - 53 cm)
  • Weight: 11.2-21.9 oz (316 - 620 g)
  • Wingspan: 33.5 - 39.4 in (85 - 100 cm)
8.2
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House Finch

House Finch

  • Scientific Name: Haemorhous mexicans
  • Length: 5.1 - 5.5 inches (13 - 14 cm)
  • Weight: 0.6 - 0.9 oz (6 - 27 g)
  • Wingspan: 7.9 - 9.8 in (20 - 25 cm)
8
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Red-Winged Blackbird

Red-Winged Blackbird

  • Scientific Name: Agelaius phoeniceus
  • Length: 6.7 - 9.1 inches
  • Weight: 1.1 - 2.7 oz
  • Wingspan: 12.2 - 15.8 in
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If you don’t have the time to read the whole article, check out this video for a quick understanding.

Most Common Birds in Kansas

1. American Robin

American Robin

American robins are a sign of the Spring season.

This beautiful bird, with its orange-colored belly and melancholy voice, is the most common bird in Kansas City.

These birds are fond of sweet foods. Berries, fruits, and sweet cakes are their favorite foods. Other than this, they also feed on insects and seeds of small shrubs.

Male and female American robins are very similar. Unless you look up close to find the dull color of females, you can not tell them apart.

Male has stronger color pigment. The shape and size of both males and females vary from each other. Males may have bigger and wider bodies than females.

At the time of mating, the male calls the female to himself through singing.

Naturally, the male provides food and safety while the female sits on the eggs.

Below are the characteristics of the American Robin bird,

Scientific Name Turdus migratorius
Length 20 – 28 cm
Weight 2.7 – 3.0 oz (77 – 85 g)
Wingspan 12.2 – 15.8 inches (31 – 40 cm)
Habitat Woodland, garden, orchard, short grass, lawn, and field
Food Insects, fruits, berries, small nuts, small seeds
Nesting Tree
Behavior Ground Forager

2. Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

North Cardinals are very common and well-liked birds.

As compared to American robins, they are somewhat smaller, but they are comparable in size to Red-winged Blackbirds.

They have a striking red color with a black face. Females are different from males in color. They have a more greyish look.

They also have chubby bodies with long tails. These are those rare kinds of birds with redheads.

Throughout the year, these can be found in shrubby woodlands.

They chew on seeds with their bill. The bill is of conical shape, which is useful for feeding.

It is very interesting to watch northern cardinals eat. They open the seeds and even spit out the hull. They also use their tongues to pick off the kernels.

Below are the characteristics of the North Cardinals,

Scientific Name Cardinalis cardinalis
Length 8.3 – 9.1 inches (21 – 23 cm)
Weight 1.5 – 1.7 oz (42 – 48 g)
Wingspan 9.8 – 12.2 inches (25 – 31 cm)
Habitat Shrubby woodland
Food Seeds, Fruits, and Nuts
Nesting Shrub
Behavior Ground Forager

3. Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove

They are also known as Zenaida macroura, which is their Scientific name.

It belongs to the dove family. If you have a bird feeder, then it is more likely to see a mourning dove. You can find mourning birds in Kansas city throughout the year.

Females are very much similar to males with very little difference. If you look closely, you will notice that males are brighter colored than females. Other than this, they both have similar body dimensions.

Their length could go up to 12 in with a wingspan of 18 in. it is easier to find them and distinguish them.

The mating season for them is both spring and winter. They mate in two different seasons. Like most birds, the male calls upon the female for mating by singing.

The female’s job is to lay eggs and sit on them. The male provides the female and egg with safety and feeds them.

It is usual for mourning birds to be seen around bird feeders, which will have nuts, seeds, insects, etc. they also feed on little worms.

They look for them and feed upon them from the ground or trees.

Below are the characteristics of the Mourning Dove.

Scientific Name Zenaida macroura
Length 9.1 – 13.4 inches (23 – 34 cm)
Weight 3.4 – 6.0 oz (96 – 170 g)
Wingspan 17.7 inches (45 cm)
Habitat Open Woodlands
Food Seeds
Nesting Tree
Behavior Ground Forager

4. Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse

The tufted titmouse is commonly seen around bird feeders and in backyards.

Similar to the northern cardinals, they have a tiny crest that stands them out from the rest of the birds, so they are easy to be differentiated.

They are colored greyish-silver on the top, and towards the bottom, the color gets lighter. There is also a black spot right above their beak.

You can find tufted titmouse throughout the year in the eastern part of Kansas State.

They are not usually found in the western part of Kansas state, so they are rare in those areas.

If you are a bird lover and admirer and you want the titmouse to visit you often, then you should make sure to keep your bird feeders filled with seeds, especially black sunflower seeds.

They love those, and you will surely be able to see them around your bird feeders.

Below are the characteristics of a Tufted Titmouse.

Scientific Name Baeolophus bicolor
Length 5.5 – 6.3 inches
Weight 0.6 to 0.9 oz
Wingspan 7.9 – 10.2 inches
Habitat Forests
Food Foods
Nesting Cavity
Behavior Foliage Gleaner

5. Blue Jay

Blue Jay

Blue Jay is a popular known and commonly seen species in North America and the United States.

It has a massive crest on its head, which is blue in color. The color of its feature is blue, which follows along the whole back, but the feathers on the chest and stomach area are white-colored, which is specific for this bird species.

The wings and the tail has black stripes all over them. A black-colored ring is present around the bird’s neck. Their voices are particularly different and have a touch of metallic sound to them.

These birds carry a caring nature which is so adorable. If there is a predator looking for prey nearby, the blue jay will try to warn all the other birds in the surrounding area.

They are found in Kansas state throughout the year, and you can see them in your surroundings at any time of the year.

If you would like to be visited by the blue jays, then you should install the platform, peanut, or large perched feeders. They love those. Also, they like black sunflower seeds and mixed seeds.

Below are the characteristics of a blue jay.

Scientific Name Cyanocitta cristata
Length 9.8 to 11.8 inches
Weight 2.5 to 3.5 oz
Wingspan 13.4 to 16.9 inches
Habitat Forests
Food Omnivore
Nesting Tree
Behavior Ground Forager

6. American Crow

American Crow

We are all pretty family with these full black crows and their cawing voice.

You can easily identify the American crow by its size, which is about 1.5 inches long.

This site is not fixed; they greatly vary in size throughout the State. They are sometimes larger in size than the blackbirds and the grackles, but they are smaller in size than the ravens.

They have a wide neck with a larger head and a shorter square-shaped tail. Their legs are really long and have wings with round tips, which help them in their flight.

The feathers on their wings are distinctively separated from each other, forming a finger-like appearance.

They have a glossy black appearance overall.

They are usually found in wider open areas with fields, trees, and vast greenery.

They are commonly found throughout the United States of America except for the deserts in the southwest of the country.

They migrate towards southern Canada in the summers.

In the evening, they all gather in larger numbers, and as a flock, they would move around in the surroundings.

Below are the characteristics of the American Crow.

Scientific Name Corvus brachyrhynchos
Length 15.8 – 20.9 in (40 – 53 cm)
Weight 11.2-21.9 oz (316 – 620 g)
Wingspan 33.5 – 39.4 in (85 – 100 cm)
Habitat Open Woodlands
Food Omnivore
Nesting Tree
Behavior Ground Forager

7. House Finch

House Finch

House finches have small bodies with large beaks, and long horizontal surfaced heads.

Their wings are very short and of which, their tail seems to be really long. So they are usually differentiated by their long tails.

A lot of finches have notched tails that stand out, but the house finches, on the other hand, have facile notched tails as compared to the other finches.

They feed on the bird feeders that people leave out for birds. They feed on weed stalks, on the ground, and on the trees.

They crush the seeds by quick biting. Their flight is not smooth; while seeing them, it seems like they are bouncing just like most finches.

Below are the characteristics of House Finches.

Scientific Name Haemorhous Mexicans
Length 5.1 – 5.5 inches (13 – 14 cm)
Weight 0.6 – 0.9 oz (6 – 27 g)
Wingspan 7.9 – 9.8 in (20 – 25 cm)
Habitat Towns
Food Seeds
Nesting Tree
Behavior Ground Forager

8. Red-Winged Blackbird

Red-Winged Blackbird

Red-winged blackbirds are the most common species.

They are present in marshy areas and wet fields along the coast.

They are brave and not afraid of other birds and humans. They would charge an attack on larger, more dangerous birds, too, like the hawk or crows, etc.

The males have distinctive characteristics from the female.

They have red-colored spots on their body which are hard to see sometimes because they are hidden below the feathers.

When it is not the nesting season, these red-winged blackbirds will roost in vast amounts.

Below are the characteristics of Red-winged blackbirds,

Scientific Name Agelaius phoeniceus
Length 6.7 – 9.1 inches
Weight 1.1 – 2.7 oz
Wingspan 12.2 – 15.8 in
Habitat Marshes
Food Insects
Nesting Shrub
Behavior Ground Forager

Conclusion

The State of Kansas is rich in heritage, filled with beautiful sceneries, and has the world’s most exotic birds.

If you are a bird lover and admirer, you would definitely want to move there and see all kinds of beautiful birds on a daily basis in your backyard or in your surrounding.

In Short, These are the Most Common Birds in Kansas:

  1. American Robin
  2. Northern Cardinal
  3. Mourning Dove
  4. Tufted Titmouse
  5. Blue Jay
  6. American Crow
  7. House Finch
  8. Red-Winged Blackbird

FAQ

What kind of birds do they have in Kansas?

Birds found in the State of Kansas are

  • Northern Cardinal also called the Cardinalis cardinalis
  • Mourning Dove.
  • American Robin.
  • Blue Jays.
  • European Starling.
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker.
  • Black-capped Chickadee.
  • Red-winged Blackbird.

What is the most common bird in Kansas?

The most common birds in the Kansas state are as follows,

  • Northern Cardinal (46 percentage points frequency)
  • Mourning Dove (42 percentage points frequency)
  • American Robin (41 percentage points frequency)

Last Updated on March 22, 2023 by Lily Aldrin

About Lily Aldrin

I am Lily Aldrin. I attended Cornell University, where I obtained my degree to become an Ornithologist so I could pursue my love of these magnificent creatures in and out of their natural habitats.

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