Common Birds?

In the previous post we discussed rare birds which may be common in other regions. So how about some “common” birds? The Common Loon above is the icon of the north woods. Common in many parts of northern USA and southern Canada, its eerie wale is recognized by nearly everyone. So distinctive, it is oft heard in movie scenes to highlight a dark and scary moment — even in scenes from location the bird does not inhabit! Many a movie jungle scene from African or South American based movies have the call of the north woods in the background.

The American Goldfinch is quite common in my area. I hear their po-ta-to-chip flight song regularly as I walk through my neighborhood. Although common, they are one of those birds that attract many people to feeding and enjoying backyard birds. Some of these folks progress to seeking birds elsewhere while others are content to enjoy them at home.

The Purple Finch pictured above, though similar in appearance, is much less common than the House Finches in southeast Pennsylvania. Before the 1940s it was the other way around. House Finches are a west coast species that were brought to the east as caged birds, sold as “Hollywood Birds.” Lack of popularity caused their release into the wild, where they flourished and expanded quickly in their new range.

Black-capped Chickadees are quite common in Northern states, including PA. They can be found in my backyard alongside the Carolina Chickadees who’s range expands southward from here. The narrow belt, which includes my neighborhood, where the two species overlap, there is much hybridization and sharing of songs. It can be quite confusing.

A harbinger of spring, the American Robin’s happy song can be heard all across North America. Robin’s are recognized by everyone, even at a very young age. Though in the thrush family and not actually a “true” robin — a family found in Europe and Africa — its red breast was a welcome sight to the earlier colonists who coined its name as a reminder of home and their own European Robin and its red breast.