Forests provide diverse habitats for many species of birds. The types of birds found in a particular forest depend on several factors, including the forest type, location, climate, and time of year. This article explores common birds found across various forest habitats.
Common Forest Birds
Some birds are generalists and can thrive in multiple forest types. Here are some of the most widespread forest-dwelling bird species:
- Chickadees
- Nuthatches
- Woodpeckers
- Jays
- Thrushes
- Warblers
- Flycatchers
- Vireos
- Sparrows
- Corvids (crows, ravens, etc.)
These adaptable birds inhabit forests across North America. They nest in tree cavities, branches, or undergrowth. Most are year-round residents, but some migrate seasonally.
Chickadees
Chickadees are tiny acrobatic birds that actively forage in flocks. They eat insects, seeds, and berries. Common species include the Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee, and Boreal Chickadee.
Nuthatches
Nuthatches frequent tree trunks and branches searching for insects and seeds. Their stout bills help pry open crevices in bark. Red-breasted, White-breasted, and Pygmy Nuthatches are widespread forest nuthatch species.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers use their chisel-like bills to excavate holes in trees for nesting and eating wood-boring insects. Downy, Hairy, Pileated, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers live in various forest habitats.
Jays
Jays are intelligent, vocal birds in the crow family. They consume nuts, seeds, fruits, and sometimes small vertebrates. Blue Jays and Steller’s Jays are two commonly encountered forest jays.
Thrushes
Thrushes are songbirds that feed on the forest floor. They have spotted breasts and melodious songs. Hermit Thrushes and American Robins are widespread thrush species found in forests.
Birds of Deciduous Forests
Deciduous forests contain trees like oak, maple, birch, and hickory that shed their leaves seasonally. These forests occur across eastern and central North America. Some birds commonly found in deciduous forests include:
- Scarlet Tanagers
- Ovenbirds
- Wood Thrushes
- Acadian Flycatchers
- Worm-eating Warblers
- Hooded Warblers
- Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
- Indigo Buntings
The dense deciduous canopy provides ideal breeding habitat for many warblers, vireos, and tanagers. Fruiting trees and shrubs also attract birds like Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.
Scarlet Tanagers
Scarlet Tanagers are brightly colored red and black birds that breed in mature deciduous forests. They forage for insects high in the forest canopy.
Ovenbirds
Ovenbirds use their dagger-like bills to probe the ground for insects. They get their name from their domed, oven-shaped nests on the forest floor.
Wood Thrushes
Wood Thrushes have rich, flute-like songs. They nest low in saplings and forage for insects on the ground. Their numbers have declined due to habitat loss and nest parasitism.
Birds of Coniferous Forests
Coniferous or boreal forests contain cone-bearing trees like pines, firs, and spruces. They occur across Canada, the Mountain West, and the Northeastern U.S. Birds you may find in coniferous forests include:
- Crossbills
- Pine Siskins
- Evening Grosbeaks
- Northern Goshawks
- Spruce Grouse
- Gray Jays
- Boreal Chickadees
The adaptations of these birds allow them to thrive in cold northern climates and take advantage of conifer seeds and other boreal food sources.
Crossbills
Crossbills have uniquely crossed mandibles that enable them to pry open unripe conifer cones and extract the seeds. Different crossbill species specialize on certain conifer trees.
Pine Siskins
Pine Siskins use their sharply pointed bills to extract seeds from conifer cones. They also drink sap from holes drilled by sapsuckers.
Evening Grosbeaks
Evening Grosbeaks are striking yellow and black finches. They feed on tree buds, fruits, and conifer seeds. Their numbers fluctuate irruptively each winter.
Birds of Mixed Forests
Mixed forests contain a diverse mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. They provide habitat for both deciduous and coniferous forest specialists as well as generalist birds that thrive in multiple forest types.
Some birds found in mixed forests across their range include:
- Wild Turkeys
- Ruffed Grouse
- White-breasted Nuthatches
- Downy Woodpeckers
- Winter Wrens
- Brown Creepers
- Ovenbirds
- Blue-headed Vireos
Mixed forests support high avian diversity by providing resources and nest sites to birds that occupy different forest niches.
Effects of Season and Migration
The diversity and abundance of forest birds changes throughout the year as species migrate and respond to seasonal shifts in food and resources:
- Many warblers, vireos, tanagers, and flycatchers breed in North American forests in spring and summer before migrating to the tropics in fall and winter.
- Some year-round forest residents form large winter flocks, including chickadees, woodpeckers, and nuthatches.
- Northern finches like crossbills, siskins, and grosbeaks erupt southward in winter during irregular invasion years.
- Insectivorous birds are more abundant in summer, while fruit and seed eaters predominate in winter months.
The movements of migratory and nomadic birds lead to shifts in forest bird diversity and numbers throughout the year.
Summary of Forest Birds
Here is a table summarizing some of the major groups, families, and species of birds found breeding in North American forests:
Bird Group | Families | Example Species |
---|---|---|
Woodpeckers | Picidae | Downy, Hairy, Pileated, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers |
Songbirds | Parulidae (wood-warblers) | Ovenbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler |
Turdidae (thrushes) | Wood Thrush, Veery, Hermit Thrush | |
Corvidae (jays and crows) | Blue Jay, Gray Jay, American Crow | |
Raptors | Accipitridae (hawks) | Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Goshawk |
Falconidae (falcons) | American Kestrel, Merlin | |
Gamebirds | Phasianidae (grouse) | Ruffed Grouse, Spruce Grouse |
Odontophoridae (new world quail) | Northern Bobwhite |
This table gives an overview of some of the major taxonomic groups, families, and representative species found in North American forests. There are many additional families and species across these broad groups.
Conclusion
Forests provide critical breeding and foraging habitat for a diverse range of resident and migratory birds in North America. The species occupying a particular forest depends on many factors, including forest type, plant and insect diversity, landscape connectivity, and seasonal availability of resources. Conservation of forests across North America is crucial for preserving intact bird communities and populations of many threatened forest-dependent bird species.