My search of ‘birds in summer’ brought up many different species as you can imagine. I love to see the birds tweeting and flying and having a great time swooping down to wherever they decide to land. So I picked out the wild birds I have seen and watched the most throughout the years to talk about here.
Robin
The first of our wild bird species I will mention is the Robin with its wonderful red breast. I always remember seeing them first thing in the Spring digging for worms and skittering about the yard. They are just 9 to 11 inches in length and are the most abundant bird here in North America. Their life span is just two years and they are known to represent an angel’s omen when you spot one!
Hummingbird
The next I recall seeing quite often through the years in summer bird sightings is a Hummingbird, usually a ruby-throated Hummingbird. They are so tiny and amazing. You know they visit hundreds of flowers every day. But did you know that they weigh less than a dime. Wow. There are actually 360 species of Hummingbirds and they are related to the Swift.
Have you ever seen one of their teeny tiny nests? My sister had one in her backyard so I had the privilege of seeing it firsthand.
Now I have them come right up into my deck to check out my flowering plants, and I have added a feeder..so fun to see them up close!
Sparrows
More birds in summer are Sparrows, fun little guys, so noisy and cheerful. They are quite small, only 5 to 5-3/4 inches in length. What is interesting is that they prefer manmade structures for their nests. So they can make a mess and possibly cause some damage.
They always appeared at my 2nd floor deck bird feeder.
Chickadee
Who cannot love a Chickadee. Those round little chubby birds who represent energy, courage, and curiosity. They are known to bring positivity and joy to us. They enjoy sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet if you would like to encourage them over to your place.
Woodpecker
I haven’t seen a ton of Woodpeckers but I have spotted a few, both a Pileated and a Flicker in my summer bird sightings. The Pileated is so distinguished with that red topknot. I saw him from afar in a wooded area.
Whereas the Flicker came right up to my bird feeder on my deck…a quite large bird and I definitely heard him before seeing him. He also came back with his mate at least twice.
Doves
Doves are so graceful with their slender tail and symbolize peace and power. These birds are very abundant in North America and can be tamed, but evidently they do not like to be petted. They like to eat millet, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds. The few doves I have encountered are very quiet and seem extremely peaceful.
For some pet bird stories, see “I Want a Pet Bird”. And –
Great Blue Heron
The elusive Great Blue Heron is the largest of the Heron species growing to 4 feet and is also quite rare. Even though they may be 4 feet in length, they only weigh 5 or 6 pounds due to the hollow bone structure of birds. I have seen a few of this wild bird species and feel so privileged to find one, always near the water. They can fly up to 30 miles per hour. Food preferences are berries, fish, and frogs.
Nuthatch
Another very small bird that I love to watch, but was not in the listing I found, is the Nuthatch. He is like a tiny woodpecker and so very adorable. I have only seen this guy in tall fir trees pecking away, probably after insects.
Blue Jay
Another bird I see or used to see quite often is the Blue Jay. They are very handsome birds but can be very vocal and loud and quite aggressive and mean too. But they are interesting to watch. And, they do love those peanuts, so watch out squirrels, the nut raider is lurking nearby!
Crows
Crows are another very vocal, very loud, and aggressive bird. They are also said to be the most intelligent. I had a friend who found a baby crow and trained it to travel sitting on his head. They are not my fav but another very interesting avian.
Starlings
The last one I want to mention, that I used to see quite often in summer is the Starling. This is another aggressive bird who makes a ton of noise and will scare off other bird species. They have been known to destroy crops and berries. One that I saw near a lake had a red streak by his head. He was quite outstanding. Otherwise, Starlings are not at all my favs.
The next three birds are not mentioned in the summer birds listing but are some that I do see practically every day. And they really belong in the geese and waterfowl area.
Canadian Goose
First is the Canadian Goose. A beautiful bird in flight and on the ground and in the water. These ‘honkers’, and they are loud, measure anywhere from 29 to 43 inches in length and weigh in at anywhere from 7 to 20 pounds.
Just walking by the river park today, there were at least 200 Canadian Geese resting on and grazing on the grass, with two cute fuzzy teenage birds among them. I have seen them parade in single file down the creek, located behind me, with their new born coming up last and followed by an adult. They are very protective of their babies.
Mallard Ducks
In my walks to the creek near me, I always see several Mallard Ducks and their less colorful mates, usually swimming or searching upside down in the water in search of food, or resting on the shore enjoying some sun. These ducks weigh just one and a half to three and a half pounds. Once in a while you will see a female leading a parade of baby ducklings, so very precious.
Wood Ducks
And, not quite so often I do see a Wood Duck or two swimming down the creek. They are so small they only weigh about one and a half pounds and have very distinct markings.
Those are my bird loves or not. There are so many and they are such beautiful creatures able to fly above us and soar through the sky.
Bald Eagles
I cannot go without mentioning the Bald Eagle, our great soaring wild bird species. There is a giant bronze replica of the Bald Eagle on a street where I used to live. Our American symbol. I have seen very few but did have one swoop down and scoop up a squirrel in his talons right in front of my eyes to my horror, but I guess they do have to eat. They are definitely majestic birds.
Funny Bird Videos
Following are some fun bird videos from Big Geek Daddy. The first is about hummingbirds – https://biggeekdad.com/2021/08/facts-about-hummingbirds/ —
Next is the ever fun to see Woodpecker – https://biggeekdad.com/2017/02/woodpecker-at-work/ —
And lastly, check out some birds of prey – https://biggeekdad.com/2014/01/birds-prey/.
Thanks
Pet Viewpoint and Tricia Perry thank you for stopping today. Come back next week and please do let us have your comments down below on the left. Follow us by clicking on our free “Subscribe” button at the very bottom of this page so you do not miss out on some great care and training tips for your pets.