30 Most Common Birds of Kentucky (With Key Identifications)

Known as the Bluegrass State, Kentucky is a small to medium-sized state in the south-central part of the country. Kentucky has a population of 4,509,000 people and a bird list of 396 species. These birds live in 40,408 square miles of hardwood forests, meadows, farmlands, wetlands, and other habitats.

This bird list is less than most other states but includes several beautiful warbler species, the handsome Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the official state bird of Kentucky, the Northern Cardinal.

State Bird of Kentucky

The state bird of Kentucky is the Northern Cardinal. This beautiful, crested bird with a big orange-red beak visits feeders and gardens throughout the state. Males are easily recognized by their bright red plumage contrasting with jet black on the face and throat.

Females are shaped like males but have duller grayish-brown plumage. They are still easily identified by their crest and conical orange-red beak.

Northern Cardinals usually occur in pairs and are regular visitors to bird feeders. These striking birds also forage for seeds and insects on the ground and in low vegetation. Kentucky’s state bird nests in gardens, parks, and other brushy habitats.

Read more here

Other Common Birds of Kentucky

According to eBird data for past two years, 319 species were counted in Kentucky. Even though we picked out some, that doesn’t mean that birds such as Dark-eyed Juncos or Chipping Sparrows are not common.

These are the TOP 30 species from those bird counts.

Northern Cardinal

Scientific name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Length: 8.75 inches
Weight: 1.6 ounces
Wingspan: 12 inches
Song: “pichew-pichew-pichew, chew,chew,chew,chew,chew”

Northern Cardinals are one of the most beautiful common birds in most states, including Kentucky. It’s no wonder seven different states chose it to be their official bird.

Another fun fact about this species is that female Northern Cardinals also sing. These common backyard birds sing while sitting on the nest and may do so to tell their mates to bring food or warn them about predators.

They come to feeders, usually platform feeders or hopper feeders.

Key Identifications:

• Crested bird with a conical orange-red beak and a black face. Males are red, females are grayish-brown and buff.
• Forages for seeds and insects on and near the ground.
• Makes a cup-shaped nest in bushes and low trees.
• Sings a clear, whistled song of repeated notes. They can sound like “cheer, cheer, chew, chew, chew, chew” or a quick “birdee,birdee,birdee,birdee,birdee“. They also make loud, sharp chip notes.

American Robin

Scientific name: Turdus migratorius

Length: 10 inches
Weight: 2.7 ounces
Wingspan: 17 inches
Song: “cheery, cheery, cheery, cheery, cheer, cheer”

The American Robin’s estimated population of 370 million, the American Robin is considered to be the most numerous landbird in North America. And Kentucky is no different. American Robins are one of the most common backyard birds you can see in Kentucky!

Key Identifications:

• Fair-sized songbird that is dark gray above, and brick red and white below.
• Forages for worms and bugs on lawns and other open grassy areas, also flocks together to feed on fruiting trees in the winter.
• Makes a cup nest in trees.
• The American Robin is quite vocal and makes a loud, sharp, “yenk!” call and quieter “check,check,check” calls. It also has a lovely cheerful song of caroled phrases, “cheery, cheery, cheery, cheery, cheer, cheer”.

Blue Jay

Photograph © Alan Wilson.

Scientific name: Cyanocitta cristata

Length: 11 inches
Weight: 3 ounces
Wingspan: 16 inches
Song: “Nyeah! Nyeah! Nyeah!”

The Blue Jay is a common, intelligent, and noisy bird. They make their presence known with their loud calls and can visit feeders. Ironically, when communicating with each other at close quarters, this species makes much softer and quieter calls. It’s almost as if they are talking with each other!

Key Identifications:

• Crested, fairly large bird with bright blue above and gray below.
• Feeds in trees and at feeders. Eats acorns, nuts, insects and many other food items.
• Makes a messy cup nest of sticks in a tree.
• Very vocal. In flight, Blue Jays often call as they swoop through the trees. They make a variety of sounds and mimic some other birds. Common calls include a nasal and complaining “Nyeah! Nyeah! Nyeah!” and various whistled calls.

Carolina Chickadee

Scientific name: Poecile carolinensis

Length: 4.75 inches
Weight: .37 ounces
Wingspan: 7.5 inches
Song: “see-dee, see-dew”

The Carolina Chickadee is a small grayish bird with a black cap and throat. They usually occur in small flocks that forage for insects and seeds as they chatter and move through woodlands and park-like habitats. This species uses its excellent memory to recall where it keeps hidden bits of food.

These little birds are common at backyard feeders, where they eat black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet.

Key Identifications:

• The Carolina Chickadee is a small gray and buff bird with a smart black cap, black throat, and white face.
• Feeds on small insects and seeds. A regular visitor to bird feeders.
• Nests in tree cavities and nest boxes.
• Carolina Chickadees are vocal birds that make nasal “chick a dee dee dee” calls, and a high-pitched, “see-dee, see-dew”.

Mourning Dove

Photograph © Greg Lavaty.

Scientific name: Zenaida macroura

Length: 12 inches
Weight: 4.2 ounces
Wingspan: 18 inches
Song: “hooOOA, hoo, hoo, hoo”

Mourning Doves is the common garden dove in most of its range. It often visits feeders and its cooing song is commonly mistake for an owl. This species has a short lifespan with many adults only living for a couple of years or less.

Key Identifications:

• Plain brown and gray dove with a long, pointed tail.
• Feeds on seeds at feeders and on the ground in open areas.
• Makes a small, messy nest of sticks in trees.
• Sings a sad and owl-like “hooOOA, hoo, hoo, hoo”.

Tufted Titmouse

Scientific name: Baeolophus bicolor

Length: 6.5 inches
Weight: .75 ounces
Wingspan: 9.75 inches
Song: “peter peter peter”

The Tufted Titmouse is an easily recognized bird that lives in parks, gardens, and woodlands. It occurs in small flocks, often visits feeders, and needs dead trees or nest boxes to breed. This species lines its nest with mammal hair including fur from Raccoons, Opossums, and other animals.

Key Identifications:

• Small, crested blue-gray bird with pale underparts and a white face.
• Feeds on seeds and insects and visits feeders.
• Nests in tree cavities and nest boxes.
• The Tufted Titmouse is a very vocal bird. It gives constant whistled calls over and over, “peter peter peter“.

Carolina Wren

Scientific name: Thryothorus ludovicianus

Length: 5.5 inches
Weight: .74 ounces
Wingspan: 7.5 inches
Song: “teakettle, teakettle, teakettle”

The Carolina Wren is a vocal species of gardens and second growth. Pairs use their long beaks to catch bugs and insects and aren’t shy about nesting near people. Many of these friendly birds have nested in such places as old shoes, potted plants, and abandoned cars.

Key Identifications:

• Small reddish-brown and buff bird with a long beak and long white eyebrow.
• Feeds on arthropods in dense, tangled vegetation.
• Makes a domed cup nest with a side entrance in crevices, tree cavities, and human-made structures.
• Carolina Wrens fill the garden with loud and melodious songs. One common song sounds like, “teakettle, teakettle, teakettle“. They also make trilled sounds and harsh, nasal calls.

American Crow

Scientific name: Corvus brachyrhynchos

Length: 17.5 inches
Weight: 1 pound
Wingspan: 39 inches
Song: “Caw! Caw!”

The American Crow is a common, large black bird that frequently calls, “Caw! Caw! Caw!”. It usually occurs in flocks and lives in all sorts of places, even urban zones. These birds are very smart and have funerals or wakes! When a crow dies, other crows mark the occasion by gathering together and loudly calling.

Key Identifications:

• Big, all black bird with long, broad wing and a broad tail.
• Forages for carrion, fruit, seeds, insects, and small animals.
• Builds a bulky stick nest high in a tree.
• American Crows are very vocal birds. They can make several calls but their most common one is, “Caw! Caw! Caw!”.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes carolinus

Length: 9.25 inches
Weight: 2.2 ounces
Wingspan: 16 inches
Song: “Qwerr!”

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are common and adaptable birds. As long as big trees are present, we see them in urban areas as well as wilder places. They also visit feeders and have a very long tongue. When extended, it sticks out 2 inches past the tip of its bill!

These woodpeckers can often seen around trees, where they hold on to the tree bark with their feet.

Key Identifications:

• Grayish woodpecker with black and white barring above, and red on the top of the head and back of the neck.
• Forages for seeds, nuts, insects and other food on trunks and branches.
• Nests in a tree cavity, high overhead.
• Makes a loud exclamation, “Qwerr!“. It also makes other, briefer and quieter “chug” calls.

Downy Woodpecker

Scientific name: Dryobates pubescens

Length: 6.75 inches
Weight: .95 ounces
Wingspan: 12 inches
Song: “Pik! Ch,ch,ch,ch,ch,ch,ch!”

Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest woodpecker species in North America and usually occur in pairs. They can also forage with other small birds and often visit feeders. This species takes advantage of its size to peck into the stems of weeds and other plants too small for larger woodpeckers to perch on.

In Kentucky, these woodpeckers are more commonly seen than the similar Hairy Woodpeckers, but both inhabit this state.

Read more: Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker – How similar are they?

Key Identifications:

• Smallest woodpecker in North America. Mostly black and white with a short, black beak.
• Forages on trees, in bushes, and at feeders for insects, seeds, and suet.
• Nests in tree cavities.
• The Downy Woodpecker makes sharp “pik!” calls and also has a trilled call, “Ch,ch,ch,ch,ch,ch,ch!“.

European Starling

Photograph © Greg Lavaty.

Scientific name: Sturnus vulgaris

Length: 8.5 inches
Weight: 2.9 ounces
Wingspan: 16 inches
Song: “tiktiktitZHREEree..tiktiktik..ZHREE”

European Starlings are rounded, blackish birds with long, sharp beaks and short tails. They live in towns, cities, parks, on farms, and in other open habitats. This species forms large flocks called, “murmurations” that move in coordinated patterns.

Key Identifications:

• Rotund, short-tailed bird with a long, sharp beak, and pointed wings. Glossy black with some spotting in the summer and blackish with heavy white spotting and streaking in the winter.
• Feeds on seeds, fruit, and insects. Visits feeders and forages on the ground in flocks.
• Builds a soft cup nest in nest boxes and other cavities.
• The European Starling makes a wide variety of mechanical and whistled sounds. They also mimic other birds and sounds in their environment. They sing long, jumbled mechanical-sounding songs, “tiktiktitZHREEree..tiktiktik..ZHREE”.

American Goldfinch

Scientific name: Carduelis tristis

Length: 5 inches
Weight: .46 ounces
Wingspan: 9 inches
Song: “swit sweet, sipsipsipchichisweetsweet”

American Goldfinches are small, common finches that frequent weedy and brushy fields, second growth, parks, and backyards. Outside of the breeding season, they occur in small flocks and often visit feeders.

These types of birds are common backyard visitors, and stay in Kentucky year-round.

Key Identifications:

• Small, bright yellow finch with a black cap, wings and tail (summer male), female and winter males are plain brown, buff, and yellowish birds with two pale wing bars.
• Feeds on seeds in low plants, trees, and at feeders.
• Makes a tightly woven cup nest high in a shrub or low tree.
• Often gives a “per chickory” call in flight and sings a short, trilled song, “swit sweet, sipsipsipchichisweetsweet”.

Song Sparrow

Scientific name: Melospiza melodia

Length: 6.25 inches
Weight: .7 ounces
Wingspan: 8.25 inches
Song: “seet serate sitsziziziziziziziz seet”

The Song Sparrows are reddish-brown songbirds with dark brown streaks and a dark brown breast patch on white underparts. They usually occur in pairs and are often heard and seen in brushy areas and large gardens. There are several subspecies with distinct plumages including a large, dark one that lives on the Aleutian Islands.

Key Identifications:

• Small brown, streaked sparrow with a dark mark on its breast.
• Forages on and near the ground for seeds and insects in brushy habitats.
• Builds a cup nest on or near the ground in a shrub or low tree.
• Makes high-pitched “tink”, chirping calls, and has a cheerful song with a trill, “seet serate sitsziziziziziziziz seet”.

House Finch

Photograph © John Hansen

Scientific name: Haemorhous mexicanus

Length: 6 inches
Weight: .88 ounces
Wingspan: 10 inches
Song: “chip,chip,chiprididip,ZREEYachip”

House Finches are sparrow-like, reddish or brownish, streaked birds. They live in arid zones as well as in parks and urban areas. All of the millions of House Finches that live east of the Rocky Mountains are descendants of birds released on Long Island in 1939.

Key Identifications:

• Reddish or plain gray-brown, streaked, sparrow-like bird.
• Eats seeds, flowers, buds, and fruit. Can visit feeders but also forages on the ground and in bushes and trees.
• Makes a soft cup nest in trees, on building ledges, and other places.
• The House Finch often makes a soft, “fidip” call. Males also sing a warbling song from prominent, high perches. It sounds like, “chip,chip,chiprididip,ZREEYachip”.

Turkey Vulture

Scientific name: Cathartes aura

Length: 26 inches
Weight: 4 pounds
Wingspan: 67 inches
Song: “hisss”

The Turkey Vulture is commonly seen flying over every type of habitat. They are often seen on their own but can occur in flocks, especially during migration. Unlike most other birds, this species uses its amazing sense of smell to find dead animals.

Key Identifications:

• Big, dark raptor with a small red head that soars with long wings held in a “V”.
• Feeds on dead animals.
• Nests on the ground in caves and hollow logs in secluded areas.
• Turkey Vultures rarely call and mostly make hissing sounds at their nest.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Scientific name: Sitta carolinensis

Length: 5.75 inches
Weight: .74 ounces
Wingspan: 11 inches
Song: “wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn”

White-breasted Nuthatches are small blue-gray and white birds with slightly upturned beaks. They creep down trees in many wooded areas and are regular visitors to feeders. This species prefers to forage in flocks with chickadees and titmouse species because they are good at finding food and quick to make alarm calls when they see a predator.

Key Identifications:

• Sparrow-sized, short-tailed songbird that is blue-gray above, mostly white below, and has a longish, slightly upturned beak.
• Creeps on branches and down tree trunks for insects, nuts, and seeds. Also visits feeders.
• Uses grass and soft bark to make a cup nest in a tree cavity or nest box.
• Quite vocal and makes nasal calls “yank yank”, and sings a nasal, laughter-like song, “wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn wehn”.

Red-winged Blackbird

Scientific name: Agelaius phoeniceus

Length: 8.75 inches
Weight: 1.8 ounces
Wingspan: 13 inches
Song: “kan-keree!”

The Red-winged Blackbird is a medium-sized blackbird species with a sharp, all black bill. Males also have a scarlet patch with a pale yellow border on the shoulder of each wing.

It is a common, social species easily seen in marshes and open habitats. In the winter, it can form huge flocks that feed in farm fields. This species can make a daily commute of 50 miles to and from roosting and feeding sites.

Key Identifications:

• Males are medium-sized blackbirds with a bright red patch on their wings. Females are heavily streaked, have a sharp black beak, and buff on the head.
• Feeds on seeds, grain, and insects on the ground in many open habitats.
• Builds a cup nest in a bush or other low vegetation.
• Red-winged Blackbirds often call. Males sing a loud, “kan-keree!” and both sexes also make “check!” calls and a high-pitched whistle-like sound.

Northern Mockingbird

Scientific name: Mimus polyglottos

Length: 10 inches
Weight: 1.7 ounces
Wingspan: 14 inches
Song: “kerdee, kerdee, kerdee…jirdle,jirdle,jidrle…”

The Northern Mockingbird is a pale gray and white bird with a long tail. Around the same size as an American Robin, it has a dark line through a pale eye, a short, slender beak, and two white wing bars.

Northern Mockingbirds can mimic the calls of 35 bird species as well as mechanical sounds. More than a century ago, these avian virtuosos were highly prized as a cagebird and were traded for large sums of money.

Key Identifications:

• Vocal, gray and white bird with a small bill, white wing patches, and a long, black and white tail.
• Feeds on the ground in open areas and in bushes. Mostly eats insects and berries.
• Makes a cup nest in a bush or low tree.
• Very vocal. Sings many phrases and mimics many other birds. Some of the more regular phrases sound like, “kerdee, kerdee, kerdee…jirdle,jirdle,jidrle…“. These are interspered with the calls of Blue Jays, woodpeckers, Tufted Titmouse, and various other bird species.

Common Grackle

© Shawn McCready

Scientific name: Quiscalus quiscula

Length: 12.5 inches
Weight: 4 ounces
Wingspan: 17 inches
Song: “Sherink!”

The Common Grackle is a jay-sized, glossy black bird with pale eyes and a long, wedge-shaped tail. Depending on lighting, this bird shows metallic purple, blue, green, and bronze highlights.

Males and females look very similar but females have shorter tails and less iridescence. Both sexes also have stout, black beaks, and strong, black legs and feet.

The Common Grackle is a common, glossy black bird with pale eyes. It usually occurs in flocks in open and park-like habitats. This species occasionally nests in odd places, including occupied nests of Great Blue Herons and Ospreys!

Key Identifications:

• Fairly large, black bird with glossy purple, greenish, bronze, or dark blue highlights. It also has pale eyes and a long, wedge-shaped tail.
• Forages for insects, seeds, and other food on the ground in a variety of open habitats.
• Constructs a bulky cup nest in a conifer.
• Common Grackles are vocal birds. They frequently give raspy, metallic calls, “Sherink!”, and “kek” calls.

Canada Goose

Scientific name: Branta canadensis

Length: 35 – 45.2 inches
Weight: 5.29 – 19.8 pounds
Wingspan: 50 – 67 inches
Song: “uurrRUNK! uurrRUNK!”

The Canada Goose is a large, grayish-brown bird with a long black neck, and black head with a white throat and cheeks. Males and females look alike and have pale barring, a white belly and undertail, and a short black and white tail.

They have strong direct flight and make deep flaps with long, broad wings.

These big birds are a common sight on golf courses and other places that combine open lawns and water. When the Canada Goose and other birds migrate in “V” formation, they expend less energy than flying on their own.

Key Identifications:

• Big, gray-brown goose with a long black neck, and black and white head.
• Grazes vegetation and forages for berries in wide open, grassy habitats near water like golf courses, parks, and airports.
• Makes a shallow, open cup nest on an elevated spot next to water.
• Vocal and often makes honking calls, “uurrRUNK! uurrRUNK!”.

House Sparrow

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) perched on a branch in the Atlantic rainforest of southeast Brazil.

Scientific name: Passer domesticus

Length: 6.25 inches
Weight: .98 ounces
Wingspan: 9.5 inches
Song: “see,chirrup,see,chirrup,see,chirrup”

House Sparrows are small, plump gray and brown birds with conical, finch-like beaks. Males have a gray and rufous head with pale cheeks, and black near their eyes and on their throat.

The rest of their underparts are gray and they have brown, streaked backs with rufous highlights. They also have a white mark in the shoulder of each wing and a grayish rump and tail.

Females are plainer brown and buff, have paler beaks, and buff eyebrows.

In many places, the House Sparrow is the common urban sparrow. It occurs in pairs and small groups that forage on sidewalks, in parking lots, farm fields, and other familiar places. This species is one of the very few birds that has evolved to live with people and digest the same grains that we eat.

Key Identifications:

• Brown and gray sparrow with a bold pattern on its head.
• Feeds on seeds, grain, and insects at feeders and on the ground in urban areas and farmlands.
• Nests in tree cavities, including nest boxes.
• This species is vocal and often makes short chirping calls. Its song is a friendly series of chirping sounds, “see,chirrup,see,chirrup,see,chirrup”.

White-throated Sparrow

Scientific name: Zonotrichia albicollis

Length: 6.75 inches
Weight: .91 ounces
Wingspan: 9 inches
Song: “Ohhh Canada Canada Canada”

The White-throated Sparrow is a chunky, gray and brown sparrow with a white throat, and black and white stripes on its head. It has dark streaks on its back, a gray rump, and a bit of yellow in front of its eyes.

Males and females look the same and have reddish-brown wings with two white wing bars. Young White-throated Sparrows and some adults are duller brown with tan stripes on their heads and a dingy white throat.

They breed in northern forests and flock together during the winter in various woodland habitats. The yellow pigment in the patches in front of their eyes comes from eating colorful berries during fall and winter.

Key Identifications:

• Large sparrow with a white throat and bold black and white or tan stripes on its head.
• Scratches leaves on the ground to find seeds and insects. They also eat berries.
• Makes a cup nest of grass, bark, and twigs, on the ground, under dense vegetation.
• Flocks of White-throated Sparrows often make sharp “tink” calls. They also sing a clear, whistled song, “Ohhh Canada Canada Canada” or, “Ohhh, Cana, Cana, Cana”.

Eastern Towhee

Scientific name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Length: 8.5 inches
Weight: 1.4 ounces
Wingspan: 10.5 inches
Song: “drink your TEA!”

The Eastern Towhee is a thrush-sized, boldly patterned, sparrow-like bird with red-brown eyes and a black, finch-like beak. It is dark above, has a small white patch in the wing, and a white belly with chestnut flanks.

It also has buff on its undertail, and white spots under its longish, rounded tail. Males have black upperparts and a black hood while these parts on females are dark brown. Young birds are dark brown and heavily streaked. They also have a pale wing patch and a buff undertail.

Eastern Towhee nests are often used by  Brown-headed Cowbirds, to lay eggs in their nests but this doesn’t seem to have a big effect on their populations..

Key Identifications:

• Medium-sized, boldly patterned bird with a dark hood, small white wing patch, and chestnut flanks.
• Forages for insects and seeds on the ground, in leaf litter beneath and next to dense second growth.
• Builds an open cup nest in dense vegetation, near or on the ground.
• Quite vocal makes a brief jay or cat-like call, “neah”, a “short rising “week!” sound, and sings a distinctive song with a trilled note at the end, “Drink your TEA!”.

Northern Flicker

Scientific name: Colaptes auratus

Length: 12.5 inches
Weight: 4.6 ounces
Wingspan: 20 inches
Song: “kick,kick,kik,kik,kik.kik.kik.kik.kik.kik.kik.kik!”

Northern Flickers are fairly large, tan and gray woodpeckers with black spots all over their bodies. They have a black mark on their breast, black spotting below, and a dark, stout beak.

Males in the east have a tawny throat and face with a black moustache and small red spot on the back of their heads. Males in the west have mostly gray heads with a red moustache.

Female Northern Flickers look like males but lack the moustache mark.

Northern Flickers are fairly big, tan woodpeckers with gray highlights, a white rump, and black markings. They mostly forage for ants on the ground in open and wooded areas. The red-shafted Northern Flickers in the west used to be considered a separate species from the yellow-shafted flickers of the east. At present, they are considered to be one species because they frequently hybridize with each other.

Key Identifications:

• Tan and gray woodpecker with black barring above, black marks below, and a bright, white rump.
• Forages for ants and other insects on the ground.
• Nests in tree cavities.
• A vocal woodpecker, the Northern Flicker often gives loud, “flicka,flicka,flicka” calls, and another loud, single note that sounds like, “Keer!” They also have a long, laughing vocalization of repeated notes, “kick,kick,kik,kik,kik.kik.kik.kik.kik.kik.kik.kik!”.

Eastern Bluebird

Scientific name: Sialia sialis

Length: 7 inches
Weight: 1.1 ounces
Wingspan: 13 inches
Song: “fer fer chidip fer”

The Eastern Bluebird is a rather small, blue and white bird with orange on the side of its neck, throat, breast, and flanks. The male has beautiful pastel blue upperparts, and a white belly and undertail.

Females have blue-gray upperparts, a broken white eyering, and some white on the throat.

Juveniles are gray-brown with some blue and pale spotting.

The Eastern Bluebird is a smallish, blue and white thrush with orange highlights. These bluebirds live in open and semi-open areas, and, in winter, form flocks that feed at fruiting trees. Eastern Bluebird populations have been boosted in many areas by “Bluebird Trails”; areas with nest boxes designed for this species.

Key Identifications:

• Smallish blue and white birds with orange on their throat, breast, and flanks.
• Forages for insects and small fruit.
• Makes a shallow cup nest out of grass in a nest box or tree cavity.
• Has short melodious calls, “jeer” and a song of similar melodious notes, “cheweer chewit cherwit”.

Mallard

Mallard pair (Male and female)

Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos

Length: 23 inches
Weight: 2.4 pounds
Wingspan: 35 inches
Song: “quack, quack”

The Mallard is a fairly large, familiar duck. The male has a metallic green head, yellow bill, narrow white ring around the neck, and chestnut breast. The rest of the bird is pale gray with pale brown, and black on its back and around his tail.

Female Mallards are mottled brown and buff with a dark crown and line through the eyes, and have a dark gray and orange beak.

In flight, both sexes show a green-blue wing patch bordered with white.

If you see some, and want to give them something to snack on, do not use bread. Instead, offer them some corn or fruit.

Key Identifications:

• Feeds on insect larvae, grain, seeds, and other items picked up with its bill in and near shallow water.
• Makes a shallow stick nest hidden in grass or under a bush.
• The female Mallard makes the classic “quack, quack” duck sound. Males make similar but softer sounds and a whistling call.

Great Blue Heron

Scientific name: Ardea herodias 

Length: 46 inches
Weight: 5.3 pounds
Wingspan: 72 inches
Song: “Grunk! Grunk!”

The Great Blue Heron is a large, gray and pale brown heron with a long neck and legs. It has a strong, yellowish beak, black and white head with a wispy black crest, and rufous thighs.

Both sexes are alike and have pale bellies and black flanks. Juveniles have streaked underparts.

In flight, they make slow, deep flaps with long, broad gray and black wings. In Southern Florida and the Caribbean, Great Blue Herons are all white and sometimes considered a separate species, the “Great White Heron”.

The Great Blue Heron occurs on rivers, lakes, and many other wetlands. It stands still for long periods of time while waiting for prey to come within range of its sharp beak but is also, often seen in flight. In some parts of Florida, Great Blue Herons have a gray and brown body and a white neck and head. These birds are known as, “Wurdemann’s Heron”.

Key Identifications:

• Huge gray and pale brown wading bird with a thick, yellowish beak and a wispy crest. In southern Florida, it is all white but still has a crest and a strong yellowish beak.
• Stalks and preys on fish and small animals.
• Builds messy stick nests and breeds in colonies.
• Great Blue Herons aren’t all that vocal. When taking flight they make a croaking sound, “Grunk! Grunk!“.

Brown-headed Cowbird

Scientific name: Momothrus ater

Length: 7.5 inches
Weight: 1.5 ounces
Wingspan: 12 inches
Song: “qwuipuh see!”

The Brown-headed Cowbird is a smallish blackbird with a short beak and fairly long wings. Males are glossy black with a dark brown head. Female Brown-headed Cowbirds are dark grayish birds with a dark beak, black eyes, and a white throat.

These small blackbirds forage for seeds and insects on the ground. They usually occur in flocks that forage on pastures and around farms. Cowbirds do most of their foraging with cows, horses, or other large animals to catch insects that the big mammals scare out of hiding.

The Brown-headed Cowbird is a smallish blackbird with a short beak and brown head (male), or is gray with a white throat (female). This species flocks together and is very common in pastures and farming areas. Brown-headed Cowbirds have laid their eggs in nests of more than 220 species.

Key Identifications:

• Smallish blackbird with a brown head (males) and rather short beak. Females are dark gray with a white throat.
• Flocks forage for seeds and insects on the ground.
• Lays eggs in nests of other birds.
• This species is fairly vocal and often makes a rattling call. Males sing a brief song with bubbly and high-pitched notes, “qwuipuh see!”.

Killdeer

Scientific name: Charadrius vociferus

Length: 10.5 inches
Weight: 3.3 ounces
Wingspan: 24 inches
Song: “tideer, tideer, tideer, tideer”

The Killdeer is a fair-sized, slender plover that is dark brown above and white below. They have two black bands on their breast, a patterned, black, white, and dark brown face, and a longish, orange tail.

Both sexes look alike and also have a slender, black bill, narrow, red-orange eyerings, and long, pale legs. In flight, we can see a white stripe in each of their long, dark wings, and a black tip on their long, wedge-shaped, orange tail.

The Killdeer is the most common and familiar shorebird in much of its range and occurs in many open habitats. It is the only plover in North America with two black breast bands and has a longish, orange tail with a black tip. To scare cows near their nests, Killdeers fluff themselves to look bigger, raise their tail over their head, and run at the large animal.

Key Identifications:

• Fair-sized plover with two black breast bands and a wedge-shaped orange tail with a black tip.
• Picks seeds and small creatures from open ground.
• Lays camouflaged eggs on the ground, in gravel and open fields.
• Very vocal and sounds like it says its name, “tideer, tideer, tideer, tideer”.

Indigo Bunting

© Alan D. Wilson

Scientific name: Passerina cyanea

Length: 5.5 inches
Weight: .51 ounces
Wingspan: 8 inches
Song: “seet seet, sweet sweet, chip chup, swee sweet”

The Indigo Bunting is a small, finch-like bird with a grayish finch-like beak. Around the same size as a sparrow, males are deep, dark blue birds with some black on their face, wings, and tail.

Females are pale-brown birds with some white on their throat and belly, a hint of a buffy eyering, and two buff wing bars. They also have some faint streaks on their underparts and bits of blue on their rump, wings, and tail.

The Indigo Bunting is a sparrow-sized, dark blue and black, or pale brown and buff bird of brushy habitats.  Male Indigo Buntings appear blue because of the way microscopic structures in their blackish plumage refract and reflect blue light waves.

Key Identifications:

• Sparrow-sized bird with a finch-like beak. Males are deep, dark blue. Females are mostly pale brown with faint streaks below and some buff highlights.
• Feeds on insects, seeds, and berries in brushy habitats.
• Makes an open cup nest with soft bark and other soft plant matter.
• Often makes a sharp call, “Pik!”. It also sings a halting song, “seet seet, sweet sweet, chip chup, swee sweet”.

Kentucky Birding Resources

This Bluegrass State has several wonderful areas for birding. These are a few of the better places for birdwatching in Kentucky:

Reelfoot Lake National Wildlife Refuge– This huge 15,000 acre lake provides valuable habitat for large numbers of ducks and other waterbirds. Several Bald Eagles, Yellow-throated Warblers, Mississippi Kites, and many other species nest in its cypress swamps and woodlands. In winter, they are joined by hundreds of Bald Eagles from the north.

Lands Between the Lakes National Recreation Area– This large area of woodlands, fields, and freshwater habitats in southwestern Kentucky is home to various warblers, Orchard Oriole, and other nesting birds. There are hiking trails, campsites, and places to scan the lakes for gulls, waterfowl, Bald Eagles, and other birds.

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest– This birding hotspot has 35 miles of hiking trails through 14,000 acres of forest and other habitats. Located 20 miles south of Louisville, the 180 species bird list includes various warblers, Wild Turkey, Red-shouldered Hawk, and rare species like Golden Eagle.

FAQ

What is the most common bird in Kentucky?

The most common bird in Kentucky is the European Starling. Large numbers of this species occur in urban and open habitats throughout the state.

How many species of birds are native to Kentucky?

396 bird species are on the official Kentucky bird list.

Does Kentucky have eagles?

Yes. Bald Eagles live along lakes and rivers in Kentucky. In winter, the Golden Eagle is a rare visitor to the state.

Are there any hummingbirds in Kentucky?

Kentucky has some visiting hummingbirds, the most common one is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. They arrive in April and migrate again in October and November. Anna’s Hummingbirds, Rufous Hummingbirds, and Allen’s Hummingbirds can be spotted as well, but they are not too common during the breeding season.

Still, it’s good to leave hummingbird feeders up until at least the beginning of November, as some migrating hummingbirds might still pass through and need some extra energy from nectar.

Are there any orioles in Kentucky?

Two oriole species migrate to Kentucky for summer – Orchard Orioles and Baltimore Orioles. They stay for the breeding season, but leave soon, by September and October.

Read next – Hawks in Kentucky