1. Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Cooper’s hawks are migrating birds and usually live in New Jersey during the winter. They are woodland birds that inhabit mature forests and river groves. Cooper’s hawks prefer to live in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woods with tall trees. They are also now inhabiting cities and suburbs that have trees tall enough to nest in. Cooper’s hawks are medium-sized, but they are also one of the bigger species in the genus Accipiter. They have relatively short, rounded wings, long, thick legs and toes, and short, hooked beaks. Cooper’s hawks have blackish-brown heads and bluish or brownish-gray bodies. Their tails are blue gray on top and pale below with three black stripes and a white tip. Their underbellies have white as the base color and reddish bands patterned across it. Cooper’s hawks primarily eat medium-sized birds and small mammals such as chipmunks, bats, mice, and squirrels which they hunt in stealth mode. They catch their prey either by stalking them on tree branches before charging them, or when they are airborne, during which they swoop down to capture them. Male Cooper’s hawks have a higher pitched call than the females. They are also called chicken hawks, swift hawks, quail hawks, hen hawks, and flying crosses.
2. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Northern cardinals are very common in New Jersey throughout the year. They live on the edges of woodland, swamps, forest clearings, thickets, and brushy areas. Northern cardinals are also comfortable living in human-populated regions such as city parks and other areas with heavy bushes suitable for building nests. Northern cardinals are medium-sized songbirds, spanning between 8.3 and 9.1 inches in length. They are “cardinal red,” which is a reference to the red robes Catholic cardinals wear. They have black masks around their faces and beaks and crests on their heads. Northern cardinals mostly forage for seeds, fruit, grains, and berries, as well as hunt insects such as beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, butterflies, and termites. They love to feed on sunflower seeds from bird feeders. If you have a bird feeder in your backyard, add some sunflower seeds to it and maybe you’ll get lucky enough to find a bright red visitor.
3. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
If you grew up watching the very famous Woody Woodpecker cartoon character, then you’re probably already familiar with this active bird. The pileated woodpecker is notorious for its tree-bark pecking and happens to be the largest woodpecker in the USA. Its habitats include hardwood forests, both coniferous and mixed regions. The pileated woodpecker is mostly black with white stripes running from its head down to its throat. It has a characteristic red crest on its head, reminiscent of its cartoon alter ego, Woody Woodpecker. You can distinguish males from females by the red band which runs from their beak to their throat. In females, this band is black. Pileated woodpeckers mostly feed on insects, especially insects that live in rotting wood, as well as wood larvae. To access prey, they use their beaks to peck holes in trees. They eat wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, termites, and even fruits, nuts, and berries. A fun fact about woodpeckers is that they have ridiculously long tongues, which they wrap around their brain. This isn’t just for storage space, but also to protect the brain from rapid, incessant head-knocking during their pecking activities!
4. Albatross (Diomedeidae)
The albatross is a family of large seabirds, two of which pass through New Jersey: the yellow-nosed albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos), and the black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris). These incredible birds have a wide range of talents. First, albatrosses spend the first six or more years of their life without touching land! They are fully adapted to marine life. Albatrosses are also fast fliers, capable of reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour. They are also known for their longevity. In fact, the oldest recorded wild bird was a 69-year-old albatross. Albatrosses are very large birds. They have wingspans of up to 10.8 feet. The yellow-nosed albatross has a white head and body with dark brown-gray wings. Its bill is mostly black with a yellow stripe running through it and a red tip. The black-browed albatross has similar plumage. The difference is that its bill is fully yellow with a red tip, and it has an accentuated black streak on either eye that almost looks like eyeliner. They feed on squid, fish, and, sometimes, human food. Sadly, albatrosses are birds of concern with 21 species either near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.
5. Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)
The scarlet tanager is a medium-sized bird which prefers to live and breed in deciduous forests of predominantly oak, but also maple, pine, and mixed woods. They are migrating birds that travel down to South America for the winter. Just as its name suggests, the adult male scarlet tanager has bright red plumage with black wings and tail. The females have milder colors with a mostly olive-green on their upper body, yellowish on the underbelly, and both olive and yellow hues on their wings and tail. Scarlet Tanagers usually hunt for prey high up in the trees. They mostly eat insects, catching them in the air or picking them off the forest floor. Tanagers also turn to berries when insect populations are low.
6. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Cedar waxwings are migratory birds and reside in New Jersey all year round, especially during winter. These birds inhabit open woodland areas, preferring to live at the edges of swamp and forest, as well as fields and streams. They also don’t mind living in urban areas as long as there are enough berry trees and a source of water close by. They eat insects, flowers, and sometimes even plant sap. However, the cedar waxwing’s favorite foods are berries, and they like to live in proximity to fruit trees. Interestingly, cedar waxwings occasionally get drunk on fermented berries! Cedar waxwings have brown, yellow, and gray plumage for the most part. Their unique features include a black mask accentuated with white outlines, a prominent crest on their head, and a bright red spot on either wing. The oldest cedar waxwing known was eight years and two months old.
7. Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
Black skimmers are one of the coolest birds you may ever see. They are famous for their skimming skills – they fly just above the water surface with their lower beak raking the water. Once they catch a fish, their upper beak snaps shut, trapping the prey. Their diet consists primarily of fish and small crustaceans. The black skimmer is usually in Sandy Hook, New Jersey during their breeding season. They live on beaches near the ocean, coastal waters, inland lakes, rivers, and lagoons. Black skimmers have black plumage covering the top of their heads, behind their necks, and all over their body. Their underside and forehead are white, their wings black with white edges, and their tail gray with white edges.
8. Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)
The Mexican violetear is a rare New Jersey visitor. This Mexican native hummingbird inhabits forest clearings, low temperate forests, and gardens. They prefer living in regions of higher altitudes such as cloud forests and have been sighted as far up as 7,500 feet. Spotting Mexican violetears is a real treat because they are magical to behold. They glitter with bright, metallic green plumage and blue splotches and have a long, tiny bill for sucking nectar from flowers. The Mexican violetear’s diet consists of insects and flower nectar. This tropical bird likes to be alone. It lives a mostly solitary lifestyle, usually only meeting up with other birds of its species during mating season.
9. Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus)
Due to their flamboyant plumage, Harlequin ducks are named after a colorful character from Italian theater productions. These ducks live near streams during the summer and at the rocky ocean coasts during winter. They are most common in New Jersey during the winter months. Harlequin ducks are a must-see bird thanks to their beautifully decorated plumage. They have a dark, navy blue head and throat and a lighter navy-blue body with chestnut brown on the sides. These ducks also have a series of adorable white and black markings such as a white spot behind the eye and another behind the head, and a black stripe that runs from the bill to the back of the head. They also have white patches on their faces. Harlequin ducks hunt for their food in the water. They are divers and they also swim to the bottom to find food. They eat small fish, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects. When these are not as abundant as usual, they turn to eating aquatic plants, too, to supplement their diet. Strangely enough, many Harlequin ducks that have been studied have had broken bones due to the rocky nature of their preferred habitat.
10. Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)
One of the most recognizable birds, Atlantic puffins excite birdwatchers who flock to the Atlantic coast to see them. These adorable birds prefer colder waters and inhabit coastal regions, open sea, and offshore coasts where they breed. They build their nests in rock clefts or burrows in the sand. Puffins almost resemble penguins in terms of color and stature. They are short and stout. They have black caps on their heads and foreheads, and black bodies, wings, and tails. Atlantic puffins are white underneath and have large pale gray patches on either side of their face, which extend and meet at the back of their head. They have a characteristically shaped, colorful beak, the upper half of which is slate gray, and the tip orange. Atlantic puffins eat a lot of fish, mollusks, worms, and crustaceans. They obtain their meals by diving into the cold ocean water.
11. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
Last but not least is the American or Eastern goldfinch, which happens to be the official bird of the state of New Jersey. This vibrantly colored bird lives in open spaces including fields, meadows, orchards, and gardens. They are a favorite because of how well they do around people. Studies show that goldfinches living in urban areas with bird feeder access have a high rate of survival. They also love to reside in meadow areas, which are created as a result of deforestation. The American goldfinch features brilliant colors, with enough sexual dimorphism for people to be able to tell the males and females apart. The males are a vivid yellow with a black head patch and white rump. The female birds are a dull yellow underneath, with olive-brown on top. The American goldfinch loves its grains and is a very strict vegetarian. However, it will seldom eat insects. If you have a backyard bird feeder, try stocking up on some sunflower, alder, ragweed, or thistle seeds and you might catch a glimpse of these golden beauties.
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