Birds in Connecticut in December: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Connecticut in December in our iNaturalist sample; 4 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in December

Dark-eyed Junco317 obs.

Northern Cardinal250 obs.

White-throated Sparrow237 obs.

Tufted Titmouse233 obs.

Downy Woodpecker224 obs.

Blue Jay221 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee196 obs.

American Herring Gull158 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk151 obs.

Carolina Wren147 obs.

Red-bellied Woodpecker146 obs.

Song Sparrow145 obs.

All birds seen in Connecticut in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	317	Dec (peak)
2	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	250	Apr (past peak)
3	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	237	Oct (past peak)
4	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	233	Jan (past peak)
5	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	224	Jan (past peak)
6	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	221	Apr (past peak)
7	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	196	Jan (past peak)
8	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	158	Aug (past peak)
9	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	151	Mar (past peak)
10	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	147	Jan (past peak)
11	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	146	Jan (past peak)
12	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	145	Oct (past peak)
13	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	137	Feb (past peak)
14	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	137	Oct (past peak)
15	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	135	May (past peak)
16	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	127	Apr (past peak)
17	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	124	Jan (past peak)
18	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	124	Oct (past peak)
19	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	121	Aug (past peak)
20	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	113	Apr (past peak)
21	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	110	Jan (past peak)
22	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	104	Feb (past peak)
23	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	98	Apr (past peak)
24	American Black Duck	Anas rubripes	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	88	Dec (peak)
25	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	85	Apr (past peak)
26	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	83	Jan (past peak)
27	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	80	Apr (past peak)
28	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	77	Apr (past peak)
29	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	74	Feb (past peak)
30	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	73	Apr (past peak)
31	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	72	Apr (past peak)
32	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	Woodpeckers	70	Oct (past peak)
33	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	67	Apr (past peak)
34	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	63	Jun (past peak)
35	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	61	Apr (past peak)
36	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	60	Apr (past peak)
37	Brant	Branta bernicla	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	59	Apr (past peak)
38	Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	59	Jan (past peak)
39	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	59	Apr (past peak)
40	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	57	Apr (past peak)
41	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	49	Jan (past peak)
42	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	46	Aug (past peak)
43	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	43	Feb (past peak)
44	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	42	Dec (peak)
45	Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Sandpipers and Allies	41	Dec (peak)
46	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	41	Feb (past peak)
47	Common Eider	Somateria mollissima	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	39	Jan (past peak)
48	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	36	Oct (past peak)
49	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	35	Sep (past peak)
50	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	35	Jan (past peak)

Birds Seen in Connecticut in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in Connecticut in December