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

60 birds were recorded seen in Connecticut in January in our iNaturalist sample; 14 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 January

Dark-eyed Junco276 obs.

House Sparrow262 obs.

Downy Woodpecker262 obs.

Northern Cardinal258 obs.

White-throated Sparrow252 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee245 obs.

Tufted Titmouse242 obs.

Blue Jay199 obs.

Carolina Wren194 obs.

Song Sparrow185 obs.

Red-bellied Woodpecker183 obs.

Red-shouldered Hawk170 obs.

All birds seen in Connecticut in January

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	276	Dec (rising)
2	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	262	Feb (rising)
3	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	262	Jan (peak)
4	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	258	Apr (rising)
5	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	252	Oct (rising)
6	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	245	Jan (peak)
7	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	242	Jan (peak)
8	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	199	Apr (rising)
9	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	194	Jan (peak)
10	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	185	Oct (rising)
11	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	183	Jan (peak)
12	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	170	Feb (rising)
13	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	168	Mar (rising)
14	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	164	Apr (rising)
15	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	163	Aug (rising)
16	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	154	Jan (peak)
17	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	143	Apr (rising)
18	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	138	Apr (rising)
19	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	133	Apr (rising)
20	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	131	Jan (peak)
21	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	130	May (rising)
22	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	128	Oct (rising)
23	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	117	Oct (rising)
24	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	112	Apr (rising)
25	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	107	Apr (rising)
26	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	100	Aug (rising)
27	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	92	Feb (rising)
28	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	88	Jan (peak)
29	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	79	Apr (rising)
30	Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	73	Jan (peak)
31	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	71	Apr (rising)
32	American Black Duck	Anas rubripes	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	69	Dec (rising)
33	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	65	Mar (rising)
34	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	64	Apr (rising)
35	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	63	Feb (rising)
36	Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	63	Jan (peak)
37	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	61	Apr (rising)
38	Brant	Branta bernicla	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	61	Apr (rising)
39	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	61	Apr (rising)
40	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	Woodpeckers	61	Oct (rising)
41	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	55	Jan (peak)
42	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	55	Jan (peak)
43	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	54	Aug (rising)
44	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	53	Jan (peak)
45	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	49	Apr (rising)
46	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	48	Apr (rising)
47	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	45	Apr (rising)
48	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	44	Mar (rising)
49	Common Eider	Somateria mollissima	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	43	Jan (peak)
50	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	41	Jun (rising)

Birds Seen in Connecticut in January

Top birds in January

All birds seen in Connecticut in January