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

60 birds were recorded seen in Massachusetts in December in our iNaturalist sample; 3 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

Black-capped Chickadee1,020 obs.

Northern Cardinal729 obs.

Mallard689 obs.

Downy Woodpecker628 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk618 obs.

Canada Goose613 obs.

Tufted Titmouse587 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco574 obs.

Common Eider553 obs.

Hooded Merganser552 obs.

Blue Jay525 obs.

Song Sparrow488 obs.

All birds seen in Massachusetts in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	1,020	Apr (past peak)
2	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	729	Apr (past peak)
3	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	689	Apr (past peak)
4	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	628	Apr (past peak)
5	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	618	Apr (past peak)
6	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	613	Apr (past peak)
7	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	587	Apr (past peak)
8	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	574	Jan (past peak)
9	Common Eider	Somateria mollissima	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	553	Jan (past peak)
10	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	552	Jan (past peak)
11	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	525	Apr (past peak)
12	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	488	Apr (past peak)
13	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	481	Aug (past peak)
14	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	433	Apr (past peak)
15	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	432	Apr (past peak)
16	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	427	Dec (peak)
17	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	421	Apr (past peak)
18	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	419	Mar (past peak)
19	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	418	Apr (past peak)
20	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	415	Apr (past peak)
21	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	377	Apr (past peak)
22	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	359	Aug (past peak)
23	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	340	Apr (past peak)
24	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	329	Feb (past peak)
25	Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	328	Jan (past peak)
26	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	316	Apr (past peak)
27	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	295	Apr (past peak)
28	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	293	Apr (past peak)
29	American Black Duck	Anas rubripes	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	292	Jan (past peak)
30	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	282	Aug (past peak)
31	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	276	Apr (past peak)
32	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	273	May (past peak)
33	Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	262	Aug (past peak)
34	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	262	Apr (past peak)
35	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	257	Apr (past peak)
36	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	250	Dec (peak)
37	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	234	Apr (past peak)
38	White-winged Scoter	Melanitta deglandi	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	224	Nov (past peak)
39	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	213	Apr (past peak)
40	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	211	Mar (past peak)
41	Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	201	Jan (past peak)
42	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	192	May (past peak)
43	Black Scoter	Melanitta americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	192	Dec (peak)
44	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	187	Jan (past peak)
45	Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	163	Nov (past peak)
46	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	159	Jan (past peak)
47	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	157	Apr (past peak)
48	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	154	Mar (past peak)
49	Golden-crowned Kinglet	Regulus satrapa	Kinglets	152	Oct (past peak)
50	Sanderling	Calidris alba	Sandpipers and Allies	139	Aug (past peak)

Birds Seen in Massachusetts in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in Massachusetts in December