Birds in New Jersey in December: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in New Jersey 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

Canada Goose592 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco493 obs.

Northern Cardinal476 obs.

Mallard468 obs.

White-throated Sparrow422 obs.

Great Blue Heron368 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk335 obs.

Ring-billed Gull321 obs.

Bufflehead307 obs.

House Sparrow286 obs.

Dunlin275 obs.

Downy Woodpecker262 obs.

All birds seen in New Jersey in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	592	Apr (past peak)
2	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	493	Jan (past peak)
3	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	476	Apr (past peak)
4	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	468	Mar (past peak)
5	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	422	Oct (past peak)
6	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	368	Sep (past peak)
7	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	335	Mar (past peak)
8	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	321	Dec (peak)
9	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	307	Mar (past peak)
10	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	286	May (past peak)
11	Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Sandpipers and Allies	275	May (past peak)
12	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	262	Mar (past peak)
13	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	258	Apr (past peak)
14	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	254	Oct (past peak)
15	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	251	Oct (past peak)
16	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	240	Jan (past peak)
17	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	232	May (past peak)
18	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	228	May (past peak)
19	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	227	Apr (past peak)
20	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	225	Mar (past peak)
21	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	217	Apr (past peak)
22	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	213	Mar (past peak)
23	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	213	Apr (past peak)
24	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	208	Aug (past peak)
25	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	195	May (past peak)
26	Brant	Branta bernicla	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	176	Mar (past peak)
27	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	173	Apr (past peak)
28	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	168	Dec (peak)
29	American Black Duck	Anas rubripes	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	157	Jan (past peak)
30	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	156	Dec (peak)
31	Sanderling	Calidris alba	Sandpipers and Allies	150	Aug (past peak)
32	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	150	Jan (past peak)
33	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	147	Mar (past peak)
34	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	147	Jan (past peak)
35	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	146	Apr (past peak)
36	Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	145	Nov (past peak)
37	Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	141	Jan (past peak)
38	Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	136	Jan (past peak)
39	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	131	Apr (past peak)
40	Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	127	Aug (past peak)
41	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	125	Feb (past peak)
42	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	121	Jan (past peak)
43	Purple Sandpiper	Calidris maritima	Sandpipers and Allies	119	Feb (past peak)
44	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	114	Oct (past peak)
45	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	108	Mar (past peak)
46	Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus	New World Vultures	104	Mar (past peak)
47	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	Woodpeckers	103	Oct (past peak)
48	Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	Sandpipers and Allies	100	May (past peak)
49	American Wigeon	Mareca americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	99	Oct (past peak)
50	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	98	Mar (past peak)

Birds Seen in New Jersey in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in New Jersey in December