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

60 birds were recorded seen in New Jersey in January in our iNaturalist sample; 10 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 Junco701 obs.

Canada Goose608 obs.

White-throated Sparrow606 obs.

Northern Cardinal544 obs.

Mallard412 obs.

Song Sparrow409 obs.

Bufflehead346 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk339 obs.

American Robin333 obs.

Mourning Dove326 obs.

Great Blue Heron326 obs.

Bald Eagle315 obs.

All birds seen in New Jersey in January

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	701	Jan (peak)
2	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	608	Apr (rising)
3	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	606	Oct (rising)
4	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	544	Apr (rising)
5	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	412	Mar (rising)
6	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	409	Mar (rising)
7	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	346	Mar (rising)
8	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	339	Mar (rising)
9	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	333	Apr (rising)
10	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	326	Apr (rising)
11	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	326	Sep (rising)
12	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	315	Oct (rising)
13	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	313	Apr (rising)
14	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	311	Mar (rising)
15	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	309	Jan (peak)
16	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	307	May (rising)
17	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	303	Aug (rising)
18	Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	293	Jan (peak)
19	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	277	May (rising)
20	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	267	Dec (rising)
21	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	261	Oct (rising)
22	American Black Duck	Anas rubripes	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	253	Jan (peak)
23	Brant	Branta bernicla	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	251	Mar (rising)
24	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	250	Apr (rising)
25	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	213	Apr (rising)
26	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	211	Jan (peak)
27	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	209	Feb (rising)
28	Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	203	Jan (peak)
29	Sanderling	Calidris alba	Sandpipers and Allies	197	Aug (rising)
30	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	197	Mar (rising)
31	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	189	Mar (rising)
32	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	182	Mar (rising)
33	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	182	May (rising)
34	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	173	May (rising)
35	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	172	Jan (peak)
36	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	164	Jan (peak)
37	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	155	Apr (rising)
38	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	154	Feb (rising)
39	Black Scoter	Melanitta americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	153	Jan (peak)
40	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	153	Dec (rising)
41	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	146	Apr (rising)
42	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	139	Oct (rising)
43	Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	134	Aug (rising)
44	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	133	Mar (rising)
45	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	133	Dec (rising)
46	Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	126	Nov (rising)
47	Purple Sandpiper	Calidris maritima	Sandpipers and Allies	125	Feb (rising)
48	Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Sandpipers and Allies	120	May (rising)
49	Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	120	Jan (peak)
50	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	120	Oct (rising)

Birds Seen in New Jersey in January

Top birds in January

All birds seen in New Jersey in January