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

60 birds were recorded seen in Ohio in December in our iNaturalist sample; 1 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

Northern Cardinal847 obs.

Downy Woodpecker655 obs.

Red-bellied Woodpecker572 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco570 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk526 obs.

Mallard500 obs.

Canada Goose500 obs.

Bald Eagle493 obs.

Tufted Titmouse434 obs.

Red-shouldered Hawk396 obs.

White-breasted Nuthatch387 obs.

Cooper's Hawk387 obs.

All birds seen in Ohio in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	847	Apr (past peak)
2	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	655	Apr (past peak)
3	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	572	Apr (past peak)
4	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	570	Jan (past peak)
5	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	526	Apr (past peak)
6	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	500	Apr (past peak)
7	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	500	Apr (past peak)
8	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	493	May (past peak)
9	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	434	Apr (past peak)
10	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	396	Feb (past peak)
11	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	387	Apr (past peak)
12	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	387	Jan (past peak)
13	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	385	May (past peak)
14	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	383	Apr (past peak)
15	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	360	May (past peak)
16	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	356	May (past peak)
17	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	352	Apr (past peak)
18	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	339	Sep (past peak)
19	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	318	May (past peak)
20	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	313	May (past peak)
21	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	312	Apr (past peak)
22	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	297	Aug (past peak)
23	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	269	Apr (past peak)
24	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	263	Jan (past peak)
25	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	246	May (past peak)
26	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	238	Apr (past peak)
27	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	235	Apr (past peak)
28	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	204	Mar (past peak)
29	Carolina Chickadee	Poecile carolinensis	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	189	Apr (past peak)
30	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	180	May (past peak)
31	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	174	May (past peak)
32	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	173	Jan (past peak)
33	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	155	Mar (past peak)
34	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	146	Apr (past peak)
35	Snowy Owl	Bubo scandiacus	Typical Owls	145	Dec (peak)
36	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	141	Jul (past peak)
37	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	138	Apr (past peak)
38	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	135	Apr (past peak)
39	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	134	May (past peak)
40	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	132	Feb (past peak)
41	Merlin	Falco columbarius	Falcons and Caracaras	130	Jan (past peak)
42	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	128	May (past peak)
43	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	125	May (past peak)
44	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	124	May (past peak)
45	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	122	Mar (past peak)
46	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	Woodpeckers	120	Apr (past peak)
47	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	113	May (past peak)
48	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	111	May (past peak)
49	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	110	Apr (past peak)
50	Tundra Swan	Cygnus columbianus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	110	Feb (past peak)

Birds Seen in Ohio in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in Ohio in December