What bird is in my backyard? Here are the top 5 birds you may see in Delaware this month
Curious which birds are still in your background.
Apparently, the type of bird you are most likely to see in Delaware depends on where you live.
USA TODAY determined the rankings by adding the number of times each bird was listed as most-sighted for each state, each month. For example, over six seasons, the house sparrow was listed as top bird 76 times.
Learn about the most sighted birds in Delaware below the graphic.
Search the backyard bird database
Most sighted birds in Delaware
Mourning dove
Most people who think they’re hearing owls outside might actually be listening to the cooing call of the mourning dove.
These doves are one of the most harvested migratory game birds in North America. Hunters killed approximately 11 million mourning doves in 2020 and 9 million the following year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This is the top-sighted bird in New Castle County.
House finch
A flying paradox, the house finch is both native and introduced to North America.
Originally native to Mexico and the Western United States, house finches were shipped to New York City and sold as “Hollywood finches.”
However, authorities started cracking down on violators of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which made it illegal to capture and sell native birds. This is the top-sighted bird in Sussex County.
House sparrow
Immigrants to North America, house sparrows are thought to have spread across the U.S. with the help of freight trains.
They’re well-adapted to humans and have been for hundreds of years, making it hard to find a spot that’s too built-up for the house sparrow.
In a recent study, researchers estimated 862 million birds in the sparrow family have been lost since 1970, comprising the single largest proportion of the 3 billion birds lost overall.
Dark-eyed junco
The dark-eyed junco doesn’t look the same in Colorado as it does in Oregon.
Once considered different species, numerous varieties of juncos have been lumped together over the years. They can be found almost anywhere during the winter, with the possible exception of south Florida.
White-throated sparrow
According to Audubon.org, the White-throated Sparrow is a common winter. You can also find them in the west in the winter months. Adults have white or tan stripes on their heads.
The white-throated sparrow is the top-sighted bird in Kent County.
Deeper data dive: Learn more about sightings of America's birds
Birdwatching: 'Simply beautiful' images of birds, oceans and more revealed in 2023 Nature Conservancy contest
Bad omens or just misunderstood: Get to know the backstory of these five scary birds
What bird is this: These five species are the most likely to be at your feeder
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Here are birds birdwatchers may see in DE. Search our database
