Birds of Virginia

Virginia has around 475 species documented and accepted by the Virginia Avian Records Committee of the Virginia Society of Ornithology (VARCOM). Of these, around 100 are accidental, about 90 occur rarely, 7 are introduced, and 1 has gone extinct. Some of the prominent birding hotspots of Virginia include the Coastal Plains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, home to several birds like the hawks, nuthatches, kinglets, and gulls.

The northern cardinal has been officially designated as Virginia’s state bird since 1950.

Birds of Virginia

  • Hermit Thrush
  • Carolina Chickadee
  • Barred Owl
  • Cattle Egret
  • American Avocet
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • American Golden Plover
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • American Oystercatcher
  • Blue Jay
  • Mourning Dove
  • Carolina Wren
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Long-tailed Duck
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Song Sparrow
  • Eastern Bluebird
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Greater Scaup
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Pine Siskin
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • Northern Harrier
  • European Starling
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Song Sparrow
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Broad-winged Hawk
  • Purple Finch
  • Ring-necked Duck
  • House Finch
  • American Goldfinch
  • Bufflehead
  • Black Turnstone
  • Common Grackle
  • Lesser Scaup
  • Carolina Chickadee
  • Dunlin
  • Common Tern
  • Clapper Rail
  • Northern Gannet
  • Killdeer
  • King Rail
  • Mississippi Kite
  • Little Blue Heron
  • Green Heron
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Tundra Swan
  • Black-bellied Plover
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • Black Oystercatcher

Backyard Birds:

All-year-round: Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Robin

Migratory Birds:

In Summer: Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Common Tern, Green Heron, Mississippi Kite

In Winter: Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Tundra Swan, Northern Gannet, White-throated Sparrow

Birds of Prey: Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Broad-winged Hawk

Water Birds: Ring-necked Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead

Rare Birds: Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Ross’s Goose, Barnacle Goose, Common Eider

Common Birds Identification by Color

Black Birds

  • European Starling
  • Common Grackle
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Boat-tailed Grackle
  • Red-winged Blackbird

Yellow Birds

  • Common Yellowthroat
  • Cedar Waxwing
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • Pine Warbler
  • Eastern Meadowlark

Red Birds

Blue Birds

  • Eastern Bluebird
  • Blue Jay
  • Little Blue Heron

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