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List of birds of Connecticut facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
American Robin 2006
The American robin is the state bird of Connecticut.

This is a list of all the different types of birds that have been seen in the state of Connecticut. This list is based on the official checklist from the Avian Records Committee of Connecticut (ARCC), updated on March 14, 2022. Most bird watchers in Connecticut use this list to keep track of the birds they spot.

This list includes all known bird species in Connecticut. It features birds that live here all the time, those that visit during migration or winter, and even very rare visitors. It also includes birds that are now extinct (gone forever) or extirpated (no longer found in Connecticut, but still exist elsewhere). About 280 bird species are seen regularly in Connecticut every year. In the past, surveys showed around 150 to 173 species were confirmed to breed in the state.

Out of 451 species on this list, 307 are common residents or regular migrants. Nine species were introduced to North America by humans. Three species are now extinct, and four no longer live in Connecticut (though two of these are still brought in for hunting). Another 139 species are considered rare or accidental visitors. Twelve species are included based only on a single sighting.

Here are some special tags used for certain species:

  • (R) Rare or accidental - These birds are not seen often and need special proof if you spot them.
  • (I) Introduced - These birds were brought to North America by people.
  • (X) Extinct - This species no longer exists anywhere in the world.
  • (E) Extirpated - This species no longer lives in Connecticut, but you can find it in other places.
  • (S) Sight record only - This bird has only been seen once or a few times, without other proof like photos.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great at living in water. They have webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that shed water easily because of special oils. Forty-six species have been seen in Connecticut.

New World Quail

Order: Galliformes   Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, round birds that live on the ground. They are not closely related to Old World quails, but they look and act similarly. Only one species has been seen in Connecticut.

  • Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus (E) — Sometimes, birds raised by humans escape, but they don't form their own lasting groups in the wild here.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Ruffed Grouse (1)
Ruffed grouse

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and their relatives. These birds live on the ground and vary in size. Many are hunted for food. Turkeys have a unique fleshy part under their beak called a wattle and a fleshy bump on top of their beak called a snood. Female turkeys are smaller and less colorful than males. Turkeys are very large birds, with wingspans up to 6 feet! Grouse live in cooler northern areas. Males of these species often have fancy courtship dances. These birds have feathered legs down to their toes. Most stay in Connecticut all year. Five species have been seen here.

Grebes

Podilymbus-podiceps-001
Pied-billed grebe

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds that live in freshwater. They have lobed toes, which make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, so they are clumsy on land. Five species have been seen in Connecticut.

  • Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps — This bird is a rare breeder in Connecticut, found in marshes, ponds, and lakes in the western part of the state. It's also an uncommon visitor in spring and fall, seen on both coastal and inland waters.
  • Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus — This bird is often seen during spring and fall migration, but less so in winter. It's usually found along the coast and sometimes on large inland lakes and rivers.
  • Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena — This bird is uncommon during spring and fall migration and rare in winter. It's usually found along the coast, but sometimes on inland waters.
  • Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (R)
  • Western grebe, Aechmorphorus occidentalis (R)

Pigeons and Doves

Mourning Dove 2006
Mourning dove

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are plump birds with short necks and thin bills. Seven species have been seen in Connecticut.

Cuckoos

BlackbilledCuckoo23
Black-billed cuckoo

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos and roadrunners. These birds have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Nightjars and Allies

Common Nighthawk
Common nighthawk

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers are colored to help them blend in with bark or leaves. Three species have been seen in Connecticut.

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a crescent moon. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Hummingbirds

Rubythroathummer65
Ruby-throated hummingbird

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds that can hover in the air by flapping their wings very fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward! Six species have been seen in Connecticut.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

VirginiaRail23
Virginia rail

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds, including rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Most of these birds live in thick plants in wet areas like lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are usually shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, which help them walk on soft, uneven ground. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are not strong fliers. Ten species have been seen in Connecticut.

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. Unlike herons, which look similar, cranes fly with their necks stretched out, not pulled back. Most cranes have fancy and loud courtship dances. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts, which are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and long, upward-curved bills. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Oystercatchers

American Oystercatcher
American oystercatcher

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

Oystercatchers are large, noticeable, and noisy birds that look a bit like plovers. They have strong bills that they use to smash or pry open molluscs (like clams). One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Lapwings and Plovers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They live in open areas worldwide, often near water. Ten species have been seen in Connecticut.

Sandpipers and Allies

Catoptrophorus semipalmatus edit
Willet
Calidris-alba-001
Sanderling
Arenaria interpres
Ruddy turnstone
Common snipe fencepost
Wilson's snipe

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, and snipes. Most of these birds eat small invertebrates (like worms) that they pick out of mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills allow many species to feed in the same area without competing for food. Thirty-nine species have been seen in Connecticut.

Skuas and Jaegers

Stercorarius pomarinusPCCA20070623-3985B
Pomarine jaeger

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

These are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown, often with white marks on their wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large, dark gulls but are strong, acrobatic fliers. Three species have been seen in Connecticut.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

Alcids look a bit like penguins because of their black-and-white colors and upright posture. However, they are not closely related to penguins and can fly! Auks live in the open sea and only come to land to nest. Six species have been seen in Connecticut.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Larus atricilla1
Laughing gull
Ring-billed Gull eb
Ring-billed gull
Royal Tern
Royal tern

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Gulls are usually medium to large birds, often gray or white with black marks on their heads or wings. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are generally medium to large birds, usually gray or white with black marks on their heads. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are lighter and more streamlined than gulls, looking graceful in flight with long tails and narrow wings. Skimmers are tropical birds with a longer lower bill. They feed by flying low over the water, skimming the surface with their lower bill to catch small fish. Thirty-one species from this family have been seen in Connecticut.

Tropicbirds

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds that live in tropical oceans. They have very long central tail feathers. Their long wings and heads have black markings. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Loons

Commonloonudfs
Common loon

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck, but not related to them. Their feathers are mostly gray or black, and they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim and fly well, but they are very clumsy on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies. Three species have been seen in Connecticut.

  • Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata — This bird is quite common, especially along the coast and at river mouths during spring and fall migration. It's less common in winter, mostly found in eastern Long Island Sound. Groups of 100-200 can gather in November.
  • Pacific loon, Gavia pacifica (R)
  • Common loon, Gavia immer — Historically, this bird rarely nested in Connecticut, and no recent nesting has been seen. It's quite common during spring and fall migration, found in coastal waters, large lakes, and reservoirs. Pollution and changes in water levels have affected their numbers.

Southern Storm-Petrels

Oceanites oceanicusPCCA20070623-3634B
Wilson's storm-petrel

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

Storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, related to petrels. They feed on tiny ocean creatures and small fish from the water's surface, often while hovering. Their flight is fluttering, sometimes like a bat. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Northern Storm-Petrels

Lesp1
Leach's storm-petrel

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

These storm-petrels are similar to the southern storm-petrels in looks and habits. However, genetic differences mean they are placed in a separate family. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Shearwaters and Petrels

Puffinus griseus
Sooty shearwater

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

This group includes medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and a long outer primary feather used for flight. Seven species have been seen in Connecticut.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, and long-necked wading birds with strong, long bills and wide wings. They do not have the special "powder down" feathers that other wading birds use to clean off fish slime. Storks also cannot make sounds because they lack a voice box. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Frigatebirds

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are black, or black and white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that can inflate. They cannot swim or walk well and cannot take off from a flat surface. They have the largest wingspan compared to their body weight of any bird, allowing them to stay in the air for over a week! One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

  • Brown booby, Sula leucogaster (R)
  • Northern gannet, Morus bassanus — This bird is rarely found during spring and fall migration and seldom seen in winter, though it is regularly present in December, mostly in eastern Long Island Sound.

Anhingas

Anhingadrying
Anhinga

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas are water birds that look like cormorants, with very long necks and long, straight beaks. They eat fish and often swim with only their neck above the water. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large aquatic birds, usually with mostly dark feathers and colored skin on their faces. Their bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have four webbed toes. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

  • Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo — This bird is quite common along the coast from fall through spring. It can also be found on the Connecticut river and other large bodies of water.
  • Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum — This bird is now common from spring to fall. Around 1900, it was a rare visitor. It's much less common in winter, but sightings are increasing. They are mostly found on coastal islands, major rivers, and some inland lakes. By the late 1990s, there were at least 1,000 nesting pairs in the state.

Pelicans

Brown pelican - natures pics
Brown pelican

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a unique pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Great egret and a fish in GGP 11
Great egret
Green Heron4
Green heron

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to have shorter necks and are more secretive. Birds in this family fly with their necks pulled back, unlike other long-necked birds like storks. In the past, egrets were hunted for their feathers, but their numbers recovered once they were protected. Twelve species have been seen in Connecticut.

  • American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus — This bird is uncommon but found throughout the state at any time of year. It lives mostly in large marshes. Its numbers likely dropped when common reeds took over cattail marshes.
  • Least bittern, Ixobrychus exilis — This bird is rarely seen. It's found from spring through fall in large marshes, preferring areas with a mix of plants and open water.
  • Great blue heron, Ardea herodias — This bird is common in marshes and other water bodies from spring through fall. Its numbers have been growing recently. It's increasingly seen in winter, but still uncommon then.
  • Great egret, Ardea alba — This bird is quite common along the coast from spring through fall and rarely in early winter. It's less common inland. Groups of about 100 pairs nest on islands like Great Captain Island, Charles Island, and Dyuck Island. Their numbers have been increasing.
  • Little egret, Egretta garzetta (R)
  • Snowy egret, Egretta thula — This bird is quite common along the coast from spring through fall. It can be found resting at night with great egrets and cormorants. It nests in woody areas on coastal islands. The population in Long Island Sound (including New York) slightly decreased from 1,650 pairs in 1977 to 1,390 in 1998.
  • Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea — This bird is not common, seen from spring through early fall, most often in mid-to-late summer when young birds arrive from the south. It nests in woody areas of coastal islands. Its nesting range expanded north along the East Coast in the 20th century.
  • Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor — This bird is seldom found in the state. It's seen in coastal waters in spring and summer and has occasionally nested in the Norwalk Islands. In the mid-20th century, it became more common in New York and southern New England.
  • Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis — This bird is rarely seen, found in coastal waters in spring and summer. It has regularly nested in the Norwalk Islands. This bird is originally from the Old World and arrived in South America in the 1880s, spreading north to Florida by the 1940s and then along the East Coast.
  • Green heron, Butorides virescens — This bird is quite common, found in marshes and swamps from spring through fall. Loss and damage to marshes likely caused a decline in its population in the 20th century.
  • Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax — This bird is quite common on the coast and on the Connecticut river from spring through fall. It's rarely found in winter. It spreads inland along the Connecticut and Housatonic Rivers in late summer. It nests on coastal islands. The state population was about 500 pairs as of 2004. Numbers declined in the Northeast in the 20th century, possibly due to human activity and pesticides.
  • Yellow-crowned night-heron, Nyctanassa violacea — This bird is rarely seen, found in coastal marshes from spring through early fall, usually in the western part of the state.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings and long bodies and necks, with rather long legs. Their bill is also long; it's curved downward for ibises and straight and flattened for spoonbills. Four species have been seen in Connecticut.

New World Vultures

Turkey vulture profile
Turkey vulture

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but they look similar because they evolved in similar ways. Like Old World vultures, they eat dead animals. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find food by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell to find carcasses. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The osprey is a medium-large bird of prey that eats fish. It lives in many different places because it can nest near any body of water that has enough food. It is the only member of its family.

  • Osprey, Pandion haliaetus — These unique black and white birds are common in Connecticut from spring through fall. They are often seen on nesting platforms along the east and central coastline. They are also called "fish hawks."
    • Their busiest migration times are early to mid-spring (around St. Patrick's Day) and late summer through early fall (around Labor Day). Young birds migrate a bit later.
    • Ospreys eat medium-sized fish, like flounders, which they catch by diving feet first from the air. They are unique in Connecticut for having a fish-only diet and are one of the few raptors that hunt live fish. You might see them hovering over the water before splashing down, sometimes going 2 or 3 feet deep! They can catch up to 10 fish a day. Adult ospreys feed their young for up to 8 weeks. They have even been known to snatch goldfish from backyard ponds.
    • This bird used to be rare, partly because of pesticide pollution (like DDT). In 1974, there were only nine nests in the state, but by 1999, there were 162 nests with 315 young birds. Their range has expanded westward along the coast and up the Connecticut and Quinnipiac rivers. Their nests stay strong through the winter, while the birds migrate as far as South America. Ospreys usually build nests in the highest possible places, including cell phone towers.
    • In May 2008, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk set up a webcam to watch an osprey nest on Manressa Island, near a power plant. The aquarium watches ospreys because they are "at the top of the food chain" and "an important indicator of the health of the entire ecosystem."

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

RT hawks
Red-tailed hawks at nest

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family of birds of prey includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. These birds have very large, powerful, hooked beaks for tearing meat from their prey. They also have strong legs, powerful talons (claws), and excellent eyesight. Fifteen species have been seen in Connecticut.

Barn-Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with big heads and a special heart-shaped face. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Owls

Great-horned-owl-stretching
Great horned owl

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are small to large birds of prey that are usually active at night and live alone. They have large eyes that face forward, good hearing, a hawk-like beak, and a clear circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. Eleven species have been seen in Connecticut.

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Woodpeckers

Melanerpes-erythrocephalus-003
Red-headed woodpecker

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues for catching insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks. Eight species have been seen in Connecticut.

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras, which are birds of prey active during the day. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks instead of their talons. Five species have been seen in Connecticut.

New World and African Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a unique curved beak. Their upper beak can move slightly, and they usually stand upright. All parrots have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward on each foot. Most of the over 150 species in this family live in the New World. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Empidonax-minimus-001
Least flycatcher
Tyrannus-tyrannus-001
Eastern kingbird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are perching birds found throughout North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers but are stronger and have sturdier bills. They don't have the complex songs of other songbirds. Most are quite plain in color. As their name suggests, most eat insects. Nineteen species have been seen in Connecticut.

Vireos and Allies

Redeyedvireo17
Red-eyed vireo

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are a group of small to medium-sized perching birds. They are usually greenish and look like wood warblers, but they have stronger bills. Seven species have been seen in Connecticut.

Shrikes

Loggerhead128
Loggerhead shrike

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are perching birds known for catching other birds and small animals. They sometimes impale their uneaten prey on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Cyanocitta-cristata-004
Blue jay

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, and jays. These birds are larger than average for perching birds, and some of the bigger species are very intelligent. Five species have been seen in Connecticut.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

This family includes small, stocky woodland birds with short, strong bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds that eat a mix of seeds and insects. Three species have been seen in Connecticut.

Larks

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small ground birds known for their often fancy songs and display flights. Most larks look fairly plain. They eat insects and seeds. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Swallows

Hirundo-rustica-001
Barn swallow

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

This family of birds is adapted for catching food while flying. They have slender, streamlined bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are better for perching than walking. Eight species have been seen in Connecticut.

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a family of very small insect-eating birds. Adult kinglets have colorful crowns on their heads, which is how they got their name. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are a group of birds with soft, silky feathers and unique red tips on some of their wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax, giving the group its name. These birds live in northern forests. They eat insects in summer and berries in winter. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees headfirst, unlike most other birds that can only climb upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curved bills, which they use to pull insects out of tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which help them support themselves on vertical trees. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds look like Old World warblers in their body shape and habits. They move restlessly through leaves looking for insects. Gnatcatchers are mainly a soft bluish-gray color and have the long, sharp bill typical of insect-eaters. Many species have distinct black patterns on their heads (especially males) and long, often cocked, black-and-white tails. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Wrens

Carolina Wren 2
Carolina wren

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard to see, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin, downward-curved bills. Several species often hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects. Five species have been seen in Connecticut.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Mockingbird in Bay Ridge (85082)
Northern mockingbird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

This family includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and New World catbirds. These birds are famous for their singing, especially their amazing ability to copy many different bird calls and other outdoor sounds. The species tend to be dull gray and brown in color. Three species have been seen in Connecticut.

Starlings

Etourneau DSC01833
European starling

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized perching birds from the Old World with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly, and most live in large groups. They prefer open areas and eat insects and fruit. Many species have dark feathers with a metallic shine. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Thrushes and Allies

Hylocichla mustelina (cropped)
Wood thrush

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of perching birds found mostly in the Old World. They are plump, soft-feathered, small to medium-sized birds that eat insects or sometimes everything. They often feed on the ground. Many have beautiful songs. Twelve species have been seen in Connecticut.

Old World Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

The Old World flycatchers are a large family of small perching birds. These are mainly small birds that live in trees and eat insects, often catching their prey while flying. One species has been seen in Connecticut.

Old World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small perching birds. Generally, sparrows are small, plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are small perching birds with medium to long tails. They are slender, insect-eating birds that feed on the ground in open areas. Two species have been seen in Connecticut.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Carduelis-tristis-001
American goldfinch

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating perching birds that are small to moderately large. They have strong beaks, usually cone-shaped, and sometimes very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primary flight feathers. These birds have a bouncy flight, flapping and then gliding with closed wings. Most sing well. Eleven species have been seen in Connecticut.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

This group of perching birds was traditionally grouped with New World sparrows. However, they are different in several ways and are usually found in open grassy areas. Four species have been seen in Connecticut.

New World Sparrows

Saltmarsh sharp tailed sparrow
Saltmarsh sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Chipping sparrow
Eastern Towhee-27527-3
Eastern towhee

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

Many of these species are called sparrows, but they are not closely related to the Old World sparrows. Many of these birds have unique head patterns. Twenty-seven species have been seen in Connecticut.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This species was once thought to be a wood-warbler, but most experts weren't sure. In 2017, it was placed in its own family.

Troupials and Allies

Red winged blackbird - natures pics
Red-winged blackbird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized, often colorful perching birds found only in the New World. Most species are mainly black, often with bright yellow, orange, or red colors. Fourteen species have been seen in Connecticut.

New World Warblers

Dendroica-pensylvanica-003
Chestnut-sided warbler
Myrtle Warbler - Port Aransas, TX
Yellow-rumped warbler
Dendroica-fusca-001
Blackburnian warbler
Commonyellowthroat159
Common yellowthroat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

Wood warblers are a group of small, often colorful perching birds found only in the New World. Most live in trees, but some live more on the ground, like the Ovenbird. Most members of this family eat insects. Forty species have been seen in Connecticut.

Cardinals and Allies

Grosbeak (Razmear)
Rose-breasted grosbeak

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals are a family of strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different colored feathers. Eleven species have been seen in Connecticut.

See Also

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List of birds of Connecticut Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.