There are lots of brown birds in North America that flock to feeders and bird baths. While they might not stand out as much as vibrantly colored birds, they’re each unique in their own way. So, how do you identify the brown birds that visit your yard?
What are Some Common Brown Birds in North America?
Below are a few of the most common brown birds in North America. Have you seen any of them?
1. House Sparrow (Worldwide Brown Birds)
Location: Urban and suburban areas across North America, South America, Europe, and parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia
House sparrows are not only one of the most common North American birds, but they’re also common worldwide, appearing on every continent except Antarctica. Both males and females have unique brown patterns, but males have darker brown patches, which sometimes have a reddish tint. These common sparrows frequently nest in man-made structures such as buildings and nest boxes.
2. Northern House Wren
Location: Open woods and shrubby areas across North America
These are one of the most common wrens in North America. Both male and female northern house wrens are mostly solid brown with some darker brown speckles toward their wings and tails. These brown birds will build their twig nests in almost any openings they find. While that usually involves nest boxes, it can also include tree crevices, old cans, boxes, and even boots.
3. Chipping Sparrow
Location: Forests and grassy openings across most of North America
Chipping sparrows are mostly brown with a white belly, and during the breeding season, they have a red-brown patch on top of their heads. They make long, loud trilling calls that sometimes sound like they’re saying “chip” repeatedly. Their nests are flimsy and built low in the trees. They breed across southern Canada and most of the United States, but then they fly south for the rest of the year.
4. Song Sparrow (Brown Birds of Varying Patterns)
Location: Brushlands and marshes from southern Alaska to northern Mexico
Song sparrows are very light brown with streaks of darker brown feathers. However, the patterns of these birds can vary slightly based on their location. In the deserts of southwestern United States, they’re paler, but in the Pacific Northwest, they have darker streaks. The males use a variety of songs to attract mates and defend their territories. While they typically migrate south when they’re not breeding, there are some areas of the United States that have them year-round.
5. Carolina Wren
Location: Woodlands and shrubby areas of eastern North America
Carolina wrens have dark brown feathers on their backs and light brown feathers with a touch of yellow on their bellies. They live in the same area year-round rather than migrating. They’re shy, and their coloring makes these brown birds hard to spot among the trees. Yet, they have piercing calls that you might hear before you see them. Only the males sing the loud songs, and they can sing thousands of times in one day.
6. Hermit Thrush
Location: Woodlands across North America
Hermit thrushes are small birds with solid light brown feathers. Their name comes from the fact that they’re shy, secretive birds. They typically have a white belly with sparse dark brown spots. They’re often found on forest floors, searching through leaf litter to find insects to eat. They may shake blades of grass with their feet to make it easier to locate hiding prey. They typically breed in northern habitats and fly to southern North America during the non-breeding season.
7. Fox Sparrow
Location: Wooded areas across Canada and the United States
Fox sparrows have several subspecies, all of which have beautiful brown feathers. Common subspecies include “sooty” fox sparrows, which have solid brown feathers with some white spots on their bellies and “red” fox sparrows, which have patterns of reddish-brown feathers. While they’re native to North America, people have spotted single fox sparrows in parts of Europe too.
8. Pine Siskin (Brown Birds with a Hint of Yellow)
Location: Forests across most of North America
Pine siskins spend a lot of time high in the trees collecting seeds. They may even climb upside down on branches to collect hanging seeds. They sometimes store seeds in part of their esophagus to help them survive frigid winter nights. These birds are light brown with darker brown streaks across their bodies. They also have a hint of yellow on the tips of their wings. They typically breed in Canada and then fly south, but there are some parts of the United States where they remain year-round.
9. Wood Thrush
Location: Thick forests from southeastern Canada to Central America
Wood thrushes have solid brown feathers on their backs and a white belly with dark brown spots. The brown backs of these birds make them blend in well when they’re foraging among leaves on forest floors. They breed in the eastern United States before migrating to southern Mexico and Central America. While they rarely get close to humans, you may hear their calls from your yard, which sound like haunting, flute-like songs.
10. Brown Thrasher
Location: Thickets and forest edges of southeastern Canada and the eastern United States
These are beautiful brown birds to admire from a distance, but they may strike people or animals that come too close to their nests. They have over 1,100 different song types, which include songs imitated from other birds. This gives them one of the largest repertoires of any songbird. Keep an eye out for the warm brown feathers on their backs, paired with long, narrow bills and white bellies with dark spots. There are some areas, specifically the southeastern United States, where they’re present year-round.
11. Canyon Wren (Brown Birds from Rocky Regions)
Location: Arid, rocky habitats of western United States and Mexico
Canyon wrens are small, brown birds with warmer brown on the bottom halves of their bodies and duller brown on top. They have speckles across their feathers, and they have a white patch on their throats. They’re agile birds that quickly scale cliffs while grabbing insects from crevices with their thin, pointed bills. They also steal insects trapped in spiderwebs. They don’t migrate, so they can be found in all areas of their range year-round.
12. Brown Creeper
Location: Coniferous forests from southern Canada to parts of Mexico
Brown creepers have beautiful brown patterns on their backs with solid white bellies. They typically hang out at the largest trees they can find. They peel off loose bark and build nests behind it. Sometimes, these nests have two openings: one for entering and one for exiting. If there isn’t a suitable tree for a nest, they may build nests under roofs, inside fence posts, and on other man-made structures.
13. Bewick’s Wren
Location: Dry, brushy areas of western and southwestern United States, along with parts of Mexico
Bewick’s wrens have solid brown backs, striped tails, and gray/white bellies. However, their behaviors are more recognizable than their appearance. These brown birds are noisy and constantly moving. They repeatedly hop from branch to branch, often flicking their tails. Some of their sounds include whistles, warbles, burrs, and trills, which can be used for a variety of things, such as attracting a mate, communicating, or defending territory.
14. Winter Wren
Location: Evergreen forests of eastern United States and Canada
Winter wrens are small and round with brown feathers all over. Their feathers have small speckles, giving them the illusion of a unique texture. They aren’t the strongest fliers, so they’re more likely to hop on branches and scurry across the ground than fly. Their song is a bubbly, cascading melody that sounds like bells. They breed in Canada before migrating down to the southeastern United States.
15. Mourning Dove (Common Brown/Gray Birds)
Location: Semi-open habitats across the United States, Mexico, and southern Canada
Mourning doves are usually a mix of solid brown and gray, and they’re one of the most common and widespread brown birds of North America. They have a distinct call that includes three to four “coos.” The famous cooing almost always comes from a male searching for a mate. Their vocalizations sound somber, which is why they earned the name mourning dove. They’re typically seen resting on high perches or foraging for seeds on the ground.
Try Identifying Some Brown Birds in North America!
If you live in North America, you’re bound to see some of these brown birds from time to time. To more easily observe them, consider setting up a smart bird house. That way, you’ll give birds a comfortable place to rest while still being able to identify which brown birds visit your yard.
