Maine has a diverse range of backyard birds. And In this article, I’ll list and explain all the backyard birds of Maine in Detail.
Note: If you’re short on time I have compiled a table of all the backyard birds with identification and their Diet. You can also read about these birds in detail below.
| Backyard Birds in Maine | Length | Weight | Identification(Color) | Diet/Favorite Food |
| Song Sparrow | 12-17 cm | 19 gm (0.60z) | Brown streaked birds are well known for singing all day just in order to attract mates during the season. | They eat a wide variety of insects like caterpillars, beetles, midges, spiders, and earthworms, along with buckwheat, raspberries, sunflower, wild cherries, wheat, and rice. |
| American Crow | 40-53 cm | 320-620 gm (11.2- 21.8oz) | These birds are large with all black bodies. They are found on treetops, beaches, and towns. | Earthworms, seeds, insects, fruits, fish, young turtles, clams, eggs, mussels, and nestlings of different species of birds. |
| American Goldfinch | 11-13 cm | 14 gm (0.4oz) | They are quite popular, with bright yellow and black colors in males. The female counterparts however tend to be dull brown in shade. | Mostly seeds, some insects. Diet is primarily seeds, especially those of the daisy (composite) family, also those of weeds and grasses, and small seeds of trees such as elm, birch, and alder. Also eats buds, the bark of young twigs, maple sap. |
| American Robin | 23-28 cm | 77 gm (2.7 oz) | These birds have black heads and backs with a hint of red or orange on their breast. | Mostly insects, berries, earthworms. In early summer, insects make up the majority of the diet; they also feed on many earthworms, snails, spiders, and other invertebrates. |
| Black-Capped Chickadee | 10-15 cm | 12 gm (0.4oz) | Small bird with a big round head. They have black caps and beaks, white cheeks, with a gray back, wings, and tail. | They eat seeds, different berries, insects, suet, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, and spiders. |
| Common Yellowthroat | 11-13 cm | 9 gm (0.3oz) | Small songbirds with a brown back with a hint of yellow and a long tail. They have an apparent black mask across their face. They might also have olive undertones. | They eat all kinds of insects. |
| Mourning Dove | 22-36 cm | 120 gm (4.2 oz) | Soft brown in color with hints of black on the wings. | Millet, black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, peanut hearts. |
| Blue Jay | 22-30 cm | 65-110 gm (2.2- 3.8oz ) | Blue crest, black backs, and white undersides. | Acorns, insects, grain, nuts, and seeds. |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 27-28 cm | 20 gm(0.7oz) | These are active little birds with a grayish-blue back and white face and belly with a black cap. Their lower belly and tails are mostly of the chestnut shade. | They feed on insects and larvae like caterpillars, ants, and even spiders. Other than that, they also feed on acorns, sunflower seeds, hawthorns, and corn crops. |
| Downy Woodpecker | 14-17 cm | 21-28 gm (0.7-0.9oz) | They are b&w in color with patches of red here and there. They are found in woodlots, in backyards, and along streams. | Insects, beetle larvae, acorns, berries and grains, black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, millets. |
| Northern Cardinal | 21-24 cm | 43 gm (1.5 Oz) | Males are red with a black patch around their faces. Females have brown shades with red highlights and beaks. | Sunflower seeds, millet, milo, peanut hearts. |
| Tufted Titmouse | 15-17 cm | 21 gm (0.74 oz) | Gray backs with a hint of white underneath and large eyes. | Insects like caterpillars, ants, beetles, spiders, snails, and wasps. Also nuts, berries, seeds, and shelled seeds. |
| Cedar Waxwing | 16 cm | 32 gm (1.1oz) | These birds with a pale brown head, chest, and crest, are elegant and extremely social. They have a pale shade of yellow on their bellies. A narrow black mask on their faces. | They feed on small fruits like serviceberry, dogwood, juniper, winterberry, and hawthorn. |
| Gray Catbird | 21-24 cm | 35 gm (1.2oz) | Their songs sound like a cat’s mew. Gray in color with a black cal and reddish patch on the tails. | Fruits like dogwood, winterberry, and serviceberry. |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 24cm/37cm | 85 gm (2.9oz) | All black only with a bright red and yellow patch on the top of their wings. The female is pale brown. | Mixed grains. |
| Chipping Sparrow | 13-15 cm | 12 gm (0.4oz) | Slender long-tailed birds that have a gray belly and a streaked back with a rusty crown and blackish eyeliners. | They largely feed on insects. |
| Common Grackle | 28-34 cm | 110 gm (3.8oz) | Tall blackbird with a long tail and glossy texture. These birds move in huge flocks. | Eats mostly insects, berries, seeds, fruit, bird eggs, although it is also known to eat frogs and snakes. |
| Eastern Phoebe | 6-7 inches | 20 gm (0.7oz) | Grayish-brown towards the back and whitish underneath. | Flying insects, spiders, small fruits, and seeds. |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 4.3 in (11 cm) | 0.3-0.5 oz (8-13 g) | This bird is blue-grey in color. On the head, this bird has a black cap and stripe through the eye broken up by a white stripe over the eye. | |
| European Starling | 22 cm | 58-100 gm (2.04- 3.5oz) | These birds are stocky black, with a purple, green and blue hue. These birds are famous for their aggressive behavior. | They eat insects like flies, beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, and spiders, along with fruits like cherries, holly berries, mulberries, Virginia Creeper, sumac, blackberries, and even seeds and grains. |
Backyard Birds Of Maine In Different Seasons
Winter Backyard Birds
- Black-capped Chickadee (50%)
- American Crow (48%)
- Blue Jay (31%)
- Mourning Dove (29%)
- American Goldfinch (28%)
- White-breasted Nuthatch (27%)
- Downy Woodpecker (26%)
- Northern Cardinal (23%)
- Tufted Titmouse (21%)
- Dark-eyed Junco (21%)
Summer Backyard Birds
- Song Sparrow (47% frequency)
- American Crow (41%)
- American Goldfinch (38%)
- American Robin (37%)
- Black-capped Chickadee (31%)
- Red-eyed Vireo (29%)
- Mourning Dove (28%)
- Blue Jay (25%)
- Cedar Waxwing (24%)
- Gray Catbird (23%)
- Black-throated Green Warbler (21%)
- Chipping Sparrow (20%)
Backyard Birds Of Maine In Detail
Song Sparro
The song sparrow is a little New World bird. The Song Sparrow is one of the popular birds. It is without a doubt one of the most abundant, diversified, and adaptable native bird species in North America.
And it’s exciting to think that if this lovely bird decides to make our backyard it’s home, we may be among the first to see it. They may be found in a range of habitats, such as tree bark, rocks, logs, and even steep rocky outcrops.
To attract more song sparrows to your backyard feeders, use black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and nyjer on platform feeders.
American Crow
The American Crow has a brightly colored plumage. This is one of the most common birds in the region, and you may see it all around the province. Birders regularly observe these birds nesting on trees beside roads or even in people’s backyards.
They usually graze on the roots of trees and plants and rarely nectar from flowers. They are one of the most active species of these birds, which implies they are always looking for new meals.
You can attract more American Crows by scattering peanuts in your yard.
American Goldfinch
The American goldfinch, often known as the black-throated goldfinch or just the goldfinch, is a delightful little bird.
Each year, they are known to travel considerable distances, with some going as far north as southern Mexico and all the way down to the eastern fringe of the Canadian border.
To mention a few habitats, they like marshes, backyards, meadows, woodlands, brushlands, fields, hedgerows, tall grasses, and oaks. They prefer spruce and oak trees, and they may be found in groves near creeks, rivers, and streams.
To attract more American Goldfinches, grow thistles, and milkweed in your backyard. They are attracted to most bird feeders and like sunflower and Nyjer seed.
American Robin
Their breasts are a reddish-orange color, and they have black feathers on their head, back, wings, and tail. They feature huge, sharp beaks as well as white decorations on the wing margins.
They are timid creatures that like to reside in woodland settings. They are herbivores in their native environment, eating berries, leaves, and insects.
Sunflower seeds, suet and peanut hearts, fruit, and mealworms are all excellent attractants for American Robins.
It’s fantastic to have food provided on the ground or on platforms. Grow plants that bear berries, such as juniper, sumac, hawthorn, and dogwood.
Black-capped Chickadee
The Black-Capped Chickadee’s back, wings, and medium-sized tail are light grey with some white highlighting in the form of minute feather edging.
This bird has a buff-colored white breast and underbelly, a black bib with a white face, and a massive black cap that extends just below the eyes. The birds have conical black beaks that are short and black.
This bird favors woodlands, but it will endure dense vegetation such as brush or shrubs. Marshes are also popular with this species, as long as they provide adequate protection for the Black-capped Chickadee.
This bird likes peanuts and peanut butter as feeder feeds, but they also enjoy Black Oil Sunflower seeds, and suets.
Common Yellowthroat
Yellowthroats are little songbirds with long tails that are brownish on the back and brilliant yellow on the underside. The males are dressed in a black mask that covers their entire faces.
The brightness of the yellow varies from place to region, and it may be more greenish in lower sections.
In the spring and summer, they may be found in marshy or wetland habitats, brushy fields, and thick, tangled vegetation over most of North America. They mostly eat insects and can be found in big, highly planted backyards.
Mourning Do
The mourning dove is a Columbidae family native bird. The mourning dove has been known as the rain dove, wetland dove, turtle dove, and, more commonly, just the mourning dove.
It is currently widely known throughout the southeastern United States, as well as Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, California, and Ontario, Canada. It also travels to big cities, as well as meadows, farm fields, parks, resorts, and even some residential areas.
If you want to attract Mourning Doves to your backyard then start by distributing millet on the ground or using platform feeders. Mourning Doves also like to eat black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, and peanut hearts.
Blue Jay
The blue jay is a lovely bird genus that can be found in big flocks in parks, near sources of water, and close to human settlements. This species lives in mountainous regions with high cliffs and exposed soil.
It’s a popular visitor’s bird, and its vivid, colorful plumage has long made it a favorite of photographers.
Because of their timidity and ability to hide in thick grass and oak trees, blue jays are usually regarded as the greatest bird for bird watchers and walkers.
They eat a variety of seeds, but sunflower seeds are their favorite. Among other things, they eat berries, suet, insects, worms, and carrion. Blue Jays will come to your yard if you feed them peanuts, sunflower seeds, or suet.
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatches have a gray-blue back, a white face and belly, and a black crown. The lower belly and underside of the tail are usually chestnut in hue.
They can be seen in deciduous forests, woodland borders, parks, and tree-filled yards, as well as at bird feeders. Beetles and their larvae, caterpillars, ants, and spiders are among the insects they eat.
They cram huge nuts and acorns into tree bark, then pound them open with their bills to get the seed.
Sunflower seeds and peanuts in suet or tube feeders might attract additional White-breasted Nuthatches to your yard.
Downy Woodpecker
The downy woodpecker can frequently be heard shrieking or chirping in a high, difficult-to-reach tree. They live in sagebrush thickets and woods.
They have a red patch on the back of their heads, white underbodies, black wings with white markings, and striped heads in black and white. Females do not have a red mark on their wings, however, males do.
Suet feeders attract more Downy Woodpeckers to your yard, but platform feeders also provide them with black oil sunflower seeds, millet, and peanuts.
Northern Cardina
Northern Cardinals are one of North America’s most well-known and common garden birds. Males have bright red feathers and a black mask, but females have duller colors and are more pale brown with a reddish pattern.
Males and females can be recognized by their distinctive “mohawks” and dazzling orange beaks. Northern Cardinals can be observed all year in almost every section of the country.
Northern Cardinals are drawn to backyard feeders with sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, millet, and milo.
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouses are similar to chickadees, except instead of a black bib, they have a crest.
They are little birds, but a gigantic titmouse; they are larger than chickadees and the size of a junco or House Finch. The body is spherical, and it has a long and full tail, a massive head, and long legs.
They have a whitish top and a dark blue-gray bottom. The black feathers that surround the eye emphasize its size.
They are commonly seen in parks and densely forested deciduous woods. With roots in the eastern and southeastern United States, their distribution extends northward and westward. Backyard bird feeders may be assisting this species’ migration north.
Sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts on tube feeders or suet cages can attract Tufted Titmouse to your backyard feeders. They’ll eat from platform feeders as well.
Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwings are friendly, graceful birds with a light brown head, breast, and crest that fades to grey on the back, wings, and tail. Their tail tip is bright yellow, while their tummy is pastel yellow. Their eyes are hidden under a tight black mask, and their wingtips have a bright red color.
They spend the entire year in the north and the winter in the south. They have a high-pitched chirp and can be found in berry bushes, woodlands, and streams.
Plant natural trees and shrubs with tiny fruit, such as serviceberry, dogwood, juniper, winterberry, and hawthorn, to attract Cedar Waxwings to your yard.
Gray Catbird
Gray catbirds like the shade of bushes and thickets, but they can also be found in open environments such as parks and fields.
They are also drawn to water, and it is common to see them foraging near rivers or streams. These birds are roughly the size of Robins, measuring 8.3–9.4 inches long and having a wingspan of 8.7–11.8 inches.
Gray Catbirds are drawn to fruit, so place chopped apples or other dry fruits in your backyard feeder to attract them.
If you have a garden with fruiting plants, you have a far better chance of getting a visit, so if you don’t already have some, try adding some blackberry vines or other fruiting plants for the best results.
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged blackbirds are easily identified by their all-black plumage, which is punctuated by brilliant red and yellow shoulder patches. In comparison to the streaky brown coloring of the males, the females are somewhat drab.
During mating season, males will fiercely defend their territory, even attacking anyone who comes too close to nests. During the winter, they cluster in enormous flocks of millions. Red-winged Blackbirds are found all over the United States.
To attract more Red-winged blackbirds to your yard, scatter mixed grain and seeds on the ground. They will also consume massive tube feeders or platform feeders.
Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrows are long-tailed, thin birds with a greyish belly and a brown and black-streaked back, a rusty cap, and a black eye line. The colors are more subdued in the winter.
They breed across much of North America and Canada before flying to Mexico, Florida, or the further south, where they spend the entire year.
They can be seen in small flocks on open terrain and will visit backyards in search of various types of birdseed.
Common Grackle
The Common Grackle is a lovely bird that is easy to identify. They’re purple and blue all the way through, yet they appear black till you look closely.
Their color darkens from the breasts upward, with a stronger blue saturation from here on out and towards the face.
They have enormous wings and medium-sized tails, as well as bronze-metallic eyes and a large, straight black beak. Females have a duller sheen, although young people have darker skin and eyes.
Grackles have become urbanized and astute, scavenging at agricultural feeding stations. They prefer high trees, riverbanks, and other locations where they can get a good look before venturing out to forage when they’re out in the woods.
The bird likes white Proso millet, wheat, oats, and Black Oil Sunflower seeds. For optimal results, combine at least one-grain offering with the seeds.
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Phoebes are plump songbirds with grayish-brown backs, pale underparts, and a darker head.
They are migratory birds that breed in the northeastern United States and into Canada before traveling to the south-eastern United States for the winter.
This bird doesn’t fly in flocks rather it prefers solitude and a peaceful environment. Their favorite place to build nests is around the bridges, barns, and houses with mud and grass. A nest box can attract them to your property.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatches spend the entire year in the northern states and into Canada, but they may migrate south in the winter if cone crops are weak. They have a rusty underside and are blue-gray birds with black and white stripes on the head.
Red-breasted Nuthatches can be found scavenging for cones in coniferous woodlands, and they do visit backyard feeders frequently.
Black oil sunflower seeds, suet feeders, peanuts, and mealworms can all be used to attract additional Red-breasted Nuthatches to your yard.
European Starling
European Starlings can be identified by their purple-green plumage when examined closely. Their entire body is covered in it, but their long, straight yellow bills are a distinguishing feature.
In the winter, they molt out of their gleaming plumage and replace it with a brown coat flecked with white patches.
These birds can be found almost anywhere. They like man-made settings, whether on a farm, in a village, or in a city. Because of their extended cohabitation, they are highly acclimated to human contact and you may see one on a phone line or wandering down the street.
These birds eat a wide variety of foods. When they are not eating insects, they enjoy berries, seeds, cereals, and other foods.
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