Top 15 Birds of New Hampshire

New Hampshire is home to a rich variety of bird species that delight birdwatchers and play vital roles in local ecosystems. Here’s a closer look at 15 iconic birds you can spot across the Granite State.

1. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

• Description: A small songbird with a black cap and bib, white cheeks, and soft gray wings and body.
• Habitat: Found in mixed forests, residential areas, and parks across New Hampshire.
• Ecosystem Services: Helps control insect populations and disperses seeds.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; populations are stable.

2. Common Loon (Gavia immer)

• Description: Large water bird with striking black-and-white plumage and red eyes.
• Habitat: Freshwater lakes and large ponds.
• Ecosystem Services: Top predator that helps balance fish populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern but sensitive to water pollution and human disturbance.

3. Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

• Description: Small thrush with vivid blue upperparts and reddish-orange chest.
• Habitat: Open fields, meadows, and orchards with scattered trees.
• Ecosystem Services: Controls insect pests and disperses seeds.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; recovering thanks to nest box programs.

4. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

• Description: Large raptor with white head and tail contrasting with dark brown body and wings.
• Habitat: Large rivers, lakes, and coastal areas.
• Ecosystem Services: Scavenger and predator, helps maintain healthy ecosystems.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; a conservation success story.

5. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

• Description: The largest woodpecker in North America with black body, white stripes on face and neck, and flaming red crest.
• Habitat: Mature forests with large trees.
• Ecosystem Services: Creates nesting cavities used by other species; controls wood-boring insects.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; populations are stable.

6. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

• Description: Small finch with bright yellow body and black wings (male in breeding season).
• Habitat: Fields, weedy areas, and backyards.
• Ecosystem Services: Disperses seeds, particularly of native wildflowers.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; common throughout the state.

7. Barred Owl (Strix varia)

• Description: Medium-large owl with round head, dark eyes, and barred brown and white plumage.
• Habitat: Mature forests near water bodies.
• Ecosystem Services: Controls populations of rodents and small mammals.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; widespread and common.

8. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

• Description: Large hawk with broad wings and distinctive red tail.
• Habitat: Open fields, wood edges, and highway corridors.
• Ecosystem Services: Controls rodent populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; highly adaptable.

9. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

• Description: Tiny bird with iridescent green back and brilliant red throat (male).
• Habitat: Wood edges, gardens, and meadows.
• Ecosystem Services: Pollinates native plants and garden flowers.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; common during breeding season.

10. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

• Description: Large ground-dwelling bird with dark plumage, bare head, and fan-shaped tail.
• Habitat: Woodlands, clearings, and fields.
• Ecosystem Services: Seed disperser and helps control insect populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; successfully reintroduced to the region.

11. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

• Description: Bright red plumage in males; females are reddish-brown with red highlights.
• Habitat: Thickets, forest edges, and residential areas.
• Ecosystem Services: Seed disperser and insect controller.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; thriving in New Hampshire.

12. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

• Description: Tall wading bird with slate-blue feathers and long legs and neck.
• Habitat: Wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal shores.
• Ecosystem Services: Helps control fish and amphibian populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; populations stable.

13. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

• Description: Small songbird with a white face and chest, gray back, and black cap.
• Habitat: Deciduous forests and wooded suburbs.
• Ecosystem Services: Controls tree pests by feeding on insects hidden in bark.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; widespread.

14. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)

• Description: Small warbler with olive-brown upperparts and bold streaks on white underparts.
• Habitat: Mature deciduous and mixed forests.
• Ecosystem Services: Controls insect populations on the forest floor.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; common breeder in New Hampshire.

15. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

• Description: Small sparrow with slate-gray upperparts and white belly.
• Habitat: Forests, clearings, and residential feeders in winter.
• Ecosystem Services: Seed disperser and controls insect populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; abundant in appropriate habitats.