11 Must-See Birds In New Jersey

Written by Rose Okeke
Updated: August 7, 2023
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New Jersey boasts of hosting some of the rarest, quirkiest, and most enchanting birds in the eastern United States. Its wide range of habitable regions such as the woodlands, forests, meadows, mangroves, and the Atlantic Ocean ensures a distribution of birds who either live and breed in New Jersey throughout the year or migrate to and from the state. This is what makes The Garden State a hot venue for birdwatchers to feast their eyes on the avian fauna. Here are some of the many interesting birds to look out for in New Jersey.

Cedar waxwings are migratory birds and reside in New Jersey all year round, especially during winter.

1. Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

Cooper's Hawk with fresh kill

These magnificent hawks primarily eat medium-sized birds and small mammals such as chipmunks, bats, and squirrels.

©Aussiemandias/Shutterstock.com

Cooper’s hawks are migrating birds and usually live in New Jersey during the winter. They are woodland birds that inhabit mature forests and river groves. Cooper’s hawks prefer to live in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woods with tall trees. They are also now inhabiting cities and suburbs that have trees tall enough to nest in.

Cooper’s hawks are medium-sized, but they are also one of the bigger species in the genus Accipiter. They have relatively short, rounded wings, long, thick legs and toes, and short, hooked beaks. Cooper’s hawks have blackish-brown heads and bluish or brownish-gray bodies. Their tails are blue-gray on top and pale below with three black stripes and a white tip. Their underbellies have white as the base color and reddish bands patterned across them.

Cooper’s hawks primarily eat medium-sized birds and small mammals such as chipmunks, bats, mice, and squirrels which they hunt in stealth mode. They catch their prey either by stalking them on tree branches before charging them, or when they are airborne, during which they swoop down to capture them.

Male Cooper’s hawks have a higher-pitched call than females. They are also called chicken hawks, swift hawks, quail hawks, hen hawks, and flying crosses.

2. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Northern Cardinal in flight

They have black masks around their faces and beaks and crests on their heads.

©Rob Palmer Photography/Shutterstock.com

Northern cardinals are very common in New Jersey throughout the year. They live on the edges of woodland, swamps, forest clearings, thickets, and brushy areas. Northern cardinals are also comfortable living in human-populated regions such as city parks and other areas with heavy bushes suitable for building nests.

Northern cardinals are medium-sized songbirds, spanning between 8.3 and 9.1 inches in length. They are “cardinal red,” which is a reference to the red robes Catholic cardinals wear. They have black masks around their faces and beaks and crests on their heads.

Northern cardinals mostly forage for seeds, fruit, grains, and berries, as well as hunt insects such as beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, butterflies, and termites. They love to feed on sunflower seeds from bird feeders. If you have a bird feeder in your backyard, add some sunflower seeds to it and maybe you’ll get lucky enough to find a bright red visitor.

3. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

The pileated

woodpecker

is mostly black with white stripes running from its head down to its throat.

©rhfletcher/Shutterstock.com

If you grew up watching the very famous Woody Woodpecker cartoon character, then you’re probably already familiar with this active bird. The pileated woodpecker is notorious for its tree-bark pecking and happens to be the largest woodpecker in the USA. Its habitats include hardwood forests, both coniferous and mixed regions.

The pileated woodpecker is mostly black with white stripes running from its head down to its throat. It has a characteristic red crest on its head, reminiscent of its cartoon alter ego, Woody Woodpecker. You can distinguish males from females by the red band which runs from their beak to their throat. In females, this band is black.

Pileated woodpeckers mostly feed on insects, especially insects that live in rotting wood, as well as wood larvae. To access prey, they use their beaks to peck holes in trees. They eat wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, termites, and even fruits, nuts, and berries.

A fun fact about woodpeckers is that they have ridiculously long tongues, which they wrap around their brain. This isn’t just for storage space, but also to protect the brain from rapid, incessant head-knocking during their pecking activities!

4. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

great horned owl

great horned owl

©iStock.com/makasana

With its two prominent ear tufts that look like horns and its piercing gaze, the great horned owl makes the list as one of New Jersey’s most majestic birds. It also holds the record for the Garden State’s largest owl species. These birds are pretty common throughout the continental United States and can be found in lots of places, from woodland regions, orchards, and prairies, to suburban areas with enough scattered trees. If you are thinking of birdwatching in New Jersey, the great horned owl should be at the top of your list! The great horned owl is a delightful bird to watch, with its mostly brown plumage that differs in pattern from owl to owl. They have bright yellow eyes, a black beak, and a white collar. You can identify them by their deep hoots, with the male birds’ call being deeper than the females’. These owls have an impressive wingspan of 48 to 60 inches. That’s about four to five feet! Great horned owls don’t migrate which means you can easily find these large beauties throughout the year.

5. Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)

Most Expensive Birds-Scarlet Tanager

The stunning scarlet tanager usually hunts for prey high up in the trees.

©Stubblefield Photography/Shutterstock.com

The scarlet tanager is a medium-sized bird that prefers to live and breed in deciduous forests of predominantly oak, but also maple, pine, and mixed woods. They are migrating birds that travel down to South America for the winter.

Just as its name suggests, the adult male scarlet tanager has bright red plumage with black wings and tail. The females have milder colors with mostly olive-green on their upper body, yellowish on the underbelly, and both olive and yellow hues on their wings and tail.

Scarlet Tanagers usually hunt for prey high up in the trees. They mostly eat insects, catching them in the air or picking them off the forest floor. Tanagers also turn to berries when insect populations are low.

6. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Cedar waxwing bird

The cedar waxwing’s favorite foods are berries, and they like to live in proximity to fruit trees.

©Skyler Ewing/Shutterstock.com

Cedar waxwings are migratory birds and reside in New Jersey all year round, especially during winter. These birds inhabit open woodland areas, preferring to live at the edges of swamps and forests, as well as fields and streams. They also don’t mind living in urban areas as long as there are enough berry trees and a source of water close by.

They eat insects, flowers, and sometimes even plant sap. However, the cedar waxwing’s favorite foods are berries, and they like to live in proximity to fruit trees. Interestingly, cedar waxwings occasionally get drunk on fermented berries!

Cedar waxwings have brown, yellow, and gray plumage for the most part. Their unique features include a black mask accentuated with white outlines, a prominent crest on their head, and a bright red spot on either wing. The oldest cedar waxwing known was eight years and two months old.

7. Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)

Black Skimmer Skimming the surface of the water

They are famous for their skimming skills – they fly just above the water’s surface with their lower beak raking the water.

©iStock.com/Natures_Vision

Black skimmers are one of the coolest birds you may ever see. They are famous for their skimming skills – they fly just above the water’s surface with their lower beak raking the water. Once they catch a fish, their upper beak snaps shut, trapping the prey. Their diet consists primarily of fish and small crustaceans.

The black skimmer is usually in Sandy Hook, New Jersey during their breeding season. They live on beaches near the ocean, coastal waters, inland lakes, rivers, and lagoons.

Black skimmers have black plumage covering the top of their heads, behind their necks, and all over their body. Their underside and forehead are white, their wings black with white edges, and their tail gray with white edges.

8. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird in flight.

Male Ruby-Throated

Hummingbird

in flight.

©Ramona Edwards/Shutterstock.com

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are fascinating animals to see. Their iridescent plumage is characteristic of most hummingbirds and their bright scarlet bibs that seem to change color in different lighting make them unique and sought-after birds to watch. Generally, adult birds are alike in appearance regardless of sex. They have shiny green bodies and white underparts. However, the vivid, iridescent red plumage on the throats of the Ruby-throated hummingbird is restricted to adult males. This brightly colored feature is called a gorget, and the red color is mostly absent in females and young birds. Instead, the females have pale, white throats that sometimes may have a few escapee red feathers. One fun fact about ruby-throated hummingbirds is that they are the only hummingbird species that breed and nest in New Jersey. They arrive in the Garden State around April to May. These birds make their homes in deciduous and mixed forests, and even in urban areas like gardens and cities with adequate trees around.

9. Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus)

Harlequin duck

Harlequin ducks are a must-see bird, thanks to their beautifully decorated plumage.

©iStock.com/AGAMI stock

Due to their flamboyant plumage, Harlequin ducks are named after a colorful character from Italian theater productions. These ducks live near streams during the summer and on the rocky ocean coasts during winter. They are most common in New Jersey during the winter months.

Harlequin ducks are a must-see bird thanks to their beautifully decorated plumage. They have a dark, navy blue head and throat and a lighter navy-blue body with chestnut brown on the sides. These ducks also have a series of adorable white and black markings such as a white spot behind the eye and another behind the head, and a black stripe that runs from the bill to the back of the head. They also have white patches on their faces.

Harlequin ducks hunt for their food in the water. They are divers and they also swim to the bottom to find food. They eat small fish, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects. When these are not as abundant as usual, they turn to eating aquatic plants, too, to supplement their diet.

Strangely enough, many Harlequin ducks that have been studied have had broken bones due to the rocky nature of their preferred habitat.

10. Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)

Atlantic puffins courting while rubbing beaks together

Atlantic puffin mates strengthen their bond by billing or rattling their beaks together.

©Giedriius/Shutterstock.com

One of the most recognizable birds, Atlantic puffins excite birdwatchers who flock to the Atlantic coast to see them. These adorable birds prefer colder waters and inhabit coastal regions, open seas, and offshore coasts where they breed. They build their nests in rock clefts or burrows in the sand.

Puffins almost resemble penguins in terms of color and stature. They are short and stout. They have black caps on their heads and foreheads, and black bodies, wings, and tails. Atlantic puffins are white underneath and have large pale gray patches on either side of their face, which extend and meet at the back of their head. They have a characteristically shaped, colorful beak, the upper half of which is slate gray, and the tip orange.

Atlantic puffins eat a lot of fish, mollusks, worms, and crustaceans. They obtain their meals by diving into the cold ocean water.

11. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

American goldfinch perched with back towards camera

Males are a vivid yellow with a black head patch and white rump.

©iStock.com/impr2003

Last but not least is the American or Eastern goldfinch, which happens to be the official bird of the state of New Jersey. This vibrantly colored bird lives in open spaces including fields, meadows, orchards, and gardens. They are a favorite because of how well they do around people. Studies show that goldfinches living in urban areas with bird feeder access have a high rate of survival. They also love to reside in meadow areas, which are created as a result of deforestation.

The American goldfinch features brilliant colors, with enough sexual dimorphism for people to be able to tell the males and females apart. The males are a vivid yellow with a black head patch and white rump. The female birds are a dull yellow underneath, with olive brown on top.

The American goldfinch loves its grains and is a very strict vegetarian. However, it will seldom eat insects. If you have a backyard bird feeder, try stocking up on some sunflower, alder, ragweed, or thistle seeds and you might catch a glimpse of these golden beauties.

Summary of 11 Must-See Birds In New Jersey

RankMust-See Bird
1Cooper’s Hawk
2Northern Cardinal
3Pileated Woodpecker
4Great Horned Owl
5Scarlet Tanager
6Cedar Waxwing
7Black Skimmer
8Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
9Harlequin Ducks
10Atlantic Puffins
11American Goldfinch
Summary Table of 11 Must-See Birds In New Jersey

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/BrianLasenby


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About the Author

Hi! I am a writer, actor, and filmmaker. Reading is my favorite hobby. Watching old movies and taking short naps are a close second and third. I have been writing since childhood, with a vast collection of handwritten books sealed away in a duffel bag somewhere in my room. I love fiction, especially fantasy and adventure. I recently won the James Currey Prize 2022, so now, naturally, I feel like I own words. When I was 11, I wanted to be a marine biologist because I love animals, particularly dogs, cats, and owls. I also enjoy potatoes and chocolate in all their glorious forms.

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