How Many Common Birds Can You Name?

By: Lauren Lubas
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How Many Common Birds Can You Name?
Image: Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Bird watching (also known as birding) is a growing hobby for people who start to turn their eyes toward nature. Birding isn't just about seeing birds and taking pictures of them. It's also about tracking migratory patterns, learning where birds prefer to nest and figuring out where they are headed to next. This hobby is peaceful and can get really exciting (especially when you make a list of all of the different birds you want to see over time).

Whether you live in the country and see five to seven different species of bird a day, or you live in the city and see five to seven varieties of pigeons a day, you may find that you can name more common birds than you think. Some of the most common birds have recognizable traits that set them apart from every other bird you've ever seen. If you consider yourself a birding expert, you may find this quiz to be a breeze. However, even if you think of yourself as a novice in the bird watching arena, you still have a chance to pass this quiz. Either way, it's time to try your hand at this bird watching quiz and find out just how many common birds you can name.

Blue jay
Cappi Thompson/Moment/Getty Images
This bird is really this blue. What kind of bird is it?
Blue jay
Owl
Mourning dove
Robin
European goldfinch
Gary Chalker/Moment/Getty Images
Can you identify this bird with interesting markings?
Quail
European goldfinch
Starling
Pigeon
Common starling
Susan Walker/Moment/Getty Images
What is the name of this bird that sparkles?
Sparrow
Blue jay
Common starling
Cardinal

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Woodpecker
Tempau/E+/Getty Images
Do you know which bird makes a lot of noise?
Cardinal
Blue jay
American goldfinch
Woodpecker
Sparrow
Sandra Standbridge/Moment/Getty Images
These little guys are found pretty much everywhere in America. What are they?
Blue jay
Sparrow
Common starling
Pigeon
Hummingbird
Kathleen Reeder Wildlife Photography/Moment/Getty Images
Can you name the tiny bird that has fast wings?
Hummingbird
Goldfinch
Cardinal
Bluejay

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Mourning dove
sunmallia photography/Moment/Getty Images
Which bird is known across North America?
Sparrow
Hummingbird
Common starling
Mourning dove
American goldfinch
JeffGoulden/E+/Getty Images
What is the name of this very yellow bird?
American goldfinch
Canary
Cardinal
Hummingbird
American Robin
Cappi Thompson/Moment/Getty Images
Do you recognize this bird with wings that are a different color than its breast?
House finch
Mourning dove
American Robin
Cardinal

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Cardinal
Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/Getty Images
Can you identify this very red bird?
Blue jay
Cardinal
Nuthatches
American goldfinch
Wren
Sandra Standbridge/Moment/Getty Images
These chubby birds weigh less than an ounce. What are they?
Cardinal
New World warblers
American robin
Wren
American crow
The Photography Factory/Moment/Getty Images
Farmers like to scare which birds away?
American crow
Cardinal
Northern cardinal
Nuthatches

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Common raven
Wiki Commons by Drow male
What is the name of this black bird?
Common raven
Cardinal
Wren
Nuthatches
Tufted titmouse
Susan Wiltse/Moment/Getty Images
Do you know the name of this stout bird?
Tufted titmouse
Cardinal
Wren
Raven
Bluebird
Larry Keller, Lititz Pa./Moment/Getty Images
Can you name this bird with interesting colors?
Cardinal
Blue jay
Bluebird
Crow

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Red-tailed hawk
Eric Lowenbach/Moment/Getty Images
What kind of hawk is this?
Bluebird
Red-tailed hawk
Mohawk
Shawk
Red-winged blackbird
KenCanning/E+/Getty Images
This bird looks like its wearing shoulder pads. Can you name it?
Sparrow
Bluebird
Red-winged blackbird
Downy woodpecker
Heron
J.M.F. Almeida/Moment/Getty Images
Which bird has a really long neck?
Redbird
Blackbird
Bluebird
Heron

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Northern mockingbird
Jody Trappe Photography/Moment/Getty Images
Do you know the name of this small gray bird?
Blue jay
Mockingjay
Northern mockingbird
Southern mockingbird
Swallow
1001slide/E+/Getty Images
Can you identify this bird that can sometimes be found in Antarctica?
Starling
Swallow
Mockingbird
Grackle
Black-capped chickadee
KenCanning/E+/Getty Images
These birds look like they're wearing helmets. What are they?
Black-capped chickadee
Heron
White-breasted nuthatch
Swallow

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Common grackle
Gary W. Carter/Corbis/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
What is the name of this shiny bird?
Blackbird
Common grackle
Raven
Blue jay
Dark-eyed junco
Gary Carter/Corbis/Getty Images
Do you know the name of this small bird with long tail feathers?
Woodpecker
Grackle
Blackbird
Dark-eyed junco
Thrush
Sandra Standbridge/Moment/Getty Images
These guys can be found all over the world. Do you know what kind of bird it is?
Thrush
Common blackbird
Dark-eyed junco
Song sparrow

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Brown-headed cowbird
Russell Burden/Photodisc/Getty Images
The name of this bird is very interesting ... just like its color. What is it?
Bluebird
Brown-headed cowbird
Common raven
Grackle
Northern flicker
©Owen Bale/Moment/Getty Images
Which bird has really cool markings all over its body?
Thrush
Junco
Great blue heron
Northern flicker
Great horned owl
Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/Getty Images
What kind of owl is this?
Great horned owl
White owl
Snow owl
Northern flicker

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Waxwing
Tze-hsin Woo/Moment/Getty Images
Can you name this common bird that has the same look as a Cardinal?
Thrush
Common crow
Waxwing
Blue jay
Pigeon
Pauline Lewis/Moment/Getty Images
Do you recognize this bird that thrives in America's cities?
Mourning dove
Owl
Hawk
Pigeon
Pygmy nuthatch
Cultura/Jouko van der Kruijssen/Cultura/Getty Images
This bird looks like a cartoon, but can you identify it?
Northern cardinal
Blue jay
Robin
Pygmy nuthatch

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Great egret
mauribo/E+/Getty Images
What is the name of this long-necked bird found around the world?
Great egret
Flamingo
Chipper
Starling
American kestrel
Nature's Gifts Captured/Moment/Getty Images
Can you name this wild looking bird?
Northern cardinal
American kestrel
Brown-headed cowbird
Song sparrow
Downy woodpecker
Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/Getty Images
Do you know what kind of woodpecker this is?
Gret egret
Downy woodpecker
Wild turkey
Eurasian siskin

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Turkey vulture
Patrick Gijsbers/E+/Getty Images
This wildly large bird is a bird of prey. Can you name it?
Turkey vulture
Great horned owl
Chicken
Peacock
Turkey
Mimi Ditchie Photography/Moment/Getty Images
Which bird is a Thanksgiving treat?
Finch
Turkey
American kestrel
Great egret
Swan
Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/Getty Images
This beautiful creature has books written about it. What is it?
Goose
Swan
Woodpecker
Heron

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Cooper's hawk
Tze-hsin Woo/Moment Open/Getty Images
Do you know what kind of hawk this is?
Seahawk
Mohawk
Flying hawk
Cooper's hawk
White-crowned sparrow
Michael Mike L. Baird flickr.bairdphotos.com/Moment Open/Getty Images
Can you identify this bird with stripes on its head?
Blatimore oriole
Turkey vulture
Siskin
White-crowned sparrow
Baltimore oriole
pchoui/E+/Getty Images
What is the name of this bird that has a baseball team named after it?
Baltimore oriole
Bluejay
Redwing
Cardinal

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Mallard
John Dickson/Moment/Getty Images
Which duck has a green head?
Marbled duck
Goose
Mallard
Swan