Have you seen a riddle recently?GRAUVogel in British Columbia?
If so, I suspect you're trying to figure out how to correctly identify the species.
Well, you are in the right place.Below you will learn more about the types ofGRAUBirds found in British Columbia.I've included high-quality photos and range maps to help you out!
The following list focuses on the MOST COMMON gray birds, many of which are frequently seen visiting feeders. Does not include birds of prey or waterfowl.If you need help with any of these bird species, check out the articles below:
Birds of prey in British Columbia! (20 COMMON species)
20 waterfowl that live in British Columbia! (With Images)
11 species of gray birds in British Columbia:
#one. white breasted woodpecker
- sita carolinensis
I WOULD GOdistinct features:
- Both sexes look almost the same.
- machothey have a black cap on their heads.
- Womenthey show a lighter and grayer crown.
White-breasted nuthatches are compact birds with no necks, short tails, and long, pointed bills.In color, they have distinctive white cheeks and breasts, and gray backs.
White-breasted Woodpecker Map
Keep an eye out for these gray birds in the hardwood forests of southern British Columbia.But they adapt well to the presence of humans and are often seen in parks, cemeteries, and wooded backyards visiting bird feeders.To attract nuthatches, use sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, thistle seeds, and mealworms.
- TIED TOGETHER:Bird Seed 101: Top 10 Wild Bird Species!
These birds are incredibly vocal AND make distinctive sounds that are relatively easy to identify!You're likely to hear a "jerk" call any time of year.This loud and distinctive sound is often repeated several times in a row. (Press PLAY to listen below)
#two. mourning dove
- zenaida macroura
Identification features:
- A mostly gray dove with large black spots on the wings and a long, thin tail.
- Keep an eye out for pink legs, a black bill, and a distinctive blue eyering.
- Males and females look the same.
This gray bird is one of the best known in southern British Columbia.
Look for them high in the trees or on a phone line near your house. They are also commonly seen on the ground foraging for food most of the time.
mourning dove card
Mourning doves are frequent visitors to bird feeders!To entice them, try offering them their favorite foods, such as millet, shelled sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, crushed corn, and thistle seeds.They're probably most comfortable feeding on the ground, so make sure you throw a pile of food there.
- TIED TOGETHER:6 Proven Ways To Attract Mourning Doves To Feeders!
In British Columbia, it is common to hear Mourning Doves.
Listen to a deep"gur-ah, gur, gur, gur.”In fact, the pigeon got its name from that sad sound! Many people commonly mistake this sound for an owl.(Open PLAY without a mouse!)
#3. Eurasian collar paloma
- Streptopelia decaocto
Identification features:
- A sand gray bird with a long, angular tail.
- As the name suggests, look for a black collar at the back of your neck.
Interestingly, these gray birds are invasive in southern British Columbia.
Unfortunately, someone introduced collared doves to the Bahamas in the 1970s and they have spread rapidly ever since.In fact, its population is still expanding!
Eurasian collar paloma map
One of the reasons these gray birds settled here so quickly is their comfort with humans.. They thrived near aviaries and in urban and suburban areas. It is common to see them on the ground or on foraging platforms eating grains and seeds.
How do you distinguish them from mourning doves?
At first glance, Collared Doves look a lot like mourning doves.How to distinguish them:
- Mourning doves are smaller and have black dots on their wings.
- Collared doves are larger and have a black crescent around their necks.
#4. dark eyed reed
- a winter race
Identification features:
- Smooth, smooth slate gray with a white underside.
- Small pale bill, long tail with white outer feathers.
Dark-eyed juncos are probably the most common gray bird in British Columbia.A current estimate puts its population at around 630 million.
- TIED TOGETHER:5 easy ways to attract sedges to your garden!
You can easily recognize these sparrows by the appearance of their feathers.It seems that they are soft like a chinchilla. 🙂
Dark-Eyed Junco Area Map
This species is found in mixed pine-coniferous forests when breeding, but in winter they are found in fields, parks, woods, and backyards.Dark-eyed sedges like to visit feeding grounds in winter, but ONLY ON THE GROUND, where they will consume dropped seeds.
#5. black cap chickadee
- Poecile atricillaus
These gray birds are one of the most popular species in British Columbia and it's easy to see why!Black Cap Chickadees are often described as "cute". They are tiny, with a huge head that wears a black hat and bib.
Look for them naturally in open deciduous forests, scrub, and poplars.They also easily adapt to human presence and are commonly seen in backyards and parks.
Black-headed Tit Map
After installing a new birdhouse, chickadees are likely to be the first birds to visit, as they are curious about anything new in their territory. The best foods are sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet.Due to their small size and athletic ability, these birds can eat almost any type of food!
- TIED TOGETHER:6 Proven Ways To Attract Chickadees To Feeders!
#6. Bergmaise
- calves
As the name suggests, if you want to find one of these little gray birds in British Columbia, you'll have to head to the mountains!Mountain Chickadees have black heads and prominent white eyebrows, making them fairly easy to spot.
tit mountain map
Like other species of chickadees, these birds are agile and curious.They are most commonly seen running from tree to tree in coniferous forests, searching for insects, spiders, seeds, and nuts.
Do you have a house in the mountains?Then you should be able to easily attract mountain breasts!Try setting up a feeding station stocked with sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet.
#7. little gray bird
- Dumetella carolinensis
Identification features:
- They are all gray except for the black cap.
Gray Catbirds are amazing singers imitating the songs of many other birds!
And luckily, the most common call is incredibly easy to spot. Hear a hoarse, feline "meow" from which they got their name!Seriously, if you hear a noise that sounds like a cat in dense thicket, you're probably hearing a gray cat bird.
Gray Catbird Area Map
All of these gray birds will also visit bird feeders in southern British Columbia.The secret is the grape jelly! Yes, you read it right. Gray catbirds regularly visit my feeding station when I put out little cups of grape jam (mainly to attract orioles).
- TIED TOGETHER:5 Simple Strategies That Attract Orioles!
#8th. Northern Mockingbird
- We imitate polyglots
Identification features:
- Medium-sized gray songbird with a LONG, thin tail.
- Distinct white wing spots visible in flight.
These gray birds are NOT easy to miss in British Columbia even though they only live on the southern border!
First of all, northern mockingbirds love to sing and hardly ever stop.Sometimes they even sing all night. If this happens to you, it's a good idea to keep your windows closed when you want to sleep. 🙂
Northern Mockingbird Map
Additionally, northern mockingbirds have bold personalities.For example, it is common for them to disturb other birds by flying slowly around them and then approaching with their wings raised, displaying their white wing spots.
These gray birds are common in backyards, but they rarely feed from bird feeders.However, I have heard many people complain about thrushes scaring other birds out of their feeders, when the thrushes won't even eat from their own feeders!
#9. axis
- Saltriparus the smallest
Identification features:
- Little birds.
- Plump appearance with large heads and long tails.
- Just gray or brown. Short and thick beak.
If you see one of these gray birds in southwestern British Columbia, you can be sure there are many more.These social birds usually travel in flocks of 10 to 40 individuals.
Bush's breasts are very small, but also extremely active. Look for them in brush or on low branches, along the edges of forests and parks.These birds are acrobatic and it is common to see them hanging upside down at the bottom of vegetation in search of food.
Bushtit area map
Bush chickadees visit bird feeders, but it is more common in the cooler months when the beetles are not as readily available for feeding.Try feeding him suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and mealworms.Just be prepared because when they arrive at your feeding station, up to 30 people can occupy the place!🙂
#10. Canada / Grauhäher
- A native of Canada
Identification features:
- Lighter gray on the abdomen. Darker gray on the back.
- White cheeks, throat and forehead.
- Short beak and long tail.
It's hard to describe a Jay from Canada that isn't "cute". These gray birds are highly intelligent and adapt to their environment, allowing them to eat almost anything.
Seriously, they have been seen eating the following weird things: Ticks on a moose's back, baby bats, amphibians, young birds, plus more normal foods like invertebrates, seeds, and berries.
Jay distribution map of Canada
Another interesting fact about this gray bird is that it raises its young at the end of winter!And since they live so far north in the boreal forests, their young grow up in near total darkness. Interestingly, they do not attempt to raise a second clutch of babies in May or June, when most other species are nesting and conditions seem most favourable.
So do you call this bird a Canada jay or a gray jay?Well, the correct name is now Canada Jay, as the American Ornithological Society changed the name to Gray Jay in 2018.But old habits are hard to break, and many birders still refer to this daring corvid as the gray jay.
#eleven. clark's nutcracker
- Colombian Nucifrage
Identification features:
- Medium-sized gray bird with a long, dagger-shaped black bill and black wings.
- During flight, bright white tail feathers can be seen along with white feathers at the end of their wings.
Spotting one of these gray birds in British Columbia is fairly easy, as long as you go to the right habitat.. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, as Clark's nutcrackers live in coniferous forests in the mountains!
Its long bill is used to break cones to remove the seeds, which are often removed for later storage and consumption.Clark's nutcrackers are estimated to store thousands of seeds each summer, which provide them with food for the winter. Amazingly, these clever gray birds remember where most of the pine seeds are hiding!
Clark's Nutcracker Mountain Range Map
In fact, they hide so much food that they can reproduce in January or February, relying SOLELY on their cached food reserves.As you can imagine, this time of year it is incredibly cold in the mountains, so there is not much growth or movement.
Did you find the gray bird you were looking for?
If not, you may want to purchase a Bird Identification Field Guide (see link below).In this post, I focused on the MOST COMMON gray birds in British Columbia.
Which of theseGRAUHave you ever seen birds in British Columbia?
Leave a COMMENT below! Be sure to mention where the gray bird was seen. 🙂