Northern Gannet
April 10, 2019 – Seeing Northern Gannet in person is something we highly recommend. It’s a sight you won’t soon forget.
Welcome to Bird Finder, our guide to interesting birds you might be able to find now in Connecticut!
Some of the best birders in the state generously share their expertise here. Patrick Comins, Milan Bull, and Andy Griswold from our own staff. Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe and Genevieve Nuttall from Audubon Connecticut. Greg Hanisek, Stefan Martin, Helena Ives, Chris Wood, Nick Bonomo – a great roster of contributors. Our hope is that Bird Finder will inspire you to go out and find the birds they write about!
Cedar Waxwing
March 22, 2018. We welcome Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe of Audubon Connecticut! She writes about Cedar Waxwings for her first Bird Finder article. Thank you, Corrie!
Red-headed Strangers
March 28, 2018. Redheads and Canvasbacks occur in Connecticut in winter, one somewhat regularly, the other not so much.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
March 15, 2018. Within a forested area, Golden-crowned Kinglets flit from tree to tree gleaning insects but also search for seeds in piles of leaves and pine needles during the winter.
Pink-footed Goose
March 9, 2018. Pink-footed Goose is becoming a more regular visitor to the United States east coast, with recent sightings in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, and out on Long Island.
Mew Gull
March 1, 2018. Mew Gulls are a rare visitor to Connecticut, but late winter and early spring (March into April) are a great time of year to look over gatherings of gulls along the coast or even inland to try to find a needle in the haystack.
Red-shouldered Hawk
February 22, 2018. They can be especially conspicuous starting around this time of year, when mated pairs and rival males engage in raucous nuptial and territorial vocalizations.
Rough-legged Hawk
January 12, 2018. They are most easily found along the coast at places such as Connecticut Audubon’s Coastal Center at Milford Point and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, where birders found a Rough-legged on Monday and Tuesday. Another was seen at Long Beach in Stratford on Tuesday.
Ipswich Sparrow
January 5, 2018. For those birders who relish long walks in biting cold winds, coastal sparrow searches in winter can turn up one of the rarer subspecies of the common Savannah Sparrow, the “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow.
Black-headed Gull
January 3, 2018. A great find at any time of the year, but more likely in the late winter and early spring, this small, hooded gull is normally found associating with large flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls but often consorts with larger gull species such as Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls.
Red-breasted Merganser
December 20, 2017. Red-breasted Mergansers can be found in large groups, as big as 50 to 60 individuals at times.
Snowy Owls in Connecticut, Winter 2017-2018
December 10, 2017. Welcome to the 2017 Snowy Owl season! With over 10 different sightings already reported in Connecticut and perhaps a hundred or more from Virginia to Maine, there is no doubt this is an irruption year.
Snow Bunting
December 6, 2017. A bleak winter day can be brightened by the sight of the small, graceful songbird called the Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis).
Thanksgiving Treats
November 22, 2017. Our Bird Finder authors are taking the week off so I’ve compiled a selection of their work from last fall and winter, and the previous fall and winter, as a guide to birds you might want to look for over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Franklin’s Gull
November 2, 2017. Franklin’s Gulls are extremely rare visitors to Connecticut.
Red Crossbill
November 18, 2017. Although there have been only a few sightings in Connecticut so far, you may have a good opportunity to see Red Crossbills this fall and winter. Look for the trademark bill that crosses at the tip.
Northern Goshawk
October 27, 2017. The best way to see a Northern Goshawk in Connecticut is by visiting a hawk watch during late autumn.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
October 19, 2017. Nominally a European species, the Lesser Black-backed Gull is now an uncommon but regularly occurring bird along Connecticut’s coast from October through March.
White-crowned Sparrow
October 13, 2017. One of the aristocrats of the sparrow family, the size and handsome markings of this sparrow immediately distinguish it from other sparrows and draws the observer’s attention.
Pine Warbler
October 6, 2017. Still hanging around in pine trees, the Pine Warbler is usually one of the last songbirds to migrate south.
