The EastCoaster

By: Christina Silvestri

As spring comes to the East Coast, we wake up to warm weather, sunny shorelines, and birds chirping. Many of us may not put much thought into who is singing the songs that awaken us in the morning. Putting a face or beak to a song is a great way to impress your friends or your grandma – either way, there is a lot to learn!

1. American Robin 

Turdus migratorius

This is the bird that is probably most well known to you since they always show their bright red stomachs at the first breath of spring. These songbirds are the largest of the North American thrushes. The National Audubon Society reports, “when northerners see their ‘first robin of spring,’ it may be a bird that has wintered only a few miles away, not one that has just arrived from southern climates.” Though the American Robin is found all over North America, there is nothing that says spring on the East Coast quite like a robin chirping outside your window. 

2. Black Capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

I hear the two-toned song of a Black Capped Chickadee each morning in Connecticut. While the chirping makes for a serene wake up, I’d rather enjoy it a few hours after 6 am. This bird is much smaller than an American Robin. It typically has a gray or tan body with a black “cap and bib” and white cheeks. Black Capped Chickadees are some of the easiest birds to attract with bird feeders, so if you put some seeds out on your porch, you have a good shot at spotting one. 

3. Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

This bird has my favorite coo of all. To me, the sound of a Mourning Dove is also the sound of waking up for school in May when the weather is warm and summer is on its way. It is the nostalgic soundtrack of summer. Mourning Doves look anatomically similar to doves or pigeons except they have a light brown coat of feathers; males are known to even have a pink sheen to them. These birds love wide, open habitats versus forests. 

While there are countless birds that grace the East Coast in the springtime, I have left you with some of my favorites. I hope you are now familiar enough with these few that you can spot them on your next nature walk.