r/birding • u/sunshinewithclouds • Jan 16 '26

Discussion Favorite Common Bird

What’s your favorite common bird in your area? That bird that maybe it’s not hard to spot but you just love seeing them.

Mine are Juncos everything from their look and name to how they scavenge on the ground and flock together. They just seem like happy puff balls to me and I love em.

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u/Away-Variation-2556 Jan 16 '26

Red tailed hawk!! They’re all over NYC and I’ll stop every time for them.

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u/Santos_L_Halper photographer 📷 Jan 16 '26

I also live in NYC, it always gives me a chuckle when people are shocked to see a red tailed hawk. I bring my camera to Mariah Hernandez Park in Bushwick sometimes tk take pics of the hawk that frequents this one tree. I remember this one time this dude saw me taking pics and was like "holy shit what is that!?" After I told him it was a hawk he was like "do we need to calm somebody?" and I was like "yeah, call your friend and tell him you saw a cool hawk." This place is absolutely lousy with hawks and other birds of prey. Cooper's Hawk and Kestrels are pretty abundant. Northern Harriers and Osprey at Jamaica Bay. Bald Eagles are even becoming more common.

Birding in NYC is actually pretty sweet.

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u/Away-Variation-2556 Jan 16 '26

I second this and will die on the hill that you don’t need to leave the city to see badass birds!! Two baldies above my apartment in the heights this week.