Michigan is home to numerous brown birds that migrate every year or live there all year-round, both species that breed here as well as those coming solely for wintertime refuge.
These unassuming birds appear on 28% of summer checklists. Their diet consists primarily of insects and spiders; they’re commonly seen feeding from low branches in backyards.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are one of the most striking members of Michigan’s Cardinal family, making for an eye-catching sighting when seen. Unfortunately, these birds tend to remain hidden amongst wooded areas; though occasionally visiting backyard bird feeders where its sweet robin-like song can be heard throughout summer.
Midwest winter feeders often see Black-headed Grosbeaks. To distinguish them from their western cousin, the Black-headed Grosbeak, they can be distinguished by their much larger overall size, bold wing pattern and thicker pinkish bill. Stocky birds with squared tails and short necks, it shares qualities with both Cardinals and Purple Finches but smaller than both Cardinals and Purple Finches. Adult male breeding plumage shows stark contrast: jet black heads, throats wings backs set against white underparts and rump; breast gets its name due to the bright rosy pink patch on its chest; wings show flashes of white as well as pale wing bars with pinkish linings while nonbreeding females or immatures remain brown with heavy streakings across them.
Breeding habitat includes cool-tempered open deciduous woods with dense undergrowth in eastern North America. After breeding season is complete, birds migrate to more open areas in preparation for migration into Central and northern South America.
Birds typically form pairs during breeding season and during courtship displays male birds perform an elaborate warble flight or wing-fluff to showcase their reproductive organs and display courtship. Males also raise head feathers when startled or flick their wings wildly when startled by another bird, signaling to each other to continue.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak populations are healthy but do face challenges. Caged birds from its Central and South American wintering grounds are frequently trapped for sale as cage birds; additionally, deforestation in its wintering range has had an enormous effect on them.
White-throated Wren
Brown birds, sometimes known as “LBJs” (little brown jobs), can be tricky to identify without the distinct features found on more colorful birds. This guide serves as a way to assist birders with identifying sparrows, wrens and other brown birds found around Michigan backyards and wooded areas based on checklists submitted by birders on ebird. This list ranks species from most to least frequent and is an invaluable tool in birding Michigan!
The White-throated Wren is a songbird commonly found throughout Michigan. Although more frequently found in wooded areas, backyard feeders often attract this species too. You can lure these beautiful birds in by providing suet, hulled sunflower seeds or peanut hearts in large tube feeders; you could also create an ideal nesting site by placing piles of debris such as brush or leaf debris near where you live.
Red-breasted Nuthatches, year-round residents of Michigan, can often be seen in backyards. These small but chunky birds can be identified by their blue-gray upperparts, cinnamon-orange underparts and white throats; their straight brown beaks, long toes and claws, black stripes across their eyes and call that sounds similar to “een-een-een.”
Michigan is home to two other small brown birds that can be easily identified as Carolina Wrens and House Wrens; Carolina Wrens are found throughout eastern and southeastern US States while House Wrens tend to breed across northern Canada before migrating south for winter. Both species can easily be recognized by their brown coloring and unique ‘teakettle’ song.
The Brown Creeper is an elusive songbird found throughout Michigan forests and brushy areas. A summer breeder with dark brown upperparts featuring light spotting that resembles tree bark, white throat, and usually seen spreading its tail across leaf litter to search for bugs to eat, this bird is usually heard singing along trails in open woods.
Chipping Sparrow
Brown sparrows are an iconic summer sight in Michigan. This long-tailed, slender bird typically frequents open pine savannahs for breeding purposes and feeds on seeds, insects, and berries; males have rusty caps with white faces while females typically sport gray faces and white throat patches. Chipping Sparrows may also spend winter months in Florida or other southern states but tend to be less prevalent during these months.
Song Sparrows are another common backyard sparrow species. These small, long-tailed birds can be seen breeding from March to August and wintering between November and April, feeding on seeds without tough shells such as black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn and millet. Song Sparrows can be attracted to backyard feeders by placing them on ground platforms where they can find nourishment.
Listen out for a rich musical song of Bachman’s sparrow if you’re near thick brush or shrubbery. This species breeds in central US and northeast Canada, spending winter months in southern US states and Mexico. Males feature rusty caps with yellow spots between their eyes; females sport grey faces with throat patches and black stripes on their wings – males sport rusty caps while males feature yellow spots between their eyes for identification purposes.
The Hermit Thrush is an easygoing backyard bird. Breeding occurs throughout eastern North America and northeast Mexico while migrating, this bird can be found throughout many Western States; during wintertime its preferred wintering spot lies along the Pacific Coast or Southeast states. It forages for insects and berries in leaf litter or forest clearings before calling out with its distinctive “forlorn song”, often heard when males try to attract mates during breeding season.
Song Sparrow
Brown birds may not be as eye-catching, but they still play a crucial role in our backyards and forests. From sparrows, wrens, and finches to sparrowlets – brown birds still make an important impactful contribution! These little brown jobs often visit our feeders during winter to feed on black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, or nyjer. Depending on the time of year or day they can be particularly common; though their appearance makes identification challenging this guide will help identify Michigan’s most frequently seen brown birds!
Song Sparrows are one of the most prevalent backyard birds. Their brown feathers feature thick streaks of white on their breast and they have long, rounded tails with broad wings; coloring may differ slightly depending on region, while their song serves to attract females or defend territory.
The Song Sparrow is a common breeding bird in Michigan’s lower peninsula, migrating south during winter migrations. They tend to perch on low shrubs while singing; backyard feeders frequently attract them as they feast upon sunflower seeds with no tough shells, insects, berries and other plant matter as food sources.
Hermit Thrushes can be seen across North America and Canada during migration; their winter range consists of Pacific coast states, Southeast states and Mexico. Hermit Thrushes feed on insects and berries found on forest floors before visiting backyard feeders in search of smaller seeds like sunflower and nyjer seeds with no tough shells in winter months.
Pine Siskins are stocky birds found across North America in various habitats. With their rusty-colored wings and light-colored underbelly featuring prominent white eyebrows, these birds make a twittering warble which rises and falls in pitch during song. You can attract these birds by offering black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, or smaller seeds as platform feeder treats.
Pine Siskin
Pine Siskins (Carduelis pinus) are gregarious winter finches that migrate erratically across North America in response to fluctuating seed crops. These nomads feed in flocks while chattering nonstop – especially this year when flocks have visited bird feeders filled with thistle or nyjer seeds! This species has recently made an increase appearance at feeders with thistle or nyjer seeds available as food sources.
These birds nest during breeding season in boreal conifer forests, distinguished by their distinctive, wavy wings and tails that help distinguish them from other species. Females construct compact nests out of twigs, bark roots moss fur feathers taking 5-6 days to build; while males defend the territory by flying in circles singing while courting each female prior to incubation of clutches of 3-5 eggs being laid by them during breeding and incubation period.
As its name implies, Pine Siskins are particularly fond of pine trees. You can spot them in spruce bogs, conifer forests and mixed evergreen-deciduous woodlands across New Jersey; open country including grassy wetlands and weedy fields where they forage by pecking or hanging from branches to forage for seeds; flower petals buds and sap are also part of their diet.
Spring and autumn see Pine Siskins roost at ground level, frequenting trees, power poles, fence posts and isolated locations such as power plants. When an irruption year like this one arrives, large groups of Pine Siskins migrate south in massive flights triggered by poor spruce, fir and hemlock cone crops up north – often joining other boreal-breeding species like Northern Saw-whet Owl and Rough-legged Hawk to form larger flocks.