Adorable Spring Birds to Welcome a New Season
Updated: Mar. 24, 2022
From fuzzy ducklings to cute cardinals, shake off winter and get ready for a new season with these adorable photos of spring birds.
Get ready to embrace the warmth and color of the spring season! We’ve collected together some of our favorite adorable spring birds.
Spring Birds: Scarlet Tanager
“We were lucky enough to have two male scarlet tanagers in our back yard for about a week in May. They weren’t evasive at all, and spent a lot of time feeding off of our suets, oranges, and grape jelly. I caught this photo of one of the scarlet tanagers flying by from my office window,” says Rodger Boehm. Don’t miss the 51 best spring bird pictures ever!
Northern Cardinals
“While birdwatching in my backyard, I caught a flash of red in a tree to my right. I whipped my camera over and got just one shot of this male cardinal feeding a seed (looks like kissing, right?) to his pretty mate. It wasn’t until I looked at the photo in the computer that I noticed the tiny chipmink on a nearby branch,” says Cindy Thompson.
Psst—we asked the experts: Do cardinals mate for life?
Mallard Ducklings
“Living near a canal in Nampa, Idaho, brings lots of ducks through the backyard. In the spring, the momma duck came with her little ducklings and they huddled to rest on the patio. They’re simply adorable!” says Elizabeth Kiester. We found super cute photos of baby birds you need to see.
Eastern Bluebird
Roslynn Long of Burnsville, Minnesota, shared this beautiful spring photo of an Eastern bluebird in a flowering tree. Don’t miss these beautiful pictures of bluebirds.
Killdeer
“This spring bird is a baby killdeer. I took the photo with a Nikon D5200 camera at Peaceful Valley Ranch in Theodore Roosevelt National Park – South Unit,” says Albert Myran. Learn about 8 different kinds of bird nests and how to spot them.
Eastern Kingbird
“I travel to Potato Creek State Park in Indiana regularly to photograph the osprey nesting there. On this day, I was settled in at the base of a tree when I was distracted by a pair of Eastern kingbird fledglings chirping in the grass nearby. They were so adorable that I ended up spending a good share of my time watching these spring birds eat their lunch!” says Cynthia Lacava. What is a fledgling? Learn the five stages of a baby bird’s life.
American Robin
“This robin built her nest right in my pansy planter on my front doorstep. She successfully raised three babies,” says Carol Keskitalo. Learn all about robins’ nests and eggs.
Painted Bunting
“Painted buntings are very special spring birds that I am so happy to see at my house during breeding season. I try every year to capture their beauty. This year, I saw some gorgeous immature males,” says Michelle Summers.
American Kestrel
Dawn Key shared a photo of a juvenile American kestrel, fresh out of the nest box. Here’s what to do if you find a bird nest with eggs or a baby bird.
Canada Goose
“One early spring morning, I noticed this Canada goose with her goslings sleeping comfortably underneath her wing. It was a particularly cool morning and her little ones needed warmth. I quickly grabbed my camera, hoping they wouldn’t move a feather until I had a chance to capture the moment. I was thrilled to see Mom and babies still snuggled in as I snapped this photo. So adorable!” says Joanne Killmer of Rindge, New Hampshire. Check out adorable pictures of baby hummingbirds.
Baltimore Oriole
“I had just put my oriole feeder outside when this Baltimore oriole stopped by for a picture. The contrast of the red begonia with the orange breast of the oriole is stunning,” says Craig Watts, Hartsburg, Missouri.
BONUS BIRD TIP:Â Did you know that fruit and nectar plants attract orioles, too? Try trumpet vine and crabapple trees.
Blue Grosbeak
“A splotch of blue gently swaying up and down on a piece of dried sea grass caught my eye as I was walking with my husband. I got closer, little by little, so that I didn’t frighten it. The blue grosbeak clung to its grass perch and I got the shot,” says Dori Montgomery, Rimersburg, Pennsylvania.
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
“My mother has plenty of oak trees in her yard, and this male Nuttall’s woodpecker was trying to make a safe nest for himself and his mate. I watched these spring birds for days and took a lot of photos. This was my best one,” says Ramouna Minooeifar of Gold River, California.
BONUS BIRD TIP:Â Did you know that although associated with oak trees, Nuttall’s woodpeckers eat a small number of acorns?
Next, learn all about acorn woodpeckers.
Western Tanager
“Don’t you love it when you’re in the right place at the right time? In late May, I was in the kitchen making hummingbird sugar water and happened to glance out the window. A male western tanager was sitting on my oriole feeder, which I’d filled with orange marmalade. One tiny drip on his beak revealed he’d already had a taste. I snapped several photos before this brilliant creature flew away,” says GeriAnne Abeyta of Espanola, New Mexico. Learn surprising facts about tanagers.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
“At the start of migration, I noticed an influx of male hummingbirds, but I had put off photographing them because of the heat and humidity of central Alabama. A day dawned that was cooler but rainy. Overcast weather isn’t the best for photographing hummingbirds, but I went outside anyway. The clouds broke just enough to bounce light off the big puffy clouds overhead, and the hummingbirds were going crazy. I spent several hours with this particular male ruby-throated hummingbird,” says Julia Bartosh of Notasulga, Alabama.
BONUS BIRD TIP:Â Did you know that to keep clean, hummingbirds preen their feathers after a bath or a visit to a mister? Check out more jaw-dropping facts about hummingbirds.
Spring Cardinal
“This Northern cardinal stopped by our Kanzan cherry tree last spring. It was such a stunning sight to look out of my kitchen window to see a bright red spring bird among lush pink cherry blossoms. I looked twice to make sure of what I saw. The cardinal stayed perfectly still long enough for me to capture the splendor,” says Lesley Jeal of Manchester, Michigan. Check out more simply stunning photos of Northern cardinals.
Pretty Bluebird
“A flock of 20 Eastern bluebirds spent the season in my yard and I kept them happy with plenty of mealworms! This picture is by far my favorite,” says Ralph Kiertianis of Griswold, Connecticut. Check out our guide to feeding mealworms to birds.
Black-Capped Chickadee
“Who doesn’t love a black-capped chickadee? This little bird was so calm and allowed me to get quite close while it enjoyed sniffing the flowers on my back porch. I love the specks of pollen on its face,” says Steph DeFerie of Harwich, Massachusetts. Don’t miss these incredibly cute chickadee pictures.
American Robin Nest
“An American robin built her nest in a tree right by our front porch and, of course, we kept a close eye on it. One day, I checked on them and discovered that the wind had blown the nest out and the babies were lying on the ground. We put the nest back in the tree and very carefully placed the babies in as well. Within minutes, the mother robin was back and all was well again. We had so much fun watching these little spring birds, especially observing how the father robin played a part in caretaking,” says Dwayne Proffitt of Tiskilwa, Illinois.
BONUS BIRD TIP: Did you know that American robins may have as many as three broods per year? Do birds reuse their nests?
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
“In March, we watched a red-bellied woodpecker pair build a nest in the top of a dead tree in our backyard. Soon after, they were proud parents of a baby! It was amazing to watch these sweet spring birds prepare for and nurture young,” says Jeri Hughes of The Woodlands, Texas.
BONUS BIRD TIP:Â Did you know that red-bellied woodpeckers may nest in the same tree year after year, but will create a new hole?
Great Kiskadee
“My husband and I love our bird-friendly backyard. We had a slow start, but once we cleared an area for seed distribution and set out a couple of birdbaths, it was only a matter of time before we began seeing colorful birds. After three years of avid bird-watching, we saw our first-ever great kiskadee last spring. What a beautiful sight!” says Sylvia Hiltz of Carrizo Springs, Texas.
Lesser Goldfinch
“Last spring, I had the pleasure of visiting Tucson, Arizona, when plants were exploding with blooms and wildlife was everywhere. I’ll admit, I got a little obsessed with getting the perfect shot of a hummingbird or bird-of-prey. But in doing so, I realized I was overlooking many other beautiful birds, like this female lesser goldfinch. This photo is one of my favorites because of how the flowers frame the bird,” says Anne Girton of Edina, Minnesota. Meet the 3 kinds of goldfinches in the United States.
