50 Birds Around Michigan You Know But Don’t Really Know

Growing up in the country, my parents had a lot of bird feeders. Birdhouses, those green cage suet feeders, hummingbird feeders, the whole nine yards. I loved it. I saw so many different birds find their way to our feeders, but the real bird feeder queen was my grandma.

She has multiple bird-watching books she keeps next to the window so she can ID all of them that visit. It's pretty impressive. Seeing the blue jays and cardinals sitting out in the trees was fascinating as a kid. I never understood how they could be red or blue.

I still don't get it but that's neither here nor there.

Those birds are household names, but there are many birds around the state that you see daily but might not know the names of. That could be because many of Michigan's birds migrate. Much like Snowbirds Michiganders, birds like robins, sparrows, warblers, and hummingbirds head South during the colder months.

Meanwhile, some birds like pine siskins, dark-eyed juncos, snow buntings, and crossbills are crazy enough to come here during the colder months.

Read More: What Family Video Locations In Michigan Are Now

Chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals, and blue jays stick out the cold and stay in Michigan year-round.

All that to say: Michigan sees a lot of different birds, and while you've probably seen them around, you may not know what they are called. Here are 50 of the most common birds in Michigan so you can know what you're looking at next time you're walking down the street.