Although it is easy to focus on the rare birds of the world, the birds that frequent our backyards here in North America are just as fascinating. There are so many beautiful, yet common birds spread across the continent. These birds are usually so familiar because they are adaptable and can live just about anywhere. Many of them are comfortable in suburban areas, living right alongside us.

People love watching birds, there’s no doubt about it. There are 41 million backyard birders in the United States. If you’re ready to give this hobby a try, a good place to start is learning about the small birds you’re most likely to spot in your backyard.

1. Mourning Dove

The mourning dove is a gentle, medium-sized bird with an overall buff coloration highlighted by black spots and dark wingtips. The back and wings of the bird are often gray-tinged, and an iridescent patch may show on the neck. Their soothing voice is easily recognizable, as is the slow whirring sound their wings make in flight. Mourning doves feed on seeds and readily come to ground and platform feeders, though they tend to be shy. Family groups travel together and feed easily with other backyard birds, including other doves. They especially like millet, milo, and sunflower seeds.

2. American Goldfinch

In the spring and summer, bright yellow-and-black American goldfinches are impossible to miss. To attract more goldfinches, offer thistle feeders. These small birds also love to dine on seeds from plants in the garden. In the winter, their coloration is more muted, but they’re still around and active.

3. American Robin

American robins are common sights across North America. Many people view robins as a sign of spring as they pull earthworms up out of the ground. With 320 million robins in North America, it is no wonder that most people know about them. American robins are a beautiful bird with a red-orange underside, grey wings and back, and a slightly darker head. The variety of habitats they live in is remarkable. They thrive anywhere, from the Alaskan wilderness to the backyards of the southern United States. They often spend their winters in Mexico, where they gather in large groups. These roosts can have 250,000 individuals gathered in a single area. American robins are adaptable, iconic birds of North America.

4. Downy Woodpecker

The downy woodpecker is the smallest North American woodpecker. The bold red patch the male's nape is easily recognizable, and both male and female birds have the white back, striped face, and spotted wings. The small, stubby bill is characteristic of downy woodpeckers, unlike the longer bills of the similar hairy woodpeckers. Downy woodpeckers regularly visit yards with appropriate wooded habitat and mature trees. They can be attracted by suet feeders and may nest in yards with brush and scrub landscaping.

5. Blue Jay

Another large bird, blue jays have somewhat of a bad reputation. They’re sometimes called bully birds for their habit of scaring other birds away from feeders. But these handsome jays are very smart and playful, too. Keep your eye on them, and you may see them toting around shiny objects like bottle caps or foil. To attract blue jays, offer peanuts. In the western U.S. and Canada, blue jays are displaced by Steller’s jays and scrub jays.

6. House Sparrow

House sparrows are small, chunky birds with a short black bill. The males have darkly striped wings with a grey underside and dark tan and grey head. Females are much lighter with darkly striped wings and a buff tan color overall. House sparrows are not native to North America; they originated in the Middle East and spread worldwide. Today, they are believed to be the most common bird in the world. North America has a population of approximately 540 million house sparrows. House sparrows have lived around humans for centuries. In fact, they are not even found in undisturbed forests or grasslands. Instead, they thrive in cities and farmlands. They can often be seen building a nest in unsuspecting places. House sparrow nests are frequently found in the letters of signs, gas-station roofs, and traffic lights. They live year-round in every state in America and most of Mexico. House sparrows thrive alongside humans, which has allowed their numbers to grow to 540 million in North America.