Birds to See in Maine in December
96 bird species on our list for Maine are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are American Crow, American Herring Gull, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch and Tufted Titmouse. New this month: Muscovy Duck.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
From Maine’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 96 birds in December
96 birds
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 5.90% in Dec
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusResidentCommon53–65 cmRecorded all year · 4.06% in Dec
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 3.94% in Dec
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.42% in Dec
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.05% in Dec
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.94% in Dec
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.81% in Dec
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.60% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Dec
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Dec
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 1.97% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May · 1.87% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 1.87% in Dec
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorCommon54–59 cmRecorded all year · 1.82% in Dec
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Dec
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 1.46% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 1.41% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.29% in Dec
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusResidentCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 1.25% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaSummer visitorCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Dec
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Dec
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorCommon48–60 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.93% in Dec
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.92% in Dec
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Dec
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorCommon31–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.77% in Dec
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentCommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Dec
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaWinter visitorCommon40–50 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.60% in Dec
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentCommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Dec
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Dec
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.41% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.28% in Dec
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasSummer visitorCommon91–137 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.23% in Dec
RazorbillAlca tordaResidentUncommon38–43 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.23% in Dec
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.22% in Dec
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusSummer visitorCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.19% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.19% in Dec
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.17% in Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusResidentUncommon41–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.15% in Dec
Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatusSummer visitorCommon14–18 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.14% in Dec
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.13% in Dec
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Dec
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.12% in Dec
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.11% in Dec
Turkey VultureCathartes auraSummer visitorCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaSummer visitorUncommon28–38 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.10% in Dec
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.09% in Dec
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorUncommon16–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.09% in Dec
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Jun–Feb · 0.09% in Dec
Little AukAlle alleWinter visitorUncommon18–21 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.08% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantUncommon16–22 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.06% in Dec
MerlinFalco columbariusSummer visitorCommon24–33 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.06% in Dec
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusSummer visitorCommon19–22 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.06% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in Dec
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUncommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorUncommon46–59 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisPassage migrantUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
King EiderSomateria spectabilisWinter visitorRare46–64 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.03% in Dec
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusResidentRare46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
DickcisselSpiza americanaWinter visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorRare62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.02% in Dec
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorRare17–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorUncommon55–66 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.02% in Dec
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorRare16–25 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsSummer visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorUncommon50–90 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallidaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.01% in Dec
Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensisSummer visitorUncommon80–122 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.00% in Dec
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made