Birds to See in Vermont in December
77 bird species on our list for Vermont are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Blue Jay, American Crow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse and Downy Woodpecker. New this month: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Iceland Gull and Tufted Duck.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Vermont’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 77 birds in December
77 birds
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 6.47% in Dec
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 6.28% in Dec
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 5.77% in Dec
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.87% in Dec
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 4.56% in Dec
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 4.37% in Dec
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.34% in Dec
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 3.24% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in Dec
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in Dec
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.75% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Dec
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 1.60% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisSummer visitorCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Dec
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaWinter visitorCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.28% in Dec
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in Dec
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Dec
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Dec
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisResidentCommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Dec
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.85% in Dec
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Dec
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentCommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Dec
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorCommon54–59 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.58% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.49% in Dec
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaSummer visitorCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorCommon53–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Dec
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.41% in Dec
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorUncommon64–79 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.31% in Dec
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.30% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.30% in Dec
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusSummer visitorCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Dec
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasSummer visitorCommon91–137 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.24% in Dec
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.21% in Dec
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.21% in Dec
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusResidentUncommon41–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorUncommon46–59 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.19% in Dec
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.19% in Dec
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.18% in Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentUncommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Dec
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorUncommon16–20 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.14% in Dec
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.10% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.08% in Dec
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.08% in Dec
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusSummer visitorCommon19–22 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.07% in Dec
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.06% in Dec
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
MerlinFalco columbariusSummer visitorUncommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorRare17–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusResidentUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaPassage migrantUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.03% in Dec
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorRare52–60 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.03% in Dec
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaPassage migrantUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.03% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaPassage migrantUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in Dec
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataPassage migrantUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaPassage migrantUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisPassage migrantRare35–43 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in Dec
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsSummer visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiPassage migrantRare53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorRare66–102 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorRare40–47 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusWinter visitorRare50–90 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.01% 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