The concept of favorite birds is a little imprecise, I suppose. If you make a list of your favorite birds it will almost certainly not be the same as mine. My list includes only birds that I have seen on a consistent basis – birds that have become like old friends. I am very familiar with them. I know their habits and even some of their secrets. Yet no matter how often I see them, they brighten my day.
1. American Rob
in.Robins always make me smile. That’s why they rank number one. A robin is a symbol of plain, old-fashioned goodness. There is nothing sly, deceitful or wicked about a robin. They’re not fancy, but they are always there when you need one. You can always count on robins. No matter how many thousands of robins I have seen, I always stop and look at the next one.
2. American Avocet.
This bird is about as different from a robin as you can get. Unlike robins, they don’t come up into your yard. You have to go see them in their yard, which means visiting an open mudflat out on the Great Plains. They are beautiful and graceful, and in the spring are clothed in a lovely peach coloration. I guess I have a weakness for grace and beauty.
3. Cedar Waxwing.
If ever there were a bird designed by committee, this is it. I can just hear the group of bird designers: “I think it should be yellow.” “No, too much yellow is no good. We need to blend the yellow into shades of gray and brown.” “It needs to have a crest.” “Not enough yellow, yet. How about a yellow band at the end of the tail?” “It’s still too plain. Let’s give it a black bandit mask.” “I know what it needs –some red, waxy things on the wings.” How could you not love a bird like that?4. Blue Jay. 
I know, I know. I said I like robins because they are symbols of goodness. Blue jays have just the opposite reputation. Even my dear mother, who never said an unkind word about any living creature, called Blue Jays, “kind of bad birds.” But I have always loved Blue Jays. I can’t help it. Just like the teenage girls who fall for the “wild boys,” I simply have this thing for Blue Jays -- no matter how badly they behave.
I know, I know. I said I like robins because they are symbols of goodness. Blue jays have just the opposite reputation. Even my dear mother, who never said an unkind word about any living creature, called Blue Jays, “kind of bad birds.” But I have always loved Blue Jays. I can’t help it. Just like the teenage girls who fall for the “wild boys,” I simply have this thing for Blue Jays -- no matter how badly they behave.
5. Northern Cardinal.
If you ask bird watchers from Europe what bird they most want to see when they come to America, the answer is almost always, “Northern Cardinal.” Many Americans simply take this bird for granted, but cardinals are breathtaking. Sometimes I just can’t believe a bird could be that red, or that beautiful.
6. Eastern Towhee.
You just can’t ignore a bird that tells you to, “Drink your tea. Drink your tea.” Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like when an Eastern Towhee is singing from the top of a nearby tree. The song alone might land this bird on my list, but they are good looking, too. Eastern Towhees appear to be wearing formal dinner jackets with just a hint of elegant, brown trim on the sides. You have to love an outfit like that.7. Pileated Woodpecker.
If the Ivory-billed Woodpecker really is extinct, at least we still have its close relative, the Pileated Woodpecker. The birds are huge – about the size of a crow. And they make a “jungle monkey” sound like a bad sound effect from an old Tarzan movie. To paraphrase Crocodile Dundee: “You call that a woodpecker? … Now THIS is a woodpecker!” I just wish there were some of these big beauties closer to where I live.8. Red-headed Woodpecker.
The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of the birds I remember fondly from my childhood. They are not as ostentatious as the Pileated Woodpecker, but are just as well dressed in classic woodpecker colors: black, white and red. The sight of one of these birds alongside the highway always makes me want to stop and stare.
9. Pine Siskin.
They’re little. They’re not what you would call handsome. They’re rather inconspicuous. In the winter they come to my thistle and sunflower feeders by the dozens. I just can’t stop watching them. They are acrobatic, and just plain cute. But mainly I love saying the word, siskin. Siskin. Say it. Doesn’t that sound nice? Maybe that’s why they made the list.
10. Hooded Merganser.
Well, I included one duck. And what a cute one it is! The males are incredible with their black and white hoods and dainty, black bills. The females are much different, with frizzy looking reddish-brown crests. When I see a pair of these ducks, I always think it looks like a man in formal attire out on the town with a red-haired floozy.
So there you have it: My top ten favorite birds. What are your favorite birds?
