Georgia is a great state for birdwatching because it has mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, farmlands, cities, barrier islands, and Atlantic Coast habitats. This variety gives birders a chance to see backyard birds, woodpeckers, hawks, owls, herons, egrets, ducks, shorebirds, warblers, sparrows, and many migrating songbirds.
Birds in Georgia change by region and season. The North Georgia mountains are useful for forest birds, warblers, raptors, and woodpeckers, while coastal marshes and barrier islands attract shorebirds, gulls, terns, pelicans, herons, and egrets. Backyards and parks are also active with cardinals, blue jays, wrens, chickadees, titmice, robins, and doves.
This guide covers common and interesting birds in Georgia, with simple identification tips based on color, size, habitat, season, and behavior. You can also explore our main Birds in the United States guide to find bird identification pages for all 50 states.
Quick Look at Birds in Georgia
| Bird | Main ID Clue | Common Habitat |
| Northern Cardinal | Bright red male, crest | Backyards, shrubs, woodland edges |
| Brown Thrasher | Brown back, streaked chest, long tail | Thickets, yards, woodland edges |
| Blue Jay | Blue body, crest, loud call | Forests, yards, parks |
| Carolina Wren | Warm brown body, loud song | Shrubs, brush piles, yards |
| Tufted Titmouse | Gray body, small crest | Forests, yards, parks |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Barred back, red head markings | Woodlands, feeders, yards |
| Eastern Bluebird | Blue back, orange chest | Fields, farms, open woods |
| Great Blue Heron | Tall gray-blue wading bird | Lakes, rivers, wetlands |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Broad wings, reddish tail | Roadsides, fields, forests |
| Great Egret | Tall white wading bird | Marshes, ponds, coastal wetlands |
