15 Brown Birds You'll Spot in the Northern Hemisphere

One of the most familiar bird species, the house sparrow, can be found around human habitats. Males have a black bib and gray cap, while females sport dull brown plumage with streaks on their backs.

These small birds tend to gather in flocks — especially during winter — and are known for their bold behavior around people.

The song sparrow is famous for its beautiful melodies, which vary depending on where it lives. This species has brown feathers with dark streaks running down its chest and sides. Often found in dense cover, song sparrows thrive in wetlands, meadows and backyards, feeding on insects and seeds.

Chipping sparrows are easy to identify thanks to their rusty-colored caps and contrasting gray underparts.

These slender birds prefer open woodlands and backyards, where they forage on the ground for seeds and insects. During breeding season, males produce a rapid, trilling song that can be heard throughout their territories.

A member of the thrush family, the hermit thrush is known for its ethereal song, which echoes through forests. It has brown plumage with a spotted chest and a reddish tail that helps distinguish it from other birds.

These birds tend to stay near the ground, flipping over leaves to find insects like beetles and spiders.

Carolina wrens are small birds with warm brown feathers and a distinctive white eyebrow stripe. These energetic birds are often heard before they are seen, belting out loud, musical calls from deep within shrubs and tree trunks.

They build their nests in cavities, including tree bark, human-made structures and even old boots left outside.

The brown creeper is a master of camouflage, blending seamlessly with tree bark thanks to its streaked brown and gray feathers. With its slender body and curved beak, this bird moves in an upward spiral along tree trunks in search of insects. It tends to stay hidden, making it a thrilling find for patient birders.

Fox sparrows are large, chunky sparrows with reddish-brown plumage and bold streaks across their chest. They prefer thick brushy habitats, where they use their strong legs to kick up leaf litter while searching for food.

These birds migrate seasonally, appearing in different regions of North America depending on the time of year.

A secretive forest dweller, the wood thrush has rich brown plumage with large dark spots on its chest. It prefers mature forests and sings a hauntingly beautiful flute-like song that resonates through the trees.

During winter, wood thrushes migrate to Central America, where they spend the season in warmer climates.

Known for its cascading, musical song, the canyon wren is a small bird with reddish-brown plumage and a long, slender tail. It inhabits rocky cliffs and canyons, where it skillfully navigates crevices in search of insects. Its distinctive voice echoes through rugged landscapes, making it easier to hear than see.

A member of the finch family, the pine siskin sports streaky brown plumage with flashes of yellow on its wings. These small birds are often found in coniferous forests, where they feed on seeds from pine cones. They are highly social and can be seen flocking with other birds, especially during winter.

Bewick’s wren is a small bird with brown plumage and a long, flicking tail often held upright. It thrives in brushy habitats, where it forages for insects along tree trunks and dense vegetation. Its song is a series of rapid, musical notes, helping birders identify it even when hidden from view.

This thrush species is known for its distinctive, upward-spiraling song (which means that the notes get progressively higher in musical tone as it progresses).

Swainson’s thrush has a brown back and spotted chest, blending well with its woodland habitat. During migration, it travels thousands of miles between North America and South America, following an impressive seasonal journey.

A tiny, round-bodied bird with dark brown feathers, the winter wren is often seen bouncing through undergrowth and fallen logs. It produces a rapid, bubbling song, filling forests with an unexpectedly powerful sound.

These birds build dome-shaped nests hidden within thick vegetation, providing excellent protection from predators.

The American pipit is a slender, brownish bird often found walking along the ground in open fields. Unlike many other birds, it bobs its tail constantly as it moves. During migration, it can be seen in large flocks, sometimes mixing with other bird species along shorelines and mudflats.

A small and often overlooked species, the dusky flycatcher has brownish-gray plumage and a subtle eye ring. It tends to stay in shrubby areas and feeds by darting out to catch insects in mid-flight. These birds breed in mountainous regions and migrate to lower elevations during the colder months.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.