Last updated on June 4th, 2023 at 03:24 pm
New Jersey is home to many bird species, including quite a few nocturnal species that sing at night. What are the specific bird species that sing during the night in New Jersey?
Here are 12 New Jersey birds that sing during the night:
1. Eastern Whip-poor-will
The Eastern Whip-poor-will, named for its song, is a nocturnal bird native to the eastern half of the United States and part of Canada.
They migrate to the southern part of the United States and Central America during the non-breeding season, spanning September to March.
These birds are less vocal in autumn.
You’ll recognize an Eastern Whip-poor-will by its brown speckled feathers if you can spot one. They camouflage very easily and tend to live in heavily wooded areas.
Declines in insect populations, deforestation, and vehicle accidents have negatively impacted Eastern Whip-poor-will populations in the last 50 years, leading to a population decline of 75%.
Of these factors, the most influential is deforestation.
This same bird was also featured in our Common Virginia Birds That Sing At Night article.
2. Nightjars
Among the birds that commonly sing at night in New Jersey are nightjars, a family of birds that includes 60 to 70 species, including nighthawks.
These birds all hunt for insects at night and have gray, brown, or reddish-brown coloring.
Nightjars can be found in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
3. Northern Mockingbird
The Northern Mockingbird imitates the sounds of other birds, often singing all day and all night.
They’re especially common in towns and cities across the southern United States and as far north as New Jersey and Ohio.
Northern Mockingbirds are very defensive birds, and they won’t hesitate to attack cats and humans that come too close to their nests.
4. Black-crowned Night-Heron
Although Black-crowned Night-Heron populations declined in the 20th century, they remain common in the southern United States year-round.
During the breeding season, they are more common through the whole mainland part of the United States, including New Jersey.
Black-crowned Night Herons breed in colonies, usually on the ground, in trees, shrubs, or marsh vegetation.
Most often, you can find their nests 10’ to 40’ up from the ground.
You can recognize a Black-crowned Night-Heron by the sound of its “wok” call that they sing while flying overhead.
Often you can hear them singing at night because it’s their prime hunting time.
5. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is found in the eastern half of the United States during the breeding season, and it’s found year-round in parts of Central and South America.
It has long yellow plumes on its head and a white-and-black face, and purple-gray plumage on its back.
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are mostly found in marshes, barrier islands, and mangroves, and they’re most common along coastlines.
They forage three hours before and after high tide in the morning and at night.
That said, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons can also be found in inland river valleys, wet lawns, and golf courses, where they forage on the ground with a hunched posture.
They also make a whiplike sound when they clap their wings together during flight.
6. Eastern Screech-Owl
The Eastern Screech-Owl makes a range of sounds at night, from the male’s territorial whinnying to a cooing tremolo call made by pairs and families.
They can also hoot, bark, and screech.
You’ll recognize Eastern Screech-Owls by their big ear tufts and tufted feathers down the face, as well as its brown and white speckled belly.
These birds also have large yellow eyes.
They eat mostly insects and berries, feeding heavily in the late spring and summer.
7. Short-eared Owl
You can find Short-eared Owls in New Jersey during the winter. During the breeding season, they migrate north to Canada and Alaska.
The only places where Short-eared Owls live year-round are in the American Northwest.
The Short-eared Owl usually flies low to the ground, hovering over prey before dropping onto it.
These birds sometimes hunt by day in northern regions, but they’re most active at dawn and dusk.
Short-eared Owls have several different calls, including bark, screams, alarm calls, and hooting. They also clap their wings to communicate and snap their bills to make noise.
8. Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owls make a lot of noise at night. Males will sing anywhere from 10 to 200 “whoo” notes in a row, spacing the sounds apart by 2-4 seconds.
This sound, deep and pervasive, can be heard more than half a mile away.
Female Long-eared Owls have a higher-pitched call, sounding more like a lamb or the sound of air flowing through a comb and paper.
Both male and female Long-eared Owls have numerous other calls, too, including barks, squeals, and mews.
Different sounds are used in different situations, but many of these sounds act as a kind of alarm call to other owls.
You may also hear a Long-eared Owl snapping their mandibles together, which they do when they’re upset. This causes a loud popping sound.
9. Northern Saw-whet Owl
The pocket-sized Northern Saw-whet Owl lives across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico year-round. It’s very common and very shy, so these birds can be difficult to spot.
However, you can recognize them by their call, which is a series of repetitive whistles similar to the sound of a saw being whetted or sharpened.
Additionally, Northern Saw-whet Owls make a harsh, screeching sound sometimes.
If you do happen to catch a glimpse of a Northern Saw-whet Owl, it’ll look brown and white with streaks down its belly and no ear tufts.
10. Barn Owl
Barn Owls are non-migrating birds that make a home in most of the United States and Central America year-round.
The only parts of the United States where a Barn Owl doesn’t live are in the northernmost parts of New England and the Midwest.
Barn Owls scream instead of hooting like other owls.
Usually, this sound lasts about two seconds and is made by the male, although females may also occasionally make the noise.
Male Barn Owls will also make a softer, purring call to attract females to a nesting site, while female Barn Owls make this softer call to ask males for food.
Finally, Barn Owls can make a loud, hissing sound that lasts 3-4 seconds when they’re trying to scare away a predator.
11. Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is known for its distinctive “who-cooks-for-you” call, and even if you can’t see it, you’ll likely be able to identify it just based on its sound.
In addition to these calls, this bird makes goggles, cackles, and caws, especially during the mating season.
That said, Barred Owls are silent hunters that take advantage of their stealth abilities to take down unsuspecting prey.
12. Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owls have an expansive range, covering most of North, South, and Central America year-round, and they’re some of the most common owls in North America.
They live in grasslands, forests, wetlands, deserts, and many other habitats ranging from the Arctic to the tropics.
Additionally, Great Horned Owls have a deep voice, making a classic hooting sound that has been replicated in popular culture.
You can recognize them by their big yellow eyes and distinctive ear tufts.
Great Horned Owls are predators that go after large prey, including falcons and other owls.
They can do this because of their strong talons, which they use to snap the spine of their prey.
You’ll often hear a pair of Great Horned Owls calling together, the male with a deeper voice than the female.