Besides pigeons and gulls what bird species are commonly considered urban/street birds?

Question

Hi. I am doing research on this for a project. I know gulls and pigeons are commonly seen in the streets and/or in urban areas. What bird species are commonly considered urban/street birds?

I read here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/not-just-sparrows-and-pigeons-cities-harbor-20-percent-of-worlds-bird-species/ that European starlings, house sparrows and waxwings are. Only other bird species I can think of are ducks, geese and swans. I have seen these birds in the river or lake under a bridge in the commercial business part of my hometown. I saw a duck in the street in this area of my town once.

I think I have seen crows perched on phone lines in my neighborhood and elsewhere around my town.Please help. Thank you.

The First Dragon · Accepted Answer

In the State of Washington, European starlings are street birds that hang out outside of fast food places, and also pick dead bugs out of car grills in parking lots.  Also, mallard ducks and Canada geese are found wherever there is water, and people feed them though they shouldn't.  
Besides that, there are a great variety of backyard birds, some exotics and feral pet species, and some that live also in the wild.  BTW "Pigeons" are feral pet birds; they are native to the Middle East.  In Southern California cities I have seen English sparrows [exotic] and white-crowned sparrows, barn swallows and cliff swallows, Brewers blackbirds and their reproductive parasites, brown-headed cowbirds; turkey vultures, golden eagles, flickers, woodpeckers, yellowthroats, house finches, various hummingbirds, western meadowlarks, mourning doves, native ringneck doves, feral domesticated ringneck doves, collared doves, Cooper's hawks, red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, screech owls, Say's phoebes, scrub jays, mockingbirds, and yes, seagulls, pigeons, mallard ducks, and sometimes Canada geese.  Many more of course, but I'm just going to stop.

Anonymous · Answer

Where I live there is an outdoor barbecue place I go to. Grackles will hop up on the table and steal fries right off your plate. They are common just about everywhere and have little fear of people like pigeons and gulls.

? · Answer

Grackles are common in parking lots and at service stations here in Texas .

? · Answer

That depends on how you define "urban/street birds". There are hundreds of birds to be found in NYC, some as exotic as monk parakeets. However, the most common ones are "English sparrows", so-called because they were imported from Germany and are weaver finches, not sparrows. There are lots of European starlings as well.

Elaine M · Answer

Starlings and sparrows.

Other standard city birds are cardinals,  blue jays, mourning doves,  chickadees,  robins,  gold finches,  red tail hawks, etc.  Look at what comes to bird feeders and are seen regularly in a city.

billrussell42 · Answer

sparrows, mourning doves, pigeons, bluejays, ducks, grackle, seagull, robin, geese, starling, hawk, are all birds I have seen in the middle of a city. (NE US)

sparrows are the most common. Next are pigeons, ducks, and Canadian geese.

Besides pigeons and gulls what bird species are commonly considered urban/street birds?

6 Answers