As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you.
Birds, similar to humans, seem to have different temperaments. If you bird watch, you will soon discover that some species of birds are elusive and very hard to see, while others are not so afraid of people and can be seen sitting out in the open.
The friendliest wild birds are robins, wrens, chats, wagtails, crows, and penguins. Penguins will often walk up to people in Antarctica. Wagtails, chats, and robins will enter peoples’ houses looking for food and can become quite tame. Certain species of ducks may even approach people for food.
While individual personalities vary, these birds exhibit behaviors that make them more comfortable around people, allowing for enjoyable interactions and closer observations of their fascinating behaviors in the wild. Read more below to find out about the friendliest wild birds.
TIP: If you want to check out the best pair of binoculars for bird watching, we recommend a pair of waterproof and fog-proof 8 x 42 binoculars like the Celestron – Outland X 8×42 Binoculars (Amazon link).
Which Wild Birds Are The Friendliest?
The friendliest wild birds include the penguins, crows, chats, robins, and wagtails. These birds will often move close to humans. The chats, robins, and wagtails will even enter a house to see if they can find food.
They may become quite tame if you feed them, but be sure to feed them mealworms, not cheese or other non-bird foods. Wrens are also friendly birds that can frequently be found breeding close to human houses. Some types of ducks are comfortable around people.
Robins And Chats
Robins are insectivorous birds that search for insects in foliage and leaf litter, although they will eat berries and other fruits when insects are scarce. These little birds can become tame and may land next to you.
The Cape Robin Chat is a bird in South Africa that often becomes very tame and will venture indoors searching for food. It is important that you don’t allow these birds to eat non-bird types of food. If you do want to feed these birds, you can purchase mealworms or soldier fly larvae (live or dried).
American Robins in the United States are quite bold birds, often found near people. They do also sometimes nest close to people. Other robins are not as tame, and birds like the Red-capped Robin Chat is shy and not easily seen.
Chats are similar to robins in how they also search for insects. In South Africa, the Familiar Chat is the most common and abundant bird recorded entering people’s houses. They also seem to learn that after a lawn is mowed, there may be insects around. They will check for any disturbed insects on the lawn.
TIP: Knowing how to spot the birds in your yard is key to enjoying visits from your winged friends as much as possible! The best sources are trusted books, I recommend using the following (Amazon links):
– National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
– National Audubon Society Birds of North America
Wagtails
The wagtails are a group of birds classified in the family Motacillidae. These little birds wag their tails as they walk. Wagtails also seem to appear after lawn mowing, seemingly to have learned that this may mean more insect prey for them.
Wagtails like to be near water, and there is one species in South Africa that is found in suburban gardens, often where there are swimming pools. This is the Cape Wagtail, which is a friendly little bird that walks around on the ground searching for insects and other invertebrates.
Wrens
In the United States, wrens are quite friendly, and some of the species may nest close to humans. Carolina Wrens have been noticed nesting in all sorts of places, including old shoes and mailboxes. They may even build a nest in your shed. House Wrens may also be found nesting close to humans.
Mallards and Wood Ducks
Mallards and Wood Ducks can get used to being around people and might come close to get food, especially in parks. They’re comfortable with humans and may even expect to be fed by visitors.
This behavior can allow people to observe these beautiful ducks up close, but visitors need to be mindful not to feed them human food, as it can harm their health.
What Are Some Very Secretive Birds?
Some birds are elusive and shy. These birds include the bitterns and rails that occur in the marshes. Flufftails are very difficult to see as well but have distinctive calls. Among the cuckoos in Africa, the Black Cuckoo is the hardest bird to see. The bird is not that small but manages to hide well even though it is highly vocal during Summer.
Crows
Crows are one of the most intelligent of all the bird species. They can solve problems and even recognize individual people.
Researchers have found that crows can, in fact, recognize and remember individual people. It appears that crows pay close attention to people and what they are doing. There are also records of crows leaving gifts for people who have fed them.
Crows are in the bird family Corvidae and have a reputation for being smart. Some crows in Japan have even learned to use cars to crack open nuts. They place nuts in the crosswalk when the traffic lights are red.
Then they wait for the light to turn green, and the cars then drive over the nuts. Then, when the lights turn red again, the bird jumps down and fetches the cracked nuts.
What Are Some Aggressive And Bold Birds?
There are some birds that, although not too frightened of people, are not really friendly and can even be quite aggressive when nesting. Such birds include the Thrashers, Mockingbirds, Magpies, and Mynahs.
Thrashers and Mockingbirds
Brown Thrashers and Mockingbirds are bold birds that can be very aggressive if you go near their chicks or nests. The Northern Mockingbird has a habit of nesting close to houses and then attacking people and pets that venture near the nest (often by accident).
These birds will swoop down and attack cats, dogs, and people. If you do discover a nest, it is best to stay away as these birds do not give up and fiercely defend their nest and babies.
The Brown Thrasher can be as aggressive as the Northern Mockingbird, but they are less commonly found close to people. You will usually find these birds where there is more bush.
Magpies
The Australian Magpie is the best-known example of an aggressive bird during nesting season. They swoop down on people walking near or passing their nests.
Unfortunately, they are viewed by some as a nuisance because of this behavior. This behavior by the magpies is understandable because they view humans as a threat and a potential predator of their chicks.
Conclusion
Many wild birds are shy and afraid of people, but some species are quite tame and friendly, such as certain types of robins, robin chats, wagtails, wrens, and crows. Some of these birds even enter the house looking for food. There are also elusive, difficult-to-see birds and bold and aggressive species.
TIP: Check out my recommended products if you are looking for the best and trusted equipment for birdwatching in the wild or on your backyard (Amazon link):