According to nan Avian Records Committee of Connecticut (ARCC), location are astir 280 vertebrate type successful Connecticut – a number of those are very progressive during nan night!
Examples of nocturnal birds successful Connecticut see nan communal nighthawk, American robin, black-crowned nighttime heron, barred owl, bluish mockingbird, and galore others.
Do immoderate of them sound familiar? Let’s jump successful and spot what each of these looks and sounds like!
Night Birds In Connecticut
1. Northern Mockingbird

- Scientific name: Mimus polyglottos
Northern mockingbirds are birds astir often heard singing astatine nighttime successful Connecticut. The nighttime singers are often young, unattached males aliases older males without mates.
They are astir noisy from March to August (their breeding season) and precocious September to November (while establishing wintertime territories).
To trim their perpetually annoying singing, see utilizing vertebrate nets connected trees aliases placing cardboard cutouts of predators for illustration hawks aliases owls.
These birds are year-round residents successful CT and are aptly named, arsenic they tin mimic complete 200 different songs and imitate up to 35 species.
Their mimicry extends to sounds for illustration rusty hinges, car alarms, cackling hens, and canine barks, sometimes indistinguishable moreover pinch physics analysis.
2. Yellow-breasted Chat

- Scientific Name: Icteria virens
Yellow-breasted chats tin beryllium heard singing successful nan greeting and evening during summertime successful confederate regions of nan state. They will besides moreover singing astatine nighttime during nan tallness of their breeding play (May to July).
Often heard than seen, they are communal astir dense, brushy areas and hedgerows. These birds person a unsocial operation of cackles, clucks, whistles, and hoots successful their songs, on pinch harsh “chak” calls.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Icteria_virens_-_Yellow-breasted_Chat_XC254465.mp3
Yellow-breasted Chat Song | Source: Jonathon Jongsma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
They tin mimic different birds, sometimes confusing birdwatchers. During nan breeding season, they go much conspicuous, singing from exposed spots and flying openly while gurgling their songs. Unfortunately, their numbers person drastically dropped passim astir of their eastbound range.
3. American Robin

- Scientific name: Turdus migratorius
American robins are songbirds and communal sights successful forests, lawns, and suburbs crossed CT, passim nan full year.
As wintertime fades and daylight increases, they will beryllium nan first birds you perceive singing conscionable arsenic dawn approaches, giving them nan nickname “wake robins.”
The opus is described arsenic a “cheery” carol consisting of a drawstring of 10 aliases truthful clear whistles; American robins besides person a crisp “yeep” siren telephone aliases a mumbled “tuk” erstwhile communicating pinch 1 another.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/American_Robin.ogg
Source: G. McGrane, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
However, erstwhile nan sun goes down, their opus changes. From sunset until it gets very dark, they adhd soft, almost whispered notes to their singing, making their opus sound elegant and intricate.
4. Killdeer

- Scientific Name: Charadrius vociferus
Killdeers tin beryllium heard passim nan state. They inhabit unfastened areas for illustration sandbars, mudflats, fields, and municipality locations.
Killdeers are progressive time and night, pinch noticeable nighttime activity, particularly successful early outpouring and precocious summer. They often congregate successful places for illustration promenade parking tons and well-lit shot fields, engaging successful socializing, calling, and searching for food. Their sanction comes from their loud, piercing calls resembling “kill-deer, kill-deer.”
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Charadrius_vociferus.ogg
Killdeer Call | Source: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
5. American Woodcock

- Scientific Name: Scolopax minor
American woodcocks, mini elusive birds, tin beryllium heard successful Connecticut from dusk to dawn. Look for them successful fields adjacent forests, particularly astir powerline cuts.
They’re challenging to spot owed to their nocturnal habits and camouflaged colors. Listen for their unique “peent” telephone connected nan crushed aliases twittering in nan air. They execute specified activities each evening for 30-60 minutes; they whitethorn dwell of 10 to 20 performances.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Scolopax_minor_-_American_Woodcock_XC78342.mp3
American Woodcock Call | Source: Jonathon Jongsma, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
6. Wilson’s Snipe

- Scientific Name: Gallinago delicata
Like American woodcocks, Wilson’s snipes are besides recovered successful CT. Often heard singing during summertime nights there, they for illustration bedewed fields, marshes, and bogs. Listen for them astatine dawn and dusk.
Recognize them by their “tuk-tuk” telephone from nan ground. They besides person an intriguing winnowing show flight, creating chopped sounds successful nan air. Males alert precocious successful circles, past dive, producing longer-lasting sounds. You tin observe this behaviour some time and night.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Gallinago_delicata_-_Wilson%27s_Snipe_XC609619.mp3
Wilson’s Snipe Call | Source: Doug Hynes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
7. Eastern Screech-Owl

- Scientific Name: Megascops asio
Eastern screech owls are small, stocky, and strictly nocturnal. They unrecorded successful Connecticut’s woodlands adjacent h2o and little elevations year-round.
They’re astir vocal adjacent sunset, becoming quieter later astatine night. Calls summation astir afloat moons and earlier storms. Listen for nan “whinny” and trilling tremolo calls. In summertime (June-August), watch for juvenile hissing sounds.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Megascops_asio_-_Eastern_Screech_Owl_-_XC75829.ogg
Eastern Screech-owl Call | Source: Jonathon Jongsma, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Read More: Oregon’s astir communal nighttime birds
8. Great Horned Owl

- Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus
Much much communal than eastbound screech-owls, they are 1 of Connecticut’s biggest raptors. Great horned owls tin beryllium heard singing chiefly aft acheronian and earlier dawn.
These imperishable residents of nan authorities for illustration unfastened areas adjacent forests and make deep, large “ho-ho-hoo hoo hoo” sounds.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Bubo_virginianus_-_Great_Horned_Owl_XC450919.mp3
Great Horned Owl Call | Source: Michael & Katie LaTour, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Females person higher-pitched calls, peaking aft midnight. They whitethorn singing successful duets successful wintertime aliases outpouring and person unique juvenile begging calls successful summer, sometimes resembling barn owls’ calls.
9. Barn Owl

- Scientific Name: Tyto alba
One of nan astir wide distributed type of owl successful nan world, barn owls are imperishable residents of CT.
These medium-sized owls often person a “ghostly” appearance, particularly if seen astatine night, astir unfastened habitats, including grasslands, marshes, and cultivation areas.
Barn owls do not hoot and make bone-chilling screams instead. They hunt for rodents during nan nighttime and roost successful nest boxes, caves, character hollows, and aged buildings.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Tyto_alba_-_Western_Barn_Owl_XC345927.mp3
Barn Owl Call | Source: Luis Gracia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
10. Barred Owl

- Scientific Name: Strix varia
Year-round Connecticut’s residents, barred owls are nan astir communal and astir often heard nighttime owls successful nan state. Found successful dense forests adjacent water, they are known for their “who-cooks-for-you” opus and “hoo-ahhh” calls, often successful duets.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Strix_varia_-_Northern_Barred_Owl_XC178042.mp3
Barred Owl Call | Source: Jonathon Jongsma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Juveniles person a unsocial high-pitched raspy hissing sound. These monolithic owls person mottled brownish and achromatic plumage and dark, almost achromatic eyes.
11. Short-eared Owl

- Scientific Name: Asio flammeus
Short-eared owls, wide distributed worldwide isolated from successful Antarctica and Australia, sojourn Connecticut during winter. They tin beryllium heard successful unfastened grasslands, including fields, marshes, and moreover airports.
These owls person striking yellowish eyes pinch achromatic rings, resembling mascara. While usually quiet, they nutrient “voo-hoo-hoo” calls.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Short-eared_Owl.ogg
Short-eared Owl Call | Source: Jamescandless, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
They are mostly nocturnal but tin besides beryllium crepuscular.
Read More: What Michigan’s birds singing astatine night?
12. Long-eared Owl

- Scientific Name: Asio otus
These elusive birds blend good into unfastened forests, marshy areas, and dense coniferous woods of nan state. Long-eared owls tin beryllium heard singing astatine nighttime successful Connecticut successful nan wintertime months.
Very rare, they travel live soon aft dusk, remaining progressive passim nan night. These owls are mostly quiet but make chopped calls. The male’s opus resembles low-pitched “hoo” notes, for illustration blowing crossed a bottle.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Asio_otus_-_Long-eared_Owl_XC108293.mp3
Long-eared Owl Call | Source: Alexander Kurthy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
They besides person a unique juvenile begging call, though beryllium cautious, arsenic it tin beryllium confused pinch distant barking dogs aliases mooing cows.
13. Northern Saw-whet Owl

- Scientific Name: Aegolius acadicus
Connecticut’s smallest, Northern saw-whet owls are imperishable residents of nan state.
Named aft their large and repetitive whistles described arsenic “a saw being sharpened connected a whetstone,” you will perceive their callings highest 2 hours aft sunset and alteration until conscionable earlier sunrise.
Listen for nan tooting advertizing opus of males, a repeated “toot-toot-toot.” They springiness a assortment of different calls, and later successful nan season, juveniles nutrient a raspy, hissing call.
The compound called porphyrin makes their formation feathers unsocial – nan pigment gives their feathers a neon pinkish fluorescence erstwhile exposed to UV light.
14. Eastern Whip-poor-will

- Scientific Name: Antrostomus vociferus
Eastern whip-poor-wills sojourn CT during nan breeding season. These cryptic nocturnal birds are heard much often than seen. They hide during nan day, typically successful conifer barrens and wood openings.
At dawn and dusk, they statesman singing their celebrated “whip-poor-will” song. Male whip-poor-wills make calls to people their breeding territory and to pull a mate.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Whip-poor-will.ogg
Eastern whip-poor-will Call | Source: G. McGrane, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
They hunt astatine night, catching flying insects from nan ground. Similar to communal nighthawks, their unique telephone helps differentiate nan 2 species.
Read More: What birds tin you perceive singing astatine nighttime successful Arkansas?
15. Common Nighthawk

- Scientific Name: Chordeiles minor
During nan summertime breeding play successful Connecticut, communal nighthawks tin beryllium heard singing astatine dawn and dusk. These medium-sized raptors pinch profoundly divided tails and agelong wings are communal astir prairies, forests, savannahs, and municipality areas.
These birds create a chopped peent sound and execute courtship displays pinch accelerated dives that nutrient a booming sound arsenic aerial rushes complete their wings.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Chordeiles_minor.ogg
Common Nighthawk Call | Source: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Common nighthawks are well-camouflaged during nan day, pinch gray, black, and brownish plumage and achromatic patches adjacent nan guidelines of their superior feathers.
16. Common Gallinule

- Scientific Name: Gallinula galeata
Common gallinules are medium-sized marsh birds pinch acheronian plumage, achromatic undertails, reddish frontal plates connected their heads, and unique agelong legs and toes.
In nan state, they are astir communal during nan summertime breeding play and for illustration freshwater wetlands pinch unfastened h2o and emergent vegetation.
They are astir progressive during dawn and dusk, becoming much vocal from April to June during nan breeding season. Listen for their “marsh chickenhearted sound” and azygous “clucks,” which are their astir commonly heard calls.
17. American Coot

- Scientific Name: Fulica americana
American coots are mini h2o birds pinch achromatic plumage, agleam achromatic beaks, reddish eyes, and yellow-green legs.
Although they lucifer ducks, American coots are only distantly related to them. These wintertime residents of Connecticut tin beryllium seen and heard successful freshwater wetlands pinch unfastened h2o and emergent vegetation astir dawn and dusk.
They nutrient a crisp “poot” telephone and a screeching “kree” sound, and they are peculiarly noisy swimmers, truthful you whitethorn besides admit them by splashing h2o sounds.
18. Clapper Rail

- Scientific Name: Rallus crepitans
Clapper rails are ample brownish birds recovered on nan Atlantic coasts of nan eastbound United States, eastbound Mexico, and immoderate Caribbean islands. Nocturnal and somewhat secretive, these chicken-sized birds seldom alert and person grayish-brown plumage pinch orange bills that curve downwards.
In Connecticut, clapper rails tin beryllium heard passim nan coastal area year-round. They are astir progressive astatine dawn and dusk pinch mated pairs singing together successful nan evening and somewhat little during nan greeting hours.
You will perceive males’ repeated “kek” calls and grunt aliases “clapper” calls that pairs usage to communicate. When 1 vertebrate originates to sing, neighboring birds usually subordinate in.
Clapper rails person 4-16 creamy achromatic eggs that person brownish blotches that some parents incubate; males will incubate them astatine night.
19. Black-crowned Night Heron

- Scientific Name: Nycticorax nycticorax
Black-crowned nighttime herons tin beryllium occasionally heard astir wooded swamps, ponds, lakes, and mangroves successful CT.
Unlike galore different herons, they’re progressive astatine nighttime aliases dusk and besides migrate successful flocks during nan night. Their sanction “Nycticorax” intends “night raven” successful Greek, reflecting their nocturnal habits and crow-like calls.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Nycticorax_nycticorax_-_Black-crowned_Night_Heron_-_XC99573.ogg
Black-crowned Night Heron Call | Source: Jonathon Jongsma, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
These herons often bait fish, luring prey pinch thrown nutrient earlier striking pinch their agelong beaks.
20. Ovenbird

- Scientific name: Seiurus aurocapilla
Ovenbirds singing regularly astatine nighttime but astatine a comparatively debased opus complaint successful Connecticut. These mini migratory songbirds tin beryllium heard during summertime nights successful nan state.
You will often perceive their territorial rapid, resounding “tea-cher, tea-cher” opus consisting of 8-13 phrases. They besides person respective short calls, including nan “ple-bleep,” “whink,” and precocious “tsip.”
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Ovenbird.ogg
Ovenbird Song | Source: G McGrane, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ovenbirds sewage their sanction from nan nest they built called nan “oven” – it is simply a dome-like building placed connected nan crushed pinch a broadside entranceway that makes it lucifer a Dutch oven.
Read More: Pennsylvania’s astir communal nocturnal birds
What Birds Sing At Night In Connecticut?
The astir communal birds that singing astatine nighttime successful Connecticut are bluish mockingbirds.
Mockingbirds singing each nighttime are often young, unattached males aliases older males without a mate. In lawsuit you want to extremity their nighttime singing, effort to screen your character pinch vertebrate netting aliases adhd an owl/hawk cardboard cutout to scare them away.
You mightiness person besides heard yellow-breasted chats singing successful nan acheronian arsenic they telephone retired to nan females, American robins and their cheery carol, aliases moreover barn owls and their bone-chilling screams.
Read More: What birds singing astatine nighttime successful Minnesota?
Summary
Connecticut’s rich | avifauna is brimming pinch nocturnal birds. Some tin beryllium seen year-round there, for illustration respective owl type and bluish mockingbirds, while others, for illustration yellow-breasted chats, and communal nighthawks sojourn nan authorities only to breed.
In lawsuit you’ve stumbled upon aliases heard immoderate of these birds, we dream this guideline helped you place which ones they were.
Feel free to publication our different celebrated guides connected night birds commonly heard successful NY and night birds commonly heard successful GA.