Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Idaho

The birds that visit feeders in Idaho, when they come and what they eat – counted from 4.7 million bird sightings reported across Idaho from 2019 to 2024.

  • 27year-round residents
  • 3winter visitors
  • 9summer visitors
American Robin – the most common of the backyard birds in Idaho
Photo Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Idaho

These birds are reported in every season. Most of them will use a seed or suet feeder in any month.

  1. American Robin, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in June

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. House Finch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Finch

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: black oil sunflower, nyjer

    Photo: MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Song Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Song Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  5. European Starling, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    European Starling

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. Black-capped Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-capped Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. Red-winged Blackbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-winged Blackbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: sunflower, cracked corn

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. Mourning Dove, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Mourning Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in August

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  9. Eurasian Collared-Dove, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Eurasian Collared-Dove

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Radu Teodoreanu / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. House Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

  11. Red-breasted Nuthatch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  12. American Goldfinch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Goldfinch

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: lwolfartist / iNaturalist, CC BY

Sep – Apr

Winter birds of Idaho

They arrive from the north in autumn and leave again in spring. Millet and sunflower hearts on a tray or on the ground bring most of them in.

  1. Dark-eyed Junco, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. White-crowned Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Anna's Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Anna's Hummingbird

    Occasional visitor · most common in November

    Eats: sugar water (1:4)

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

May – Sep

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in Idaho and winter further south.

  1. Black-chinned Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-chinned Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nectar (sugar water)

    Photo: Shiva Shenoy / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Chipping Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Chipping Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Cassin's Finch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Cassin's Finch

    Occasional visitor · most common in July

    Eats:

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  4. Brown-headed Cowbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Brown-headed Cowbird

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: cello caruso-turiello / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Lazuli Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Lazuli Bunting

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Pat Farris / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. Bullock's Oriole, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Bullock's Oriole

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: sugar water, fruit, grape jelly

    Photo: Millie Basden / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. Black-headed Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-headed Grosbeak

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: black oil sunflower, fruit

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  8. Rufous Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Rufous Hummingbird

    Occasional visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nectar

    Photo: highsinger / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Idaho

4 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Idaho. Northern Flicker and Downy Woodpecker are the ones most often seen. All of them come for suet – a suet cage with a tail-prop panel also works for the larger species.

Which suet to use and when →

  1. Northern Flicker2.6%
  2. Downy Woodpecker0.8%
  3. Hairy Woodpecker0.3%
  4. Pileated Woodpecker0.1%
  1. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  2. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Hairy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in July

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Pileated Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pileated Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet

    Photo: tsaiproject / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Idaho

The black-chinned hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Idaho. Sightings start in May, peak in August and fade out in September.

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-May so the first arrivals find it, and keep it up until two weeks after you see the last bird – late migrants from further north still pass through.

Also reported: rufous hummingbird.

Nectar: one part white sugar to four parts water, no red dye. Hummingbird feeders compared →

Black-chinned Hummingbird sightings per month in Idaho, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Idaho

House Finch – males have a red head, breast and rump over brown streaks; common at seed feeders all year.
Cassin's Finch – a mountain finch of the West; the male has a bright red crown that stands out from the pinker body.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in Idaho

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
American Robin
Northern Flicker
House Finch
Song Sparrow
European Starling
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-winged Blackbird
Mourning Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
House Sparrow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Goldfinch
White-crowned Sparrow
Lesser Goldfinch
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Siskin
Cedar Waxwing

Want the list for your own garden? Enter your ZIP code – the birds within 30 km, month by month.

Questions

Backyard birds in Idaho: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Idaho?

The American robin. It makes up about 3.1% of all bird sightings reported in Idaho, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Idaho in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the American robin, northern flicker, house finch, winter brings dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, Anna's hummingbird.

What woodpeckers live in Idaho?

4 species are reported regularly: northern flicker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker.

When do hummingbirds leave Idaho?

Black-chinned Hummingbird sightings fade out in September. They arrive in May. Keep your feeder up for about two weeks after the last visit.

More states

Backyard birds in other states