Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Utah

The birds that visit feeders in Utah, when they come and what they eat – counted from 5.5 million bird sightings reported across Utah from 2019 to 2024.

  • 32year-round residents
  • 1winter visitors
  • 10summer visitors
American Robin – the most common of the backyard birds in Utah
Photo Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Utah

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. 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

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

    European Starling

    Everyday visitor · most common in January

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / 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. House Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. 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

  8. 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

  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. 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

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

    Mourning Dove

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: millet, cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

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

    Lesser Goldfinch

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: nyjer, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

Sep – Apr

Winter birds of Utah

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

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

May – Sep

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in Utah 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. Lazuli Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Lazuli Bunting

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Pat Farris / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Broad-tailed Hummingbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Broad-tailed Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: nectar

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

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

    Rufous Hummingbird

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: nectar

    Photo: highsinger / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Utah

3 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Utah. 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 Flicker2.0%
  2. Downy Woodpecker0.8%
  3. Hairy Woodpecker0.2%
  1. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in October

    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

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Utah

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

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-April 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: broad-tailed hummingbird.

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

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

Identification

Red birds in Utah

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 Utah

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
American Robin
House Finch
European Starling
Song Sparrow
House Sparrow
Northern Flicker
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-capped Chickadee
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Red-winged Blackbird
Mourning Dove
White-crowned Sparrow
Lesser Goldfinch
Spotted Towhee
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Goldfinch
Downy Woodpecker

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

Questions

Backyard birds in Utah: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Utah?

The American robin. It makes up about 2.9% of all bird sightings reported in Utah, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Utah in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the American robin, house finch, European starling, winter brings white-crowned sparrow.

What woodpeckers live in Utah?

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

When do hummingbirds leave Utah?

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

More states

Backyard birds in other states