24 Backyard Birds in Idaho (Pictures & Facts)

Idaho is home to many different species of wild birds. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the more recognizable and well-known birds in the state. Some of these species live in Idaho year round, while others are migratory and only part-time residents to the gem state. In this article, we’re going to take a look at 24 backyard birds in Idaho and learn a little about each species.

After that I’ll show you how to attract them to your yard, give you a crash course in the 10 different types of bird feeders you can use to do so, and even mention a few Idaho birdwatching hotspots.

How many different species of wild birds are in Idaho?

It’s difficult to get an exact number on how many bird species are found in North America, the United States, or even in the state of Idaho. However, according to Wikipedia there are at least 432 species of birds in the state of Idaho on the official list. One source claims there are 2,059 species in North America, another older source says there are just 914. So I’m not sure how much I trust these numbers, but they give us a general idea of the number of species.

For the purposes of this article we are just going to look at some of the most commonly seen (especially in your backyard) species found in Idaho.

24 backyard birds in Idaho

Below we’ll look at 24 species of backyard birds in Idaho, some are year-round residents and some aren’t. These obviously aren’t all the species in the state, or even close to it, but they are some of the more notable and recognizable Idaho backyard birds. Without any further delay, let’s take a look!

Jump to species show

1. Red-winged Blackbird

Scientific name: Agelaius phoeniceus
Length: 6.7-9.1 in
Weight: 1.1-2.7 oz
Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in

Among the most abundant birds in all of North America, male Red-winged Blackbirds are unmistakable because of their red and yellow “shoulders” that stand out amongst their black bodies. The females of this species however, look quite different and are mostly brown with light streaks. They are known as a polygynous species, meaning males will have up to 15 different females that they are mating with. Unfortunately they sometimes show up at feeders in flocks and gobble up seed quickly.

Red-winged Blackbirds can be found in Idaho all year.

Red-winged Blackbirds visit most types of feeders and will eat seed as well as suet.

2. Pine Siskin

Image: Shenandoah National Park Flickr

Scientific name: Spinus pinus
Length: 4.3-5.5 in
Weight: 0.4-0.6 oz
Wingspan: 7.1-8.7 in

Pine Siskins are tiny members of the finch family with sharply pointed beaks. They are brown and white streaked all over, and in fact can look a lot like female house finches. However the Pine Siskin will always have yellow (of varying brightness) along their wings and sides of their tails. They are considered nomadic and can move erratically each winter following good seed crops, with their favorite food source being conifer seeds. This is why some winters you may see a lot of them, while others you may not see them at all.

Pine Siskins can be found in most areas of Idaho year round, however in the southwest they may be more common in the winter only.

Pine Siskins will readily visit nyjer (thistle) feeders, and may also eat millet or hulled sunflower.

3. Black-capped Chickadee

Scientific name: Poecile atricapillus
Length: 4.7-5.9 in
Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz
Wingspan: 6.3-8.3 in

Chickadees are tiny little birds with rounded bodies that are very easy to recognize because of their “black cap” and black bib. Their cheeks are solid white, their wings and backs are blackish gray, and their underbodies are fluffy and light.

They are very common at bird feeders and are often seen darting back and forth from a feeder to cover and back again for more. Chickadees are always among the first birds I see visiting a new feeder in my yard, and they can be quite bold for their size!

Black-capped chickadees can be found year round throughout Idaho.

Chickadees will visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends and black sunflower seeds.

4. Barn Swallow

Scientific name: Hirundo rustica
Length: 5.9-7.5 in
Weight: 0.6-0.7 oz
Wingspan: 11.4-12.6 in

Barn swallows, birds of the open field. These beautifully colored birds have a dark blue back, orange between the eyes and on the throat. Their breast and belly can be anything from a light tawny color to a bright orange. One of their trademarks is their long, deeply forked tail. They are very agile fliers that cruise and swoop over water, fields, farms and meadow catching insects in the air. They use a combination of mud and grass to create cup-shaped nests, which are often found in the eaves of barns, gazebos, covered pavilions and under bridges.

Barn swallows migrate to the U.S. to breed, and you can find them throughout Idaho during the spring and summer.

Since Barn Swallows eat flying insects, they won’t visit a bird feeder. You can try to attract them by putting up a nestbox, or providing access if you have a barn, outbuilding or gazebo.

5. Red-breasted Nuthatch

Scientific name: Sitta canadensis
Length: 4.3 in
Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz
Wingspan: 7.1-7.9 in

These little nuthatches have a dark gray back, rusty (ranges from boldly colored to pale) chest and belly, and a boldly black and white striped face. They are quick and active birds most commonly found hopping around on tree trunks and branches looking for insects beneath the bark. They nest in tree cavities, and will even use backyard nest boxes.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are found year-round in Idaho, but their population often “follows the food” and may head to other states during winters when food (conifer seeds) is less abundant.

Red-breasted Nuthatches will readily visit feeders. Offer sunflower seeds, peanuts or suet.

6. White-crowned Sparrow

Image: _Veit_ / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Zonotrichia leucophrys
Length: 5.9-6.3 in
Weight: 0.9-1.0 oz
Wingspan: 8.3-9.4 in

White-crowned sparrows spend the summer far north in Canada and Alaska, then migrate back down across the United States during the winter. One of the easier sparrows to identify, white-crowned sparrows have a bold black and white striped head while the rest of their face, chest and belly remain a plain buffy brown-gray. They like to forage in fields, and along the edges of roads and trails. These sparrows will come to bird feeders, but are most likely to stay on the ground and pick up spilt seed.

There is quite a seasonal spread for these sparrows in Idaho. In some areas of the north and along the Montana border they are found in spring and summer only. In other areas they may be found year round or only in the winter (southern sections).

White-crowned sparrows readily visit feeders and like to pick up fallen seed below feeders. Offer sunflower, millet and mixed seed blends.

7. American Robin

Scientific name: Turdus migratorius
Length: 7.9-11.0 in
Weight: 2.7-3.0 oz
Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in

Highly common in backyards, Robins are mostly seen hopping around the grass looking for worms and other invertebrates to eat. While they will occasionally visit bird feeders, they do not typically eat seeds. Their bright red, round bellies, and yellow beaks make them easy to identify.

Robins live all year in Idaho, although you may see them less frequently in your yard during the winter.

American Robins do not often visit bird feeders, so attract them with mealworms, native fruit-bearing plants, leaf-litter for foraging, or a bird bath.

8. Mourning Dove

Scientific name: Zenaida macroura
Length: 9.1-13.4 in
Weight: 3.0-6.0 oz
Wingspan: 17.7 in

About the size of a robin, doves are very common in backyards and will often sit perched on telephone wires or in groups in trees. I sometimes see them on my tray feeder, but more often they like to hang out underneath feeders and pick up the seeds that fall to the ground. Mourning Doves are mostly gray with black spots on top and a pale peachy color below. They have a pale blueish-gray eye ring and pink legs.

Mourning Doves are found all year throughout Idaho.

Doves will often visit seed feeders, but prefer scouring the ground for seeds that have fallen. Try a ground feeder with a mixed seed blend, or simply scatter some seeds on the ground.

9. European Starling

Scientific name: Sturnus vulgaris
Length: 7.9-9.1 in
Weight: 2.1-3.4 oz
Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in

100 starlings were set loose in New York in the 1890s and they have since taken over the country. They destroy other birds’ nests, kill their young, and will overtake feeders not allowing other birds to get any of the food that you put out. They are mostly all dark with white specks on their backs and wings, and have yellow beaks and feet. While Starlings often look black, they are actually iridescent and in the right lighting can have pretty purple and green plumage.

Unfortunately starlings are found in every one of the lower 48 states year-round, Idaho included.

European Starlings will eat almost anything, but are especially fond of suet. They are an invasive species so we suggest you do not attempt to attract them, they’ll show up anyway.

10. American Goldfinch

Scientific name: Spinus tristis
Length: 4.3-5.1 in
Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz
Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in

Goldfinches are among my favorite birds to see at feeders, especially when they have their bright yellow feathers in the Spring and Summer. During this period breeding males become mostly yellow, or “gold”, with black-tipped wings and black cap on top of their heads. Females and juveniles are not as bright yellow and they lack the black cap. In the winter they will molt and lose these flashy colors and have more dull brownish or olive colors. You can always recognize them any time of year by the black on their wings, and their finch-like beaks.

Goldfinches are found all year in Idaho, but may be more noticeable in summer.

Goldfinches prefer thistle feeders, they may also eat sunflower chips but a thistle feeder is your best chance to attract them.

11. House Finch

Scientific name: Haemorhous mexicanus
Length: 5.1-5.5 in
Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz
Wingspan: 7.9-9.8 in

The House Finch is yet another very common backyard bird in Idaho. While they are now widespread across the United States, they are actually native to the western half of the country. If you attract them, which is fairly easy to do, they may show up in large flocks and mob your feeders. Males are mostly streaked brown in color with some red on the head and chest, females are all brown.

House Finches are commonly reported in Idaho, but may be scarce in the eastern portion of the state and along the Montana boarder.

Like other finches, House Finches often visit thistle feeders. They are seen at seed feeders more than Goldfinches, so try some black sunflower seeds to attract them as well.

12. House Sparrow

Scientific name: Passer domesticus
Length: 5.9-6.7 in
Weight: 0.9-1.1 oz
Wingspan: 7.5-9.8 in

Generally looked at as pests, Houses Sparrows are the only other species of wild birds in the U.S. besides starlings that you can legally trap and humanely kill. Like starlings, they were introduced to the U.S. in New York in the 1800s and have since spread across our country like wildfire. They are mostly brown in color, with some black and brown streaking on their wings and buffy chest. House sparrows are overall aggressive towards other birds, especially around nests. They are known to evict other birds nesting in birdhouses.

House Sparrows are found throughout Idaho, especially around areas of human activity. If you see drab brown birds hanging out around shopping areas and building nests inside of storefront signs, they are likely House Sparrows.

Like the European Starling, House Sparrows are invasive and pose a threat to native species. They will eat almost anything.

13. Brewer’s Blackbird

Brewers Blackbirds, 3 males and 1 female. Image: Alan Schmierer

Scientific name: Euphagus cyanocephalus
Length: 8.3-9.8 in male, 7.9-8.7 in female
Weight: 2.1-3.0 oz male, 1.8-2.4 oz female
Wingspan: 14.6 in

These common birds of the western U.S. are often found either walking around the ground looking for food or perched up in trees or on utility lines. Males are a very dark and often appear black, but in bright sunlight you can see iridescent blue, purple and green. They have a black bill and yellow eye-ring. Females are a muddled brown all over with a black eye. These blackbirds are very social and will often be seen in small groups, and will nest in colonies of 100 or more.

Brewers blackbirds can be found year round throughout Idaho.

Brewers blackbirds will visit bird feeders, but because of their size they have trouble with small perches. They would prefer a platform feeder or seed scattered on the ground. Most seed mixes should be fine, especially those with sunflower, cracked corn and millet.

14. Eurasian Collared-Dove

Scientific name: Streptopelia decaocto
Length: 11.4-11.8 in
Weight: 4.9-6.3 oz
Wingspan: 13.8 in

As you might suspect from its name, the Eurasian collared dove is native to parts of Europe and Asia. During the 1970’s, some of them escaped from a pet shop in the Bahamas and flew to Florida. It is thought that these escaped birds, and some set loose in the south Caribbean on Guadeloupe, began the colonization of the U.S. Today they can be found across much of the U.S. and Mexico. They are similar to a mourning dove, but with a chunkier body and longer tail. They lack the black spots on their back that a mourning dove has, and instead have a plain back with a black stripe across the back of their neck.

The Eurasian collared dove can be found in Idaho year round.

Eurasian collared doves will come to backyards to eat seeds and grain, usually from platform feeders or scattered on the ground. They especially enjoy millet.

15. Song Sparrow

Scientific name: Melospiza melodia
Length: 4.7-6.7 in
Weight: 0.4-1.9 oz
Wingspan: 7.1-9.4 in

These sparrows are mostly brown on the back and wings, with heavy brown streaks on a white breast. Song Sparrows are very common throughout most of North America and their plumage can vary a bit from region to region. The male of the species uses his song to attract females as well as to defend his territory.

Song Sparrows are found year round throughout all of Idaho.

Song Sparrows will sometimes visit bird feeders and snack on mixed seeds and sunflower seeds.

16. Black-billed Magpie

Image: Tom Koerner/ USFWS Mountain-Prairie

Scientific name: Pica hudsonia
Length: 17.7-23.6 in
Weight: 5.1-7.4 oz
Wingspan: 22.1-24.0 in

The beautiful black-billed magpie has the shape of a jay but the size of a crow. Black head, chest and back, bright white shoulder and sides, metallic blue along their wings and their long tail. They have a varied diet of fruit, grain, insects, small mammals, carrion and eggs. They are even seen hanging out on the backs of large mammals like moose or deer, picking through their hair looking for ticks. These flashy birds aren’t shy and are often seen perched in trees or on fenceposts. They can be quite loud, especially in groups.

Black-billed magpies can be found year round in Idaho.

While they prefer open rangeland, black-billed magpies may visit backyards. Try to attract them with sunflower seeds and peanuts on a platform feeder, with suet, or by leaving out fruit such as orange halves.

17. Yellow Warbler

Scientific name: Setophaga petechia
Length: 4.7-5.1 in
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz
Wingspan: 6.3-7.9 in

Aptly named, the yellow warbler is yellow throughout its whole body. Their chest and head tends to be brighter while their back can be more of a darker, olive yellow. Males have some reddish-brown streaking on their chest. Their preferred habitat is thickets and small trees near wetlands or streams.

Yellow Warblers can be found throughout Idaho during the spring and summer.

Yellow warblers are insect eaters so they won’t visit bird feeders. You can try to attract them by planting small trees that support caterpillars.

18. Cedar Waxwing

Scientific name: Bombycilla cedrorum
Length: 5.5-6.7 in
Weight: 1.1 oz
Wingspan: 8.7-11.8 in

Cedar Waxwings are easy to identify by their unique coloring. These medium sized birds have a tawny brown head and chest, yellow belly, dark gray wings, and a yellow tipped short tail. Their face sports a dramatic black eye mask rimmed in white, and a large fluffy brown crest. The name “waxwing” comes from small, red, waxy nubs found at the tips of their wings. These can often be hard to see and no one is really sure what purpose they serve. They may help attract mates. Cedar waxwings love fruit, and are one of the only North American birds that can survive on fruit alone for several months. They do supplement their diet with insects and other foods, but they can eat a much higher percentage of fruit than other birds.

Cedar Waxwings can be found in Idaho all year.

Cedar Waxwings won’t eat from seed feeders. You can attract them to your yard with native trees and shrubs that produce small fruits and berries.

19. American Crow

Scientific name: Corvus brachyrhynchos
Length: 15.8-20.9 in
Weight: 11.2-21.9 oz
Wingspan: 33.5-39.4 in

American Crows are solid black in color, and quite large in size. They are also know for being highly intelligent problem solvers, like their cousin the raven. Crows will roost higher up in the tree tops in large groups where they can get a birds eye view of everything below. If an owl or a hawk shows up, the roost will call out and let everyone known that there is danger nearby.

Crows are found throughout Idaho all year long.

American Crows are omnivorous and generally do not visit bird feeders, they are much too large.

20. Dark-eyed Junco

Image credit: Oregon by Robb Hannawacker, Pink-sided by birdfeederhub.com

Scientific name: Junco hyemalis
Length: 5.5-6.3 in
Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz
Wingspan: 7.1-9.8 in

Juncos are often thought of by people in the U.S as winter birds, since they spend their summers up in Canada. They are all round little birds with a pale pink beak, but their feather coloration varies across the United States. In Idaho, you can find both the “Oregon” variety and the “Pink-sided” variety. They both have a dark head and brown back, however the Oregon’s have a light buffy breast while the pink-sided have, no surprise, pink sides. Females look similar but their color may be duller overall. Juncos are most common in forests and wooded areas where they can often be seen hopping around on the ground.

Dark-eyed Juncos stay in Idaho all year. The Oregon coloration is more common and can be found throughout the northern half of the state. The pink-sided variety will tend to be found in the southeastern corner of the state.

Juncos will sometimes visit feeders, but prefer to eat seeds on the ground. You will often see them picking up the spilled seeds on the ground directly under bird feeders.

21. Chipping Sparrow

Scientific name: Spizella passerina
Length: 4.7-5.9 in
Weight: 0.4-0.6 oz
Wingspan: 8.3 in

Chipping sparrows have their most crisp feathers in the summer, with a buffy gray breast, brown and tan streaked wings, rusty red cap, and a black line through the eye with white above. In winter their markings may appear less defined and their coloring more buffy-brown. They are common sparrows that like to feed on open ground.

Chipping Sparrows are found throughout Idaho only during the spring and summer.

Chipping Sparrows are common at backyard feeders, and often like to remain on the ground picking up what has spilled. Attract them with sunflower and mixed seed, especially scattered on the ground.

22. Western Tanager

Male Western Tanager / Image: USDA NRCS Montana

Scientific name: Piranga Iudoviciana
Length: 6.3-7.5 in
Weight: 0.8-1.3 oz

It’s hard to mistake a male western tanager. They have a bright orange face, and their bright yellow chest and back stand out next to black wings. Females are usually duller in color and may appear more of an olive yellow with gray wings, and they do not have orange on their face. They are common in the woods, especially among conifer forests. They eat mostly insects which they carefully pluck from foliage at the tops of trees.

Western tanagers can be found throughout Idaho during the spring and summer breeding season.

Western tanagers don’t often visit seed feeders, so try to attract them with dried fruit or fresh oranges. A bird bath or other water feature may also draw them to your yard.

23. Brown-headed Cowbird

Image: Patricia Pierce / flickr / CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Molothrus ater
Length: 7.5 – 8.7 in
Weight: 1.5 – 1.8 oz
Wingspan: 12.6 – 15.0 in

Brown-headed cowbirds are often lumped into the “blackbirds” category not only due to the color of the males, but also because they travel in large flocks (sometimes mixed with actual blackbirds) and can mob your feeders. Males have an iridescent black body with dark brown head. Females are an all-over lighter brown.

Unfortunately, cowbirds are “nest parasites” and lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, reducing the other species numbers. Sometimes they sneak in and lay one egg among the others, sometimes they kick other eggs out of the nest to make room for their own. Many birds do not recognize the imposter egg and will raise the chick as their own.

Cowbirds are found in Idaho only during the spring and summer.

Brown-headed cowbirds will readily visit feeders, sometimes in large groups. They will eat just about any type of mixed seed.

24. Northern Flicker

Image: Richard Griffin/ flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Scientific name: Colaptes auratus
Length: 11.0-12.2 in
Weight: 3.9-5.6 oz
Wingspan: 16.5-20.1 in

These medium to large sized woodpeckers are quite common in backyards throughout the United States, though not extremely common at feeders. In my opinion they are also among some of the most colorful birds in North America. Flickers feed mainly on insects and unlike other woodpeckers, often like to find them on the ground rather than trees. Identify them by the black spots on their bellies, solid black bib, barred black and gray wings, and brown face on a gray head. Males have a red “mustache” that females do not. In Idaho you get the “red-shafted” variety, and they have bright red feathers on the underside of their wings and tail.

Northern Flickers are common throughout Idaho all year.

Northern Flickers may not visit feeders as often as other woodpecker species, but they will still come to suet feeders. If you have some leaf piles in the yard, you may see them digging around for bugs.

How to attract birds to your yard

Interested in attracting some of these birds to your backyard? Take a look at these 5 simple tips, starting with the most obvious.

1. Put out bird feeders

The best and most obvious way to attract birds to your yard is to put out a bird feeder or two. I suggest starting with a simple tube feeder, hopper feeder, platform feeder, or a window feeder. See below for suggestions for each.

2. Add a water source

A pedestal birdbath like this one on Amazon is great, but you can also use something as simple as a terra cotta flower pot saucer, like this one. Birds need water not only to bathe in but also to drink and adding a water feature to your yard will only increase your chances of attracting birds. Also consider adding a solar fountain since moving water will entice the birds to visit the water even more.

3. Offer birdhouses

Many species of birds will readily take up residence in birdhouses if put out in the right spot at the right time of year. Eastern Bluebirds are among the most common sought after birds to attract to birdhouses. I have this birdhouse in my backyard and a mating pair of bluebirds were checking it out the same day I installed it.

4. Provide shelter

Make sure that your yard has trees, bushes, and shrubs that the birds can dart back and forth to when they sense danger. This is their main defense from predators. If your yard is perhaps in a new subdivision with no mature trees then do your best to add some landscaping features that will allow birds to look at your yard as safe.

5. Add native plants

For many birds that eat nuts, berries, and seeds, having native plants that produce these things will only aide your efforts to attract more birds. Try to avoid invasive and non-native plants as they can be harmful to native birds who are not used to these plant species.

10 different types of bird feeders

Here are 10 of the most common bird feeders people set up in their yards.

Hopper feeder – Hopper feeders get their name because they have a compartment in the middle, the hopper, that holds the bird seed. There are perches on the sides for birds to land on and eat from. Many hopper feeders are in the shape of a house and are covered on top to keep the seed dry. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed for this type of feeder. Here’s one of my favorite hopper feeders, it’s squirrel-proof too.
Platform feeder – Sometimes called tray feeders, platform feeders are open on top and can usually be hung from a tree or hook, or pole-mounted. They are great for feeding most types of birds and are easy to get set up. Though since they are completely open, every animal in your yard that can reach them will eat from them. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed for this type of feeder. I’m using this platform feeder in my backyard right now.
Tube feeder – Tube feeders are nothing more than clear plastic tube-shaped bird feeders. They can range in size from holding a few cups of seed to holding 5 lbs or more. They are great because they keep your seed fresh and dry while also allowing you to easily seed when it needs to be refilled. Many types of birds will use a tube feeder. You can use black sunflower seeds and mixed seeds in tube feeders. Squirrel Buster makes some of the best tube feeders on the market, this one is great and is of course squirrel proof.
Suet feeder – Suet feeders are for one type of bird food, suet cakes. They are a very simple concept, usually made of nothing more than a metal wire cage, sometimes with a tail-prop coming down for larger birds. Suet feeders are popular in the winter time when birds are looking for high-fat foods and are frequently visited by woodpeckers. I suggest getting a suet feeder with a long tail prop so you can attract larger woodpeckers, like the Pileated and Northern Flicker.
Window feeder – Window feeders are small bird feeders that typically mount right onto a glass window by means of suction cups. They are similar to tray feeders in that they are open on top and you just pour the seed into the tray area to refill them. These feeders are popular with many different types of birds, are super easy to get started with, and great for people who don’t have big yards. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed for this type of feeder. This is by far the most popular window feeder on Amazon, and maybe the most popular bird feeder on Amazon overall.
Thistle feeder – Thistle feeders, aka Nyjer feeders, are specialized bird feeders made especially for thistle seed. The main types of birds that thistle feeders attract are birds in the finch family, which includes the American Goldfinch and House Finch whom are both on this list. Thistle feeders are often in a tube shape and have tiny holes all along the sides of the tube allowing the birds to pick out the thistle. Here’s a good thistle feeder from Droll Yankees.
Ground feeder – Ground feeders are more or less tray feeders that sit on ground level. They will be very popular with birds like Mourning Doves and Juncos as well as squirrels, raccoons, and any other type of ground animal. Use black sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed for this type of feeder. You might like this ground feeder made from recycled plastic.
Oriole feeder – Oriole feeders are another type of specialty feeder for pretty much one type of bird, orioles. The feeder itself is often orange in color and usually has little plastic or glass dishes made for holding jelly, which orioles love. They also allow you to stick orange halves onto the feeder, another food that orioles relish. Here’s a simple oriole feeder with 4 jelly trays that holds for orange halves.
Hummingbird feeder – Nectar feeders, aka hummingbird feeders, are designed specifically for hummingbirds to extract sugar water. Even though they are designed for hummingbirds, I frequently see Downy Woodpeckers at mine who also loves that sweet nectar. See this article to learn how to make hummingbird nectar without boiling the water. Hummingbird feeders are simple and inexpensive so there’s no need to spend much on one, here’s one that I’ve personally used and had success with.
Peanut feeder – Similar to thistle feeders, peanut feeders are tube-shaped and usually composed of a metal wire mesh material. Only the holes in the wire mesh are much further apart to allow for either whole unshelled or shelled peanuts to pass through the holes. These feeders attract birds like Blue Jays and as the name suggests, should be filled with peanuts. If you want to keep squirrels out of your peanut feeder, then this one by Squirrel Buster is your best bet. Otherwise this simple one will do the trick.

Bird watching in Idaho

Idaho is a wonderful state for birding if you want to go take your hobby outside of your own backyard. The Audubon Society has chapters around the state and is always having meetups, workshops, field trips, and birding tours, should you want to get a little more involved.

If you are an Idaho resident and would like to add some new species to your life list, then take a look at this list I’ve compiled some popular birding locations in Idaho.

Idaho birding locations

Learn more about what each of these locations has to offer from birdwatchersdigest.org

You can also check out Idaho Audubon’s Important Bird Areas.