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25 Backyard Birds in Nevada (Pictures & Facts)

Nevada is a big state with a lot of sparely populated desert, however there is still a wide variety of bird species to be found. Some of these species live in Nevada all year, others are migratory and only spend the summer or winter in the state. In this article, we’re going to take a look at 25 of the most common backyard birds in Nevada 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. Lastly, I’ll mention a few birdwatching hotspots in Nevada and some great local birding organizations. 

How many different species of wild birds are in Nevada?

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 Nevada. However, according to Wikipedia as of March 2021, there are at least 491 species of birds on the official state list for Nevada.

Most reputable sources believe there are between around 800 – 1100 species of birds in North America. Here are a few of them:

For the purposes of this article we are just going to look at some of the species people frequently see in Nevada, especially in backyards. 

25 common backyard birds in Nevada

Below we’ll look at 25 species of backyard birds in Nevada, including some migrants.  These obviously aren’t all the species in the state, or even close to it, but they are some of the birds that are most likely to frequent backyards in Nevada. Let’s get to it!

1. Northern Mockingbird

Scientific name: Mimus polyglottos
Length: 8.3-10.2 in
Weight: 1.6-2.0 oz
Wingspan: 12.2-13.8 in

Mockingbirds get their name from their ability to mimic the songs of other species of birds. It’s estimated that a male mockingbird can learn up to 200 different songs in its lifetime. These medium sized backyard birds are mostly gray and white in color and can also be recognized by their rather long tail feathers. They are often seen living in tall bushes and can often be quite aggressive of intruding birds. 

Northern Mockingbirds are found year-round in southern Nevada, but are most commonly seen during the spring and summer in central and northern parts of the state.

Northern Mockingbirds are very common in backyards, but don’t really visit bird feeders. Entice them to your yard with some of the other tips below such as fruit bearing bushes or a bird bath.


2. California Scrub-Jay

Scientific name: Aphelocoma californica
Length: 11.0-11.8 in
Weight: 2.5-3.5 oz
Wingspan: 15.3 in

The California Scrub-Jay is a fairly large songbird with beautiful blue coloring on it’s head, back and tail. Across their upper back is a patch that can appear gray or brown. It’s chest and belly are mostly white, with some blue feathers that come around the front like “necklace”.

They are known for having a boisterous personality, both with frequent vocalizations and the way they bounce around and always seem to be cocking their heads and hatching schemes. They eat mainly fruit and insects during the spring and summer, then switch to nuts, seeds and acorns in the winter.

The California Scrub-Jay sticks around all year in Nevada, but they tend to only be seen along the state’s western border in places like Reno and Carson City.

Attract scrub jays in the warm months with fruit bearing trees, and in the cooler months with acorn producing oak trees. They will also visit bird feeders for sunflower seeds and peanuts. 


3. 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. 

White-crowned sparrows stay year-round in the northern half of Nevada, but are mainly winter birds in the southern half of the state.

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


4. 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 throughout Nevada all year.

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


5. American Robin

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

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 orange round bellies, yellow beaks, and larger size make them easy to identify. They are frequent singers and can be heard from dawn to dusk. 

Robins live all year throughout the majority of Nevada, but in southern tip of the state they may only be present during the winter.

American Robins do not often visit seed feeders, so attract them with meal worms, native fruit-bearing plants, or a bird bath. 


6. 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 then not they are seen walking around on the ground beneath hanging bird feeders. Mourning Doves are mostly gray with black spots on top, a pale peachy color below, and pink legs. Males and females look the same.

Mourning Doves remain all year throughout Nevada.

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.


7. European Starling

Image: pixabay.com

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. Starlings can also be a purple and green iridescent color and in the right light can actually be quite pretty.

Starlings are found in every one of the lower 48 states year-round, Nevada included. 

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


8. House Finch

Male and Female 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 a very common backyard bird within their range. They are west coast natives, and didn’t spread to the eastern U.S. until the 1940’s, when caged finches they were trying to sell were set loose. If you attract them, which is fairly easy to do, they may show up in small flocks and mob your feeders. Both sexes are brown with heavy white streaking. Males have red splashed on their head, chest, and back. 

House finches are common throughout Nevada year round. 

 House Finches love bird feeders, and will eat black sunflower or mixed seed. Like other finches, House Finches will also visit thistle feeders.


9. 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, House 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 in New York in the 1800s and have since spread across our country like wildfire as an invasive species. They are mostly brown in color, with some black and brown streaking on their wings and buffy chest. Males often stand out with a black mask and chest. They are overall aggressive towards other birds, especially around nests and birdhouses. 

House Sparrows are common all year throughout Nevada.

Like the European Starling, House Sparrows are invasive and pose a threat to native species. They will eat most types of seed. 


10. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Scientific name: Setophaga coronata
Length: 4.7-5.5 in
Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz
Wingspan: 7.5-9.1 in

The color pattern on the Yellow-rumped warbler can vary depending on it’s location. In Nevada, you are most likely to see the “Audubon’s” variety, which has bright yellow on the throat, rump, and sides. You may even see a dash of yellow on top of their head. Females share the same color pattern, but the colors may appear duller overall and markings less distinct than males. Like most warblers, their colors will be the most crisp and bright in the spring, and fade considerably during the winter. 

Location can vary quite a bit in Nevada, because for the most part they only pass through during migration. They may stick around to nest during the summer up north, or spend the winter in the far south.  Overall it is best to look for them during spring and fall migration.  

Yellow-rumped Warblers will occasionally visit bird feeders. Try attracting them with sunflower seeds, suet and raisins.


11. Lesser Goldfinch

Image: Alan Schmierer

Scientific name: Spinus psaltria
Length: 3.5-4.3 in
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz
Wingspan: 5.9-7.9 in

The male Lesser Goldfinch has a black cap, yellow underbody, and white patches on its dark wings, as pictured above. There is also another plumage variation that may be present less commonly in Nevada where they can appear a dark glossy black all along their entire head and back. Females are yellow below with a more olive colored head and back.  You’ll often see these finches in a mixed flock with other goldfinches, house finches and sparrows. 

The Lesser Goldfinch can be found year round throughout most western and southern Nevada, whereas along the northern and eastern borders of the state they tend to only be present during the spring and summer breeding season.

Lesser Goldfinches will readily visit bird feeders and eat sunflower seeds and nyjer (thistle) seed. 


12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Image: Fyn Kynd / flickr / CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Regulus calendula
Length: 3.5-4.3 in
Weight: 0.2-0.3 oz
Wingspan: 6.3-7.1 in

This tiny kinglet is an olive green with white wing bars, yellow edged wing and tail feathers and a white eye-ring. The male has a small patch of bright red feathers on top of his head that he can flash when excited, however these are usually hidden. High energy foragers, they are often darting through shrubs and trees and flicking their wings. This constant wing-flicking can help with identification. For such a small bird, they can lay up to 12 eggs at a time!  

For most of Nevada, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet sticks around all year, but in southern parts of the state they may only be winter visitors. 

Ruby-crowned Kinglets may visit bird feeders. Try to attract them with sunflower chips, suet, peanut pieces and mealworms.


13. Spotted Towhee

Image: flickr/Yellowstone National Park

Scientific name: Pipilo maculatus
Length: 6.7-8.3 in
Weight: 1.2-1.7 oz
Wingspan: 11.0 in

The Spotted Towhee is a lovely species of backyard bird that is always a treat to see. Both sexes have a dark head, back, wings and tail with white wing spots, rusty sides and a white belly. However the dark color on males is black while on females it is brown.

Master foragers, towhees search through leaf litter and vegetation for insects, seeds and berries. It can be fun to watch them, they do a doubled footed backwards hop motion to scratch at the ground and move aside brush. If you want a better chance of attracting towhees to your yard, leave some brushy edges and leaf litter along your yard line. 

Spotted Towhees can be found year-round throughout Nevada.

Spotted Towhees do not eat directly from bird feeders very often, but they will look for seed on the ground beneath feeders. Scatter mixed seed on the ground, or keep some brushy vegetation in the yard that may attract them.


14. 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. 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, buffy brown on the face, and barred black and gray wings. Males have a red “mustache”, females do not. In Nevada you get the “red-shafted” variety, and they have bright red feathers on the underside of their wings and tail.

They can easily be mistaken for the Gilded Flicker, which looks extremely similar but has yellow underneath the wings and tail instead of red. Gilded flickers are only in the far southern tip of Nevada.

Northern Flickers are common all year throughout Nevada.

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.


15. Dark-eyed Junco

Image credit: Pink-sided by birdfeederhub.com, Gray-headed by Alan Schmierer

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 Nevada you may see the “pink-sided”, “gray-headed” and”Oregon” varieties, or others! A good bird ID book should help you to distinguish them. Two good things to look for when recognizing dark-eyed junco’s in general that are found on all varieties are their pale pink beak and roundish body shape. They are also usually darker on the head and back, and lighter on the belly. 

Dark-eyed juncos can be found in Nevada year-round, however different subspecies may migrate in or out.

Juncos will sometimes visit feeders, but typically prefer to eat seed from the ground underneath your feeders that other other birds are dropping. They like mixed seeds. 


16. Bewick’s Wren

Image: Nigel / flickr / CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Thryomanes bewickii
Length: 5.1 in
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz

Bewick’s Wren has a rounded body with a brown back and light chest. Like most wren’s, its bill is long with a slightly downward curve. There is black barring on the wings and tail, and a distinctive white “eyebrow”. In humid regions they may appear a warm brown, and in drier areas a more gray-brown. They are always on the move hopping from branch to branch, and can often be seen flicking their tail up and down. While small, the males are quite loud singers and may remember up to 22 distinct songs. 

The Bewick’s Wren can be found all year mainly in the northwestern and southeastern parts of Nevada. 

While not super common at feeders, you may attract this wren with hulled sunflower, suet or mealworms. Planting native shrubs and keeping brush piles is another way to attract them to the yard.


17. Steller’s Jay

Scientific name: Cyanocitta stelleri
Length: 11.8-13.4 in
Weight: 3.5-4.9 oz
Wingspan: 17.3 in

Steller’s Jay is quite a striking bird! They are large birds, brownish-black on the top half and bright blue on the bottom half. These jay’s also sport a large crest that they can flick and display to dramatic effect during courtship or in aggression. Their main habitat is evergreen forests, but they are also known to frequent campgrounds, parks and backyards in their range. 

Steller’s Jays can be found year-round in Nevada, mostly along the western border of the state.

To attract the Steller’s Jay to bird feeders, put out peanuts, large seeds and nuts.  


18. Common Raven

Image: Neal Herbert

Scientific name: Corvus corax
Length: 22.1-27.2 in
Weight: 24.3-57.3 oz
Wingspan: 45.7-46.5 in

Common Ravens are solid black in color, and quite large in size. They are also know for being highly intelligent problem solvers, like their cousin the crow. They seem equally at ease living alongside human activity as out in very remote wilderness. Ravens can make a large number of different vocalizations, the most common sound like a series of croaks.

Ravens are found year round throughout Nevada.

Common Ravens are omnivorous and generally do not visit bird feeders, they are much too large. But keep an eye on your trash or outdoor pet food. 


19. Downy Woodpecker

Scientific name: Picoides pubescens
Length: 5.5-6.7 in
Weight: 0.7-1.0 oz
Wingspan: 9.8-11.8 in

Downy’s are very common backyard birds that love to visit bird feeders. They are the smallest woodpeckers in North America and are always one of the first species I see at a new bird feeder. They are easily identifiable by their all white underbodies, black wings with white spots, black and white striped heads, and the red spot on the back of their heads (in males, females have no red). Though they do closely resemble the Hairy Woodpecker, Downy’s are smaller. 

Downy Woodpeckers are found all year throughout Nevada. 

Downy Woodpeckers are very common at most types of bird feeders. Offer them mixed seed, black sunflower seed, and suet. 


20. 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 Nevada 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. 


21. Mountain Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee | image by Yellowstone National Park via Flickr

Scientific name: Poecile gambeli
Length: 4.3-5.5 in
Weight: 0.4 oz

Chickadees are tiny little birds with rounded bodies that are very easy to recognize because of their “black cap” and black throat. Their cheeks are solid white, their wings and backs are gray, and their underbodies are fluffy and light. In northern New Mexico you can also see black-capped chickadees, but it is easy to tell them apart because only the mountain chickadee has the eye stripe above the eye. Their preferred habitat is evergreen forests in mountainous areas.    

Mountain chickadees can be found year round in Nevada.

Chickadees will visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends and black sunflower seeds. They will also often eat suet in the winter.


22. Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin | image by Shenandoah National Park via 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 Nevada year-round, however in the far north and south of the state they may be winter-only birds.

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


23. Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch | image by Richard Griffin via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

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 Nevada, but their population often “follows the food” and may head elsewhere during winters when food (conifer seeds) is less abundant.

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


24. Verdin

Verdin | Image by Alan Schmierer via Flickr

Scientific name: Auriparus flaviceps
Length: 3.5-4.3 in
Weight: 0.2-0.3 oz

Verdins have a color pattern that is easy to identify. These small birds have a light gray body, yellow head, and reddish-brown patch at the top of their wing. In order to cope with living in hot, dry places, they are often more active in the morning and become quiet in the heat of midday. They are agile when hunting for their main meal of insects and spiders. They also drink nectar from flowers by either sticking their head into the flower or piercing the base of the flower. 

Verdins are year-round residents in Nevada, but only found around Las Vegas and the southern tip of the state.

While Verdins won’t eat seed, they will sometimes visit nectar feeders put out for hummingbirds. You can also attract them with flowering shrubs.


25. Great-tailed Grackle

Great-tailed Grackle | image by Alan Schmierer via Flickr

Scientific name: Quiscalus mexicanus
Length: 15.0-18.1 in
Weight: 3.7-6.7 oz
Wingspan: 18.9-22.8 in

Great-tailed grackles often appear black in color, but in the right light you can see hues of blue, green, and purple. They sometimes will roost with other types of blackbirds, and appear in massive flocks numbering in the millions of birds. Males are easy to identify by their solid coloring, long narrow body with extra long tail, and yellow ringed eye. Females are about half the size of the males, and while they share the yellow eye they are a dark brown above and paler brown below. 

These grackles are found in southern Nevada all year. Some can also be found in northern Nevada during the spring-summer breeding season. 

Great-tailed grackles are foragers and will eat just about anything, they are often thought of as pests because they chase away smaller birds. They are often too large for traditional bird feeders but will eat what falls to the ground and use platform feeders.


Bird watching in Nevada

Nevada is a wonderful state for birding if you want to go take your hobby outside of your own backyard. The Lahontan and Red Rock chapters of the Audubon society are always having meetups, workshops, field trips, and birding tours, should you want to get a little more involved.

If you are a Nevada 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 Nevada.

Nevada birding locations

Learn more about what each of these locations has to offer (as well as local birding events and festivals) at birdwatchersdigest.org

Find even more hotspots with Audubon’s Nevada Important Bird Areas.