The state with the Great Salt Lake, Utah, is home to many species of wild birds. Some of these species live in Utah 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 24 of the most common backyard birds in Utah and learn a little about each species.
After that, I’ll show you how to attract them to your yard and give you a crash course on the 10 different types of bird feeders you can use. Lastly, I’ll mention a few birdwatching hotspots in Utah and some great local birding organizations.
How many different species of wild birds are in Utah?
It’s difficult to get an exact number of how many bird species are found in North America, the United States, or even in the state of Utah. However, according to the Utah Bird Records Committee, as of July 2022, there are at least 469 species of birds on the official state list for Utah.
Most reputable sources believe there are between around 800 – 1100 species of birds in North America. Here are a few of them:
- National Wildlife Federation – more than 800 species
- Ornithology.com – about 900 species
- Audubon – over 800 species
- Wikipedia – 1125 species
For the purposes of this article, we are just going to look at some of the species people frequently see in Utah, especially in backyards.
24 common backyard birds in Utah
Below we’ll look at 24 species of backyard birds in Utah, 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 Utah. Let’s get to it!
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Scientific name: Aphelocoma woodhouseii
Length: 11.0-11.8 in
Weight: 2.5-3.5 oz
These large birds are bigger than a robin, with a long and lean shape. They are blue on the head, wings and tail with a gray back. They have shaggy white feathers at the throat, and a light gray chest and belly. They mainly live in pinon-juniper and oak-pinyon forests. These scrub jays are fairly comfortable around people and will visit golf courses, parks and suburbs.
The woodhouse’s scrub jay is found throughout Utah all year.
Woodhouse’s scrub jay will visit backyard feeders for sunflower seeds, peanuts and other nuts. They may visit more frequently in the winter, because their diet shifts to include more insects in the summer.
2. White-crowned Sparrow
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.
Throughout most of Utah these sparrows can be found year round, but along the western and southern borders they may only be present during the fall and winter.
White-crowned sparrows readily visit feeders and like to pick up fallen seed below feeders. Offer sunflower, millet and mixed seed blends.
3. 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 Utah all year.
Red-winged blackbirds visit most types of feeders and will eat seed as well as suet.
4. 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 Utah.
American Robins do not often visit seed feeders, so attract them with meal worms, native fruit-bearing plants, or a bird bath.
5. 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 Utah.
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.
6. 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. 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, Utah 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.
7. 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 all of Utah 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.
8. 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 Utah.
Like the European Starling, House Sparrows are invasive and pose a threat to native species. They will eat most types of seed.
9. 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 Utah, 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.
When and where to see this bird can vary quite a bit throughout different areas of the state. But for the most part, the best time to see yellow-rumped warblers in Utah is during spring and fall migration.
Yellow-rumped warblers will occasionally visit bird feeders. Try attracting them with sunflower seeds, suet and raisins.
10. Lesser Goldfinch
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 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 in Utah mainly during the spring and summer breeding season, however there are certain pockets of the state where they may stay all year.
Lesser goldfinches will readily visit bird feeders and eat sunflower seeds and nyjer (thistle) seed.
11. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
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 Utah, the Ruby-crowned kinglet sticks around all year, but in many areas they may be seen more frequently during the winter months.
Ruby-crowned kinglets may visit bird feeders. Try to attract them with sunflower chips, suet, peanut pieces and mealworms.
12. 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 most of Utah, but may only be present during the summer in the far northeastern corners of the state.
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.
13. Northern Flicker
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 Utah you get the “red-shafted” variety, and they have bright red feathers on the underside of their wings and tail.
Northern flickers are common all year in Utah.
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.
14. Dark-eyed Junco
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. There are multiple sub-species across the U.S. that have slightly different color variations. In Utah the “Oregon” and “pink-sided” varieties are common, but you may also see the “slate-colored” or “gray-headed” varieties. A field guide to birds in your area should help you tell them apart.
Two good things to look for when recognizing dark-eyed junco’s 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. They are most common in forests and wooded areas where they can often be seen hopping around on the ground.
Juncos may be more populous in Utah during the winter, and you may get different varieties during these non-breeding months. However Utah is one of the states where juncos may choose to stay year-round.
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.
15. 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 in Utah.
Chickadees will visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends and black sunflower seeds.
16. California Quail
Scientific name: Callipepla californica
Length: 9.4 – 10.6 in
Weight: 4.9 – 8.1 oz
Wingspan: 12.6 – 14.6 in
The adorable California quail has a gray neck and body, brownish wings with white stripes, bold scaling on the belly, a speckled back of the neck, and crest that protrudes from the top of their head. Females tend to be duller colored overall and their head crest is small. Males sport brighter colors, a chestnut spot on their belly, have bold black and white on their face, and their head crest is a large black feather in the shape of a comma. They look similar to another Utah resident, Gambel’s quail, but you can tell them apart by the white spots on the neck and scaling on the belly of the California quail.
The California quail sticks around in Utah all year. They like patchy, low vegetation they can scratch through for seeds and other food. They can be found scattered throughout the state but the most sightings seem to happen around the Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City.
California quails will visit yards if you have scattered seed on the ground such as corn, millet, milo and sunflower. They also will be more comfortable near your house if they have some shrubby cover to retreat to if spooked.
17. Cassin’s Finch
Scientific name: Haemorhous cassinii
Length: 6.3 in
Weight: 0.8 – 1.2 oz
Wingspan: 9.8 – 10.6 in
Cassin’s is a stocky looking finch. Males have a white belly and brown back with a rosy, pinkish-red wash over their face, breast and upper back. The very top of their head is a darker rosy red. Females completely lack any red coloration. They are brown overall with a white breast and heavy streaking all over.
You may think they look similar to the house finch also included on this list, and you would be right. Cassin’s males have a darker, more obvious red crown, have more red on their back, and lack streaking on their lower belly. Females are even harder to tell apart, but the Cassin’s female will have crisper streaking on the belly.
The cassin’s finch prefers mountain forests with evergreen trees. They can be found in Utah year round.
Cassin’s finches will visit backyard feeders, especially during the winter. They like mixed and sunflower seeds. You can also entice them to visit your yard with fruiting shrubs like mulberry, grape and firethorn.
18. 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 Utah.
Downy Woodpeckers are very common at most types of bird feeders. Offer them mixed seed, black sunflower seed, and suet.
19. 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 Utah 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.
20. American Goldfinch
Scientific name: Spinus tristis
Length: 4.3-5.1 in
Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz
Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in
American 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 they are mostly yellow, or “gold”, with black-tipped wings and males have a black cap on top of their heads. During winter they will molt and their bright yellow fades out to a more dull brownish or olive tone. You can always recognize them any time of year by the black on their wings, and their finch-like beaks.
The American goldfinch can be found year-round in the northern half of Utah, but in the southern half of the state they tend to only be seen during the winter months.
Goldfinches prefer thistle feeders, they may also eat sunflower chips but a thistle feeder is your best chance to attract them.
21. Black-billed Magpie
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 Utah.
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.
22. Pine Siskin
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 Utah all year.
Pine Siskins will readily visit nyjer (thistle) feeders, and may also eat millet or hulled sunflower.
23. Mountain Chickadee
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 Utah you can also see black-capped chickadees, who we mentioned earlier on this list, 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 Utah.
Chickadees will visit most seed feeders, offer them mixed seed blends and black sunflower seeds. They will also often eat suet in the winter.
24. 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 Utah, 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.
Bird watching in Utah
Utah is a wonderful state for birding if you want to go take your hobby outside of your own backyard. The Utah Audubon Society has local chapters that have meetups, workshops, field trips, and birding tours, should you want to get a little more involved.
- Bridgerland Audubon Society
- Wasatch Audubon Society
- Great Salt Lake Audubon Society
- Red Cliffs Audubon Society
If you are a Utah 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 Utah.
Utah birding locations
Learn more about what each of these locations has to offer (as well as local birding events and festivals) at birdwatchersdigest.org
- Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve
- Lytle Preserve
- Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
- Antelope Island State Park
- Ouray National Wildlife Refuge
- Zion National Park
- Fish Springs National Wildlife Reserve
Find even more hotspots with the resources at the Utah Ornithological Society and Audubon’s Utah Important Bird Areas.
Melanie is an environmental scientist, birdwatcher, and amateur photographer. She’s been a birding hobbyist for years and loves feeding and learning about birds of all types. Over the years, Melanie has identified more than 250 bird species, with sightings of the Atlantic Puffin, Hawaiian Goose, and Arctic Tern among her most cherished.