Utah has a wide variety of backyard birds. And In this article, I’ll list and explain all the backyard birds of Utah in Detail.
Note: If you’re short on time I have compiled a table of all the backyard birds with identification and their Diet. You can also read about these birds in detail below.
| Backyard Birds in Utah | Length | Weight | Identification(Color) | Diet/Favorite Food |
| American Robin | 23-28 cm | 77 gm (2.7 oz) | These birds have black heads and backs with a hint of red or orange on their breast. | Mostly insects, berries, earthworms. In early summer, insects make up the majority of the diet; they also feed on many earthworms, snails, spiders, and other invertebrates. |
| Mourning Dove | 22-36 cm | 120 gm (4.2 oz) | Soft brown in color with hints of black on the wings. | Millet, black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, peanut hearts. |
| House Finch | 14 cm | 19-22 gm (0.6-0.7oz) | These birds have a redhead and breast in the males and a brown streak of colors in females. They are generally noisy and move in flocks. | Seeds, buds, and fruits like thistle, cactus, cherries, apricots, plums, blackberries, figs, and strawberries. |
| Barn Swallow | 15-20 cm | 17-20 gm (0.59-0.70oz) | These are small birds in a combination of deep blue, black, and reddish-brown. Their tails have long outer feathers. | Ground-up eggshells are their favorite. |
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | 3.5 in (9 cm) | 0.1-0.2 oz (2.3-4.9 g) | This bird has a Dull metallic green upper body and dull grayish-white lower body. | Mostly insects and nectar |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 12-16 cm | 19 gm(0.67oz) | These are dark-eyed variants of Sparrows. These birds are long-distance migratory birds. | Black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, millet, and peanuts. |
| European Starling | 22 cm | 58-100 gm (2.04- 3.5oz) | These birds are stocky black, with a purple, green and blue hue. These birds are famous for their aggressive behavior. | They eat insects like flies, beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, and spiders, along with fruits like cherries, holly berries, mulberries, Virginia Creeper, sumac, blackberries, and even seeds and grains. |
| Black-billed Magpie | 17.7-23.6 in (45-60 cm) | 5.1-7.4 oz (145-210 g) | This is a black and white bird with blue-green iridescent flashes in the wing and tail. | Mostly eat fruits, grains, insects, and small animals |
| Northern Flicker | 30-35 cm | 120 gm(4.23oz) | Large woodpeckers, with a size in between crows and Robins, with brown body color and black spots, bars and crescents all over their bodies along with a red nape. They also have hints of yellow on their bodies as well. | Black oil sunflower seeds are their favorite. |
| Black-Capped Chickadee | 10-15 cm | 12 gm (0.4oz) | Small bird with a big round head. They have black caps and beaks, white cheeks, with a gray back, wings, and tail. | They eat seeds, different berries, insects, suet, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, and spiders. |
| Yellow Warbler | 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm) | 0.3-0.4 oz (9-11 g) | This bird has an overall yellow body. Male and Female have flash yellow patches on the tail. | Mostly insects and berries. |
| House Sparrow | 14-18 cm | 24-40 gm (0.84-1.41oz) | These birds are extremely common and would literally eat out of your hand. They are mostly found in busy areas close to human existence. | They feed on all grains and seeds, like birdseed, millet, corn, and sunflower seeds along with discarded food. |
| Western Kingbird | 7.9-9.4 in (20-24 cm) | 1.3-1.6 oz (37-46 g) | This bird has a gray head with a yellow belly and a white chest and throat. | Mostly insects, seeds, and fruits. |
| Song Sparrow | 12-17 cm | 19 gm (0.67oz) | Brown streaked birds and are well known for singing all day just in order to attract mates during the season. | They eat a wide variety of insects like caterpillars, beetles, midges, spiders, and earthworms, along with buckwheat, raspberries, sunflower, wild cherries, wheat, and rice. |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 24cm/37cm | 85 gm (2.9oz) | All black only with a bright red and yellow patch on the top of their wings. The female is pale brown. | Mixed grains. |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 32 cm | 150-260 gm (5.29-9.17oz) | These birds are light brownish-gray with hints of white near their tails, which is square in shape. These birds are found wherever there are plenty of seeds. | These birds mainly eat a wide variety of seeds along with some insects and any edible berries, oats, corn, Black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds. |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 5.9-6.3 in (15-16 cm) | 0.9-1.0 oz (25-28 g) | This bird has an overall pale gray color with black and white patches on the head. With pale pink and yellow bill. | This bird majorly eats seeds of weeds and grasses and also insects |
| Broad-tailed Hummingbird | 3.1-3.5 in (8-9 cm) | 0.1-0.2 oz (2.8-4.5 g) | This bird has a white chest and an iridescent green upper body with greenish flanks. They also have a rose-magenta throat patch | This bird’s diet mostly consists of insects and nectar |
| Chipping Sparrow | 13-15 cm | 12 gm (0.4oz) | Slender long-tailed birds that have a gray belly and a streaked back with a rusty crown and blackish eyeliners. | They largely feed on insects. |
| Brown-Headed Cowbird | 19-22 cm | 43 gm (1.51oz) | The male version of these birds has black bodies and brown heads, with short tails and thick heads. Females are all brown with slight streaks. | Mostly seeds and insects. Seeds (including those of grasses, weeds, and waste grain) makeup about half of the diet in summer and more than 90% in winter. The rest of the diet is mostly insects, especially grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars, plus many others, also spiders and millipedes. |
Backyard Birds Of Utah In Different Seasons
Summer Backyard Birds
- American Robin 50%
- Mourning Dove 34%
- House Finch 27%
- Barn Swallow 25%
- Yellow Warbler 24%
- Western Kingbird 23%
- Black-chinned Hummingbird 21%
- European Starling 20%
- Song Sparrow 20%
- House Sparrow 19%
Winter Backyard Birds
- Dark-eyed Junco 45.79%
- European Starling 36.39%
- House Finch 34.74%
- Black-billed Magpie 34.66%
- Northern Flicker 28.00%
- American Robin 27.85%
- Black-capped Chickadee 26.25%
- House Sparrow 26.23%
- Eurasian Collared-Dove 22.14%
- Song Sparrow 21.26%
Backyard Birds Of Utah In Detail
American Robin
American Robins are distinguished by their reddish-orange breasts and black feathers on the head, back, wings, and tail. Their beaks are large and pointed, and their wings are white with white borders.
They are forest creatures that like to dwell in the wild. They are herbivores in their native environment, eating berries, leaves, and insects.
If you want to attract American Robins to your backyard then feed them sunflower seeds, suet and peanut hearts, fruit, and mealworms. You can either use a ground feeder or a platform feeder.
You can also grow berry-bearing trees and shrubs such as juniper, sumac, hawthorn, and dogwood.
Mourning Dove
The mourning dove belongs to the Columbidae family of birds. The mourning bird has been given the names rain dove, wetland dove, turtle dove, and, most popularly, mourning dove.
It is currently popular in the Southeast, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, California, and Ontario, Canada. It also travels to major towns, meadows, farm fields, parks, resorts, and even residential areas.
If you want to attract Mourning Doves to your backyard then start by distributing millet on the ground or using platform feeders. You can also feed them black sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, and peanut hearts.
House Finch
It was once exclusive to the western United States, but it is now found throughout the country. Although there are many different types of red finches, house finches are the most frequent in cities.
It has a medium-sized body and a medium-length notched tail. The shape is conical. The heads, breasts, and backs of males are blood-red.
Small flocks can be spotted on wires, tree branches, and plants. They are now most widespread in both rural and urban areas.
If you want to attract House Finches to your backyard then feed them black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube or platform feeders.
Barn Swallow
A Barn Swallow’s back, wings, and tail are dark blue, with a reddish-brown underside and across the face. The tail’s long outer feathers form a deep fork.
They breed across North America before moving to Central and South America to reproduce. They are commonly observed soaring above meadows, farms, and fields in search of insects, and they build mud nests in man-made structures such as barns.
Nest boxes or cups, as well as ground-up eggshells on a platform feeder, can be used to attract more Barn Swallows.
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Black-cheeked hummingbirds have a grayish-white underbelly and a dull metallic greenback. Females have a pale neck and white tips on their tail feathers, while males have a black throat with a thin iridescent purple foundation.
They eat nectar, small insects, and spiders. Black-chinned hummingbirds build their nests out of plant down and spider silk, and they lay two white small eggs.
Black-chinned Hummingbirds can be spotted perching on tiny bare branches at the tops of dead trees, and they return to a favorite perch regularly.
They can be found in the Southwest among canyons and rivers, as well as along the Gulf Coast among shade oaks.
Dark-eyed Junco
Little dark-eyed birds enjoy gardens with limited open spaces, such as meadows, where they may graze on a diverse range of plant species. Seed is the most common food for these birds, particularly sunflower seeds, but nectar and even caraway appear to be effective favorites as well.
If you want to attract Dark-eyed Juncos to backyard feeders then try feeding them black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, millet, and peanuts. You either use a ground feeder or a platform feeder.
European Starling
European Starlings may be identified by their purple-green plumage when examined closely. Their entire body is coated with it, but their long, straight yellow bills are a distinguishing feature.
In the winter, they shed their gleaming plumage and replace it with a brown coat flecked with white spots.
This kind of bird may be found almost anywhere. They flourish in man-made habitats like farms, towns, and cities.
These birds consume a wide range of foods. They consume berries, seeds, grains, and other things when they are not eating insects.
Black-billed Magpie
Black-billed Magpies are loud, black and white birds with long tails with blue-green iridescent flashes in the wing and tail. They are bigger than Jays.
They do not migrate and may be seen eating fruit and grain, beetles, and grasshoppers in meadows and grasslands, as well as other open spaces.
They’ve also been known to kill small animals like squirrels and voles, as well as raiding bird nests for eggs and nestlings, as well as carrion.
Black-billed Magpies will come to your backyard in search of black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, fruit, suet, millet, and milo.
Northern Flicker
Northern Flickers are large woodpeckers about the size of a robin or a crow, with brownish plumage with black spots, bars, and crescents, as well as red on the throat.
The undersides of eastern birds’ tails and wing feathers are dazzling yellows, whilst those of western species are red.
They can be found searching for ants and beetles on the ground in forests or forest borders.
Northern Flickers will flock to your garden feeders if you give them suet and black oil sunflower seeds.
Black-capped Chickadee
The Black-Capped Chickadee’s back, wings, and medium-sized tail are light grey with a white border in the shape of minute feathers.
A buff-colored white breast and underbelly, a black bib with a white face, and a massive black cap that extends just below the eyes distinguish this bird. The birds have short and conical black beaks.
This bird favors woodland areas but may tolerate brush or shrubs in thick vegetation. Marshes are also favored with the Black-capped Chickadee as long as they give adequate cover.
As a feeder diet, this bird favors peanuts and peanut butter, although it also likes Black Oil Sunflower seeds, and suet.
Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warblers are little brilliant yellow birds with a yellow-green back and chestnut stripes on the breast that are prevalent in the summer.
Yellow Warblers can be seen foraging on insects such as caterpillars, midges, beetles, bugs, and wasps near streams and wetlands in thickets and along the borders of fields.
Warblers are difficult to lure to your garden since they are timid and mostly consume insects. Suet, oranges, and peanut butter can be used to attract Yellow Warblers, as well as berries and natural plants that attract insects.
House Sparrow
Another successful immigrant species is the House Sparrow, which has become one of the most frequent birds.
They’re prevalent around homes and buildings, and because they’re fairly gentle, they’ll feed directly off your hand.
They are pests since they are non-native, yet they will still be observed in backyards if you do not feed them.
The majority of birdseed, such as millet, maize, and sunflower seeds, will attract more House Sparrows to your backyard feeders.
Western Kingbird
Huge flycatchers with yellow bellies, whitish chests, grey heads, grayish-brown wings, and a darker tail.
They prefer open areas and are frequently seen sitting on fences and utility wires, waiting for insects to fly past before grabbing them mid-flight.
They are frequently seen on the edge of forests, where they may nest in the trees and feed openly.
Making your yard insect-friendly and growing elderberry or hawthorn can attract more Western Kingbirds.
Song Sparrow
The song sparrow is a little bird that is endemic to the Americas. It is unquestionably one of the most abundant, diverse, and adaptable native bird species.
It’s amazing to think that if this magnificent bird decides to make our backyard its permanent home, we may be the first to see it.
They live in a variety of environments, including tree bark, rocks, logs, and even steep rocky outcrops.
Use black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and nyjer on platform feeders to attract more song sparrows to your backyard feeders.
Red-winged Blackbird
The all-black plumage of the red-winged blackbird is distinguished by bright red and yellow shoulder patches. Women seem dull in comparison to the boys’ streaky brown coloring.
Males will fiercely protect their area during mating season, even fighting anyone who gets too close to nests. During the winter, they congregate in millions-strong flocks.
Spread mixed grain and seeds on the ground to attract more Red-winged blackbirds to your yard. Large tube and platform feeders can also be used to attract this bird.
Eurasian Collared-Dove
They are light brownish-gray in color with white patches on the tail and resemble Mourning Doves in appearance, but they have a black half collar at the nape of the neck and are bigger, and have a square tail.
They avoid dense forests, preferring habitats near humans where seeds are plentiful, like backyard feeders and farms. Eurasian Collared-Doves consume a range of seeds and grains, but they will also eat berries and insects.
If you want to attract Eurasian-Collared-Doves to your yard then feed them Millet, oats, cracked corn, and Black oil sunflower seeds or hulled sunflower seeds on ground feeders.
White-crowned Sparrow
Huge grey sparrows with long tails and small bills and striking black and white stripes on their heads, White-crowned Sparrows are large greyish sparrows with long tails and short bills.
White-crowned Sparrows forage in weedy fields, along roadsides, woodland margins, and in yards.
If you want to attract White-crowned Sparrows to your yard then feed them sunflower seeds and a variety of other seeds
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have long, thin tails and are modest in size. Males and females have mostly green backs and white belly feathers, with a startling iridescent orange neck on the male.
They are found in high-elevation environments such as scrubby meadows and evergreen woods in the wild. Bugs and nectar make up a large part of their diet.
To attract them, plant paintbrush, honeysuckle, beebalm, and other brilliantly colored and tubular flowers in your yard. You could also place a hummingbird feeder outside.
Chipping Sparrow
Long, thin tails, a greyish belly, a brown and black-streaked back, a rusty cap, and a black eye-line distinguish Chipping Sparrows. The colors are more subdued in the winter.
They reproduce over most of North America and Canada before migrating to Mexico, Florida, or further south for the whole year.
They can be seen in small groups on open ground, and they will visit backyards in search of various types of birdseed.
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird males have short tails and broadheads and have a black body and brown head. Females are brown with faint stripes all over.
They eat mostly on grass and weed seeds and may be found in grassland and woodland margins, fields, and backyards.
They are frequently seen as a nuisance since they destroy the eggs of smaller songbirds in order to place their eggs in the nest and have the bird care for their offspring.
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