Birds of Idaho: The Official State Checklist

All 410 birds on the list

• American Avocet Recurvirostra americana
• American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
• American Black Duck Anas rubripes
• American Coot Fulica americana
• American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
• American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus
• American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica
• American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
• American Kestrel Falco sparverius
• American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus
• American Pipit Anthus rubescens
• American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
• American Robin Turdus migratorius
• American Three-Toed Woodpecker Picoides dorsalis
• American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea
• American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
• American Wigeon Anas americana
• Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus
• Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna
• Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
• Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
• Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii
• Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
• Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata
• Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
• Barn Owl Tyto alba
• Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
• Barred Owl Strix varia
• Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
• Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea
• Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
• Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
• Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
• Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
• Black Rosy-Finch Leucosticte atrata
• Black Scoter Melanitta americana
• Black Swift Cypseloides niger
• Black Tern Chlidonias niger
• Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
• Black-backed Woodpecker Picoides arcticus
• Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
• Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus
• Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia
• Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
• Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
• Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
• Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
• Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
• Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus
• Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens
• Black-throated Gray Warbler Setophaga nigrescens
• Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens
• Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
• Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
• Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata
• Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
• Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
• Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
• Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
• Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora cyanoptera
• Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
• Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
• Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia
• Boreal Chickadee Poecile hudsonicus
• Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus
• Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
• Brant Branta bernicla
• Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
• Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri
• Broad-billed Hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus
• Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
• Brown Creeper Certhia americana
• Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
• Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis
• Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
• Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
• Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia
• Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus
• Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
• California Gull Larus californicus
• California Quail Callipepla californica
• Calliope Hummingbird Selasphorus calliope
• Canada Goose Branta canadensis
• Canvasback Aythya valisineria
• Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
• Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina
• Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
• Cassin's Finch Haemorhous cassinii
• Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
• Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii
• Cassin's Vireo Vireo cassinii
• Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
• Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens
• Chestnut-collared Longspur Calcarius ornatus
• Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica
• Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
• Chukar Alectoris chukar
• Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera
• Clark's Grebe Aechmophorus clarkii
• Clark's Nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana
• Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida
• Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
• Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
• Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
• Common Loon Gavia immer
• Common Merganser Mergus merganser
• Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
• Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
• Common Poorwill Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
• Common Raven Corvus corax
• Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea
• Common Tern Sterna hirundo
• Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
• Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis
• Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
• Cordilleran Flycatcher Empidonax occidentalis
• Costa's Hummingbird Calypte costae
• Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway
• Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
• Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
• Dickcissel Spiza americana
• Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
• Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
• Dunlin Calidris alpina
• Dusky Flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri
• Dusky Grouse Dendragapus obscurus
• Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
• Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
• Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
• Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus
• Emperor Goose Chen canagica
• Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
• Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
• European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
• Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus
• Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis
• Flammulated Owl Psiloscops flammeolus
• Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savana
• Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri
• Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
• Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan
• Gadwall Anas strepera
• Gambel's Quail Callipepla gambelii
• Garganey Anas querquedula
• Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
• Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens
• Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
• Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
• Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
• Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
• Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera
• Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
• Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
• Gray Flycatcher Empidonax wrightii
• Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis
• Gray Partridge Perdix perdix
• Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus
• Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Leucosticte tephrocotis
• Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
• Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
• Great Egret Ardea alba
• Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa
• Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
• Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
• Greater Sage-Grouse Centrocercus urophasianus
• Greater Scaup Aythya marila
• Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
• Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
• Green Heron Butorides virescens
• Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
• Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus
• Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
• Hammond's Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
• Harris's Sparrow Zonotrichia querula
• Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
• Hermit Warbler Setophaga occidentalis
• Herring Gull Larus argentatus
• Hoary Redpoll Acanthis hornemanni
• Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
• Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus
• Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina
• Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
• Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
• House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
• House Sparrow Passer domesticus
• House Wren Troglodytes aedon
• Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica
• Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
• Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
• Juniper Titmouse Baeolophus ridgwayi
• Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
• Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus
• Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys
• Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
• Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena
• Le Conte's Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii
• Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis
• Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
• Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
• Least Tern Sternula antillarum
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
• Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria
• Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
• Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
• Lewis's Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis
• Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
• Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
• Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus
• Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
• Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus
• Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus
• Long-eared Owl Asio otus
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
• Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
• Lucy's Warbler Oreothlypis luciae
• MacGillivray's Warbler Geothlypis tolmiei
• Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
• Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa
• Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
• McCown's Longspur Rhynchophanes mccownii
• Merlin Falco columbarius
• Mew Gull Larus canus
• Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides
• Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambeli
• Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus
• Mountain Quail Oreortyx pictus
• Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
• Mute Swan Cygnus olor
• Nashville Warbler Oreothlypis ruficapilla
• Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus
• Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
• Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
• Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
• Northern Hawk-Owl Surnia ulula
• Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
• Northern Parula Setophaga americana
• Northern Pintail Anas acuta
• Northern Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium gnoma
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
• Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus
• Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
• Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor
• Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis
• Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi
• Orange-crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata
• Osprey Pandion haliaetus
• Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
• Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica
• Pacific Wren Troglodytes pacificus
• Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum
• Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
• Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
• Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
• Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus
• Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
• Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
• Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator
• Pine Siskin Spinus pinus
• Pine Warbler Setophaga pinus
• Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
• Plumbeous Vireo Vireo plumbeus
• Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus
• Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus
• Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea
• Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus
• Purple Martin Haemorhous purpureus
• Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea
• Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
• Red Knot Calidris canutus
• Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
• Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
• Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
• Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
• Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
• Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
• Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
• Red-naped Sapsucker Sphyrapicus nuchalis
• Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
• Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
• Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
• Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata
• Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
• Redhead Aythya americana
• Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
• Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
• Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
• Rock Pigeon Columba livia
• Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
• Ross's Goose Chen rossii
• Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea
• Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
• Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
• Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
• Ruff Calidris pugnax
• Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus
• Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
• Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus
• Sabine's Gull Xema sabini
• Sage Thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus
• Sagebrush Sparrow Artemisiospiza nevadensis
• Sanderling Calidris alba
• Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis
• Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
• Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
• Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
• Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
• Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
• Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
• Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
• Sharp-tailed Grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
• Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus
• Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
• Siberian Accentor Prunella montanella
• Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus
• Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
• Snow Goose Chen caerulescens
• Snowy Egret Egretta thula
• Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus
• Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus
• Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
• Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
• Sora Porzana carolina
• Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
• Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
• Spruce Grouse Falcipennis canadensis
• Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
• Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus
• Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
• Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata
• Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni
• Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
• Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
• Tennessee Warbler Oreothlypis peregrina
• Thayer's Gull Larus thayeri
• Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
• Townsend's Warbler Setophaga townsendi
• Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
• Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor
• Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator
• Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
• Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus
• Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
• Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda
• Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
• Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi
• Veery Catharus fuscescens
• Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus
• Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
• Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
• Virginia's Warbler Oreothlypis virginiae
• Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
• Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana
• Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis
• Western Gull Larus occidentalis
• Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
• Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
• Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri
• Western Screech-Owl Megascops kennicottii
• Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
• Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
• Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus
• Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
• White Ibis Eudocimus albus
• White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
• White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
• White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi
• White-headed Woodpecker Picoides albolarvatus
• White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
• White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus
• White-tailed Ptarmigan Lagopus leucura
• White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
• White-throated Swift Aeronautes saxatalis
• White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera
• White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
• White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca
• Whooping Crane Grus americana
• Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
• Willet Tringa semipalmata
• Williamson's Sapsucker Sphyrapicus thyroideus
• Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii
• Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
• Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
• Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla
• Wood Duck Aix sponsa
• Wood Stork Mycteria americana
• Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
• Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis
• Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
• Yellow-billed Loon Gavia adamsii
• Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens
• Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
• Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
• Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
• Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica

Birds people confuse

Red-tailed hawk or Red-shouldered hawk?

Red-tailed hawk Not stated

No confirmed photo of Red-shouldered hawk

Red-shouldered hawk Not stated

A red-tail's rust-colored, broad, short tail distinguishes it from the smaller red-shouldered hawk (North Carolina). Tennessee: the red-shouldered hawk has a black and white banded tail and appears more uniformly colored.

Turkey vulture or Eagle?

Turkey vulture Not stated

Eagle Not stated

An eagle holds its wings flat and they are uniformly black; a turkey vulture's are held in a slight V and are two-toned.

Bald eagle or Golden eagle?

Bald eagle Not stated

No confirmed photo of Golden eagle

Golden eagle Not stated

Young bald eagles lack the white head and tail and are often mistaken for golden eagles. Bald eagles have unfeathered lower legs and hold their wings flat when soaring; TWRA says golden eagles have feathered legs, limited white under the wing, and lift the outer wing in a slight V.

Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.

When birds are active in Idaho

Records of birds in Idaho peak in March to August. They show when people record birds, not how many there are (about month bars).

If you see one

Official advice from Idaho Department of Fish and Game:

• Mountain lion: stand your ground, look large, do not turn or run; back away slowly; if attacked, fight back. Idaho Department of Fish and Game

How to report

Invasive species: Idaho Invasive Species Hotline 1-877-336-8676 (ISDA). Wildlife crimes: Citizens Against Poaching 1-800-632-5999 (IDFG). Bear sightings and conflicts: report to the state wildlife agency (IDFG regional offices). Idaho State Department of Agriculture

About this list

The species list comes from Idaho Species Catalog, Aves Class (In Idaho? = Yes), 9 pages (Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 2017 (Internet Archive captures 2017-05-07 and 2017-06-14)).

Venom does not apply to birds.