When it comes to birdwatching, it’s easy to get dazzled by the showy reds of a Northern Cardinal or the electric blues of a Mountain Bluebird. But don’t let the gray birds fool you—they’re not dull, just understated. In fact, North America is home to a surprisingly rich array of gray-toned birds, each with its own charm, behavior, and ecological role.
From the sleek silhouette of a Northern Mockingbird belting out borrowed tunes, to the quiet elegance of a Gray Catbird skulking in dense shrubs, these birds prove that subtlety can be stunning. Some gray birds are year-round residents; others are long-distance migrants navigating impressive seasonal journeys.
We’ll dive into the world of Arizona’s gray birds: how to identify them, where to find them, and what makes each one special. Whether you’re a backyard birder or a seasoned lister with mud on your boots and binos at the ready, there’s something here for you. These gray birds are listed in order of how common they are in Arizona, according to bird watcher lists for the state.
Because when you learn to appreciate the grays, you realize the bird world is anything but black and white.
1. White-winged Dove
White-winged Doves are spotted in the south of Arizona all year but they are most common from April to September. They are recorded in 44% of summer checklists and 7% of winter checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state.
White-winged Doves are pale gray-brown with a black line on the cheek and a white stripe on the edge of the closed wing, which is striking to see on the middle of their dark wing in flight. Males and females look the same.
- Zenaida asiatica
- Weight: 4.4-6.6 oz (125-187 g)
- Wingspan: 18.9-22.8 in (48-58 cm)
White-winged Doves breed along the southern border with Mexico and are resident in Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. Those to the north of the range may move south towards the Gulf Coast or into Mexico for winter.
You can find White-winged Doves in deserts, dense, thorny forests, woodlands, and suburban areas. Their diet is mostly grain, fruits, and large seeds, and they forage on the ground.
Attract White-winged Doves to your yard with sunflower, corn, safflower, and milo on platform feeders. Also, plant native berry-producing shrubs.
2. Northern Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbirds breed in the north of Arizona but they are also spotted in the south of the state all year. They appear in 19% of summer and winter checklists.
Northern Mockingbirds are medium-sized songbirds with small heads and long tails. They are a gray-brown color and slightly paler on the underside than their back, and they have two white wingbars visible in flight.
- Mimus polyglottos
- Length: 8.3-10.2 in (21-26 cm)
- Weight: 1.6-2.0 oz (45-58 g)
- Wingspan: 12.2-13.8 in (31-35 cm)
Northern Mockingbirds do not migrate and can be spotted across the lower 48 and southern Canada.
They are usually seen alone or in pairs and aggressively defend their territory. A male mockingbird can learn around 200 songs in its life, copying other birds’ songs, and they can sing all through the day and into the night.
Attract Northern Mockingbirds to your backyard by planting fruiting trees or bushes, including hawthorns, mulberries, and blackberry brambles. They don’t often visit feeders, but they will come to open lawn areas.
3. Eurasian Collared-Dove
Eurasian Collared-Doves do not migrate and are residents of Arizona all year. They are spotted in 16% of summer and winter checklists for the state.
Eurasian Collared-Doves are light brownish-gray, with white patches in the tail, and look very similar to Mourning Doves, but with a black half collar at the nape of the neck. They are also larger and with a square tail rather than pointed.
- Streptopelia decaocto
- Length: 11.4-11.8 in (29-30 cm)
- Weight: 4.9-6.3 oz (140-180 g)
- Wingspan: 13.8 in (35 cm)
Eurasian Collared-Doves are an introduced species that only arrived in the 1980s but now live across most of the United States.
You can find Eurasian Collared-Doves in most areas, including rural and suburban and they eat a wide variety of seeds and grain but also eat some berries and insects.
4. Black Phoebe
Black Phoebes are spotted in Arizona all year. They occur in 9% of summer checklists and 20% of winter checklists.
Black Phoebes are small, plump flycatchers that are black on the back, head, and chest and white underneath. They can look gray in some light.
- Sayornis nigricans
- Length: 6.3 in (16 cm)
- Weight: 0.5-0.8 oz (15-22 g)
Black Phoebes are mostly resident across Southwestern States, Mexico, and Central America. Some in the north of this range may migrate south after breeding.
You can usually find Black Phoebes near water, such as coastal areas, rivers, lakes, or ponds. They perch above the ground and wait for insects or arthropods to come along, such as beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, flies, bees, and spiders.
Attract Black Phoebes to your yard by adding water features and native plants to attract insects. They may also build a nest under the eaves if there is a source of mud nearby to build their nest out of.
5. Say’s Phoebe
Say’s Phoebes usually breed in the north of Arizona but they are also spotted in the south of the state all year. They are recorded in 10% of summer checklists and 20% of winter checklists.
Say’s Phoebes are slender, long-tailed flycatchers that are brownish-gray above and with a cinnamon belly, gray breast, and blackish tail.
- Sayornis saya
- Length: 6.7 in (17 cm)
- Weight: 0.7-0.8 oz (21-22 g)
Say’s Phoebes breed in Alaska, northwestern Canada, and the northern U.S before migrating south to southwestern states and Mexico. Those in southern states remain all year.
You can find Say’s Phoebes in open country, including badlands, canyons, and desert borders.
Say’s Phoebe’s are flycatchers, and their diet is mostly insects such as beetles, crickets, bees, and flies. They often nest on buildings and can be seen perched on fence posts and around buildings or in their nests under an eave.
Attract Say’s Phoebes to your yard by putting up a nest box or a shelf attached to a building to encourage nesting and plant native trees and shrubs.
6. White-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatches are residents of Arizona all year. They do not migrate and are spotted in 17% of summer checklists and 10% of winter checklists for the state.
White-breasted Nuthatches are active little birds that are gray-blue on the back and white on the face and belly, with a black cap. They will often have a chestnut color on the lower belly and under the tail.
- Sitta carolinensis
- Length: 5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)
- Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-30 g)
- Wingspan: 7.9-10.6 in (20-27 cm)
White-breasted Nuthatches live all year in the US and southern Canada.
You can find White-breasted Nuthatches in deciduous forests, woodland edges, parks, and yards with trees or at feeders. They mainly eat insects, including beetles and their larvae, caterpillars, ants, and also spiders.
White-breasted Nuthatches also eat seeds and nuts, including acorns, hawthorns, sunflower seeds, and sometimes corn crops. They jam large nuts and acorns into tree bark and then whack them with their bills to open or ‘hatch’ them to get the seed out.
Attract White-breasted Nuthatches to your backyard with sunflower seeds and peanuts on tube feeders or suet feeders.
7. Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeons are an introduced species in Arizona and they are residents of the state all year. They appear in 9% of summer checklists and 15% of winter checklists.
Rock Pigeons are blueish gray with two black bands on the wing and black on the tail tip. They have iridescent throat feathers and orange eyes.
- Columba livia
- Length: 11.8-14.2 in (30-36 cm)
- Weight: 9.3-13.4 oz (265-380 g)
- Wingspan: 19.7-26.4 in (50-67 cm)
Rock Pigeons do not migrate and can be found in all US states, southern Canada, and the Pacific Coast to Alaska.
They are common in cities and visit backyards, especially for birdseed on the ground. Some cities have ordinances against feeding pigeons as they are considered pests.
8. Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Juncos are frequently seen during winter in Arizona and occur in 18% of checklists at this time. They are mainly spotted from October to March, but some can be spotted all year and are recorded in 5% of summer checklists.
Dark-eyed Juncos are sparrows that are different a color depending on the state. They are generally slate-colored in the east and black, white, and brown in the west.
- Junco hyemalis
- Length: 5.5-6.3 in (14-16 cm)
- Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-30 g)
- Wingspan: 7.1-9.8 in (18-25 cm)
Dark-eyed Juncos remain resident all year in the northeastern and western US states and the Appalachian Mountains. Those that breed in Canada and Alaska migrate south in winter to the United States.
You can find Dark-eyed Junco in open and partially wooded areas, often on the ground, and they are common across the continent. They mainly feed on seeds but will also eat some insects.
Attract Dark-eyed Juncos to backyard feeders with a variety of seeds such as black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, millet, and peanuts. Platform feeders or seeds scattered on the ground are best.
9. Loggerhead Shrike
Loggerhead Shrikes are spotted in Arizona all year. They appear in 2% of summer checklists and 7% of winter checklists.
10. Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers are mainly spotted in Arizona during the breeding season but some stay all year in the south of the state all year. They occur in up to 4% of summer and winter checklists.
A tiny songbird in a soft blue-gray color on the back and grayish-white underneath. They have a black tail and patches on their wings. Males have a distinctive black ‘V’ shape on their foreheads in summer.
They have long tails and legs and small, thin, straight bills.
- Length: 3.9-4.3 in (10-11 cm)
- Weight: 0.2-0.3 oz (4.8-8.9 g)
- Wingspan: 6.3 in (16 cm)
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers breed in deciduous forests in the Southern and Eastern States before heading south. They do also remain all year in Florida and in southern coastal areas.
Feeding on insects and spiders by constantly hopping around and scaring them by flicking their tail up and down.
11. Bushtit
Bushtits do not migrate and are spotted in Arizona all year. They are recorded in 5% of summer checklists and 2% of winter checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state.
Bushtits are tiny, almost round, soft gray birds with long tails and stubby bills. They have slight brown tinges to the face and underneath.
- Psaltriparus minimus
- Length: 2.8-3.1 in (7-8 cm)
- Weight: 0.1-0.2 oz (4-6 g)
Bushtits live all year in the western US states.
You can find Bushtits in open woodland or scrubby areas, parks, and backyards. Their diet includes insects and spiders, such as caterpillars, beetles, wasps, and ants.
Bushtits make unique hanging nests out of plant material and spider webs that hang down about a foot and may take a month to build.
Attract bushtits to your yard by planting native shrubs and trees, and they may visit feeders filled with black oil sunflower seeds, suet, or mealworms from platform feeders.
12. Warbling Vireo
Warbling Vireos breed in Arizona but their numbers increase in May and September. They appear in 6% of summer checklists and 10% of checklists during migration.
The Warbling Vireo may not be flashy, but its cheerful, rolling song gives it away long before you spot it. This small, olive-gray songbird has a plain face with a white eyebrow and faint grayish crown stripe, giving it a subtly endearing look. Its underparts are whitish to pale yellow, and its back and wings are soft grayish-olive.
- Vireo gilvus
- Length: 4.7–5.1 in (12–13 cm)
- Weight: 0.3–0.5 oz (10–14 g)
- Wingspan: 8.7 in (22 cm)
These vireos are summer residents throughout much of the US and southern Canada, where they breed in deciduous woods, riverside groves, parks, and suburban shade trees. Despite their inconspicuous appearance, they’re common and widespread in the right habitat during the warmer months.
Warbling Vireos primarily eat insects and other small invertebrates, which they glean from foliage high in the canopy. They’ll also take berries and some fruit, especially later in the season.
Warbling Vireos are not typically feeder birds, so attracting them to your backyard can be tricky. Your best bet is to maintain tall, mature trees, especially near water, to mimic their natural breeding habitat.
13. Willow Flycatcher
Willow Flycatchers spend the breeding season in Arizona and are spotted from mid-April to October.
The Willow Flycatcher is a modest little bird with an olive-gray back, pale underparts, and a faint eye ring that’s often hard to see. While it may look similar to other Empidonax flycatchers (a notoriously tricky group to identify), it stands out by voice—its sharp, burry “FITZ-bew” call is the easiest way to tell it apart.
- Empidonax traillii
- Length: 5.3–5.9 in (13.5–15 cm)
- Weight: 0.4–0.6 oz (11–16 g)
These flycatchers breed across much of the U.S. and southern Canada in shrubby wetlands, willow thickets, and brushy areas near water. They’re migratory, heading to Central and South America for the winter.
Willow Flycatchers are active insect hunters, often perching upright before launching out to catch flying insects mid-air. They’ll also pick prey from leaves and branches in typical flycatcher fashion.
Willow Flycatchers are not attracted to feeders, so the best way to spot one is to find the right habitat and listen for its distinctive song during breeding season.
14. Black-and-white Warbler
Black-and-white Warblers are not very common in Arizona, but they are usually spotted here in winter from October to March.
Black-and-white Warblers are quite distinctive and so more easy to identify with their striped appearance. Males have a large black patch across the eye and cheek and are a darker black than females.
- Mniotilta varia
- Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
- Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (8-15 g)
- Wingspan: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)
Black-and-white Warblers breed in the eastern United States and Canada. They spend the winter in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, and down through Mexico, Baja California, the Caribbean, and northern South America. They can be seen during migration in central US states.
You can spot Black-and-white Warblers hopping up and down on tree trunks and branches in forests, looking for insects.
15. Northern Parula
Northern Parulas are usually spotted in Arizona from November to January, but they are not very common birds here.
Northern Warblers are a colorful contrast of blueish-gray and yellow. They are bluish-gray on the back with a yellow patch on the back and with two white wingbars.
Males have a chestnut band that separates the yellow throat and chest that adorns both males and females. Females are paler than males and lack the chestnut band. Juveniles are paler.
- Setophaga americana
- Length: 4.3-4.7 in (11-12 cm)
- Weight: 0.2-0.4 oz (5-11 g)
- Wingspan: 6.3-7.1 in (16-18 cm)
Northern Parulas breed in the eastern US states and southeastern Canada before heading to Central America and the Caribbean for winter. They may remain for winter in southern Florida.
You can find Northern Parulas feeding on insects high up in deciduous forests.
Attract Northern Parula to your backyard with native trees and shrubs, especially those with berries, and leave brush piles for insect-friendly areas.
