25 Winter Birds Utah (Out Birding)

Whether you are backyard birdwatching or out on a hike these are the most common birds that you will see in winter in Utah.

How many have you spotted?

25 Common Winter Birds Utah

1. Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Juncos are sparrows that are different colors 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 northeastern and western US states and the Appalachian Mountains. Those that breed in Canada and Alaska migrate south in winter to the United States.

They can be found in open and partially wooded areas, often on the ground, and are common across the continent. 

Dark-eyed Junco Song:

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 scattered on the ground are best.

2. European Starling

European Starlings are not native but are now one of the most numerous songbirds. They are stocky black birds with iridescent purple, green, and blue tones. 

• Sturnus vulgaris
• Length: 7.9-9.1 in (20-23 cm)
• Weight: 2.1-3.4 oz (60-96 g)
• Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in (31-40 cm)

European Starlings live in all of North America, except the north of Canada and Alaska.

They are considered a pest by some due to their aggressive behavior. These birds fly in large, noisy flocks and can be seen perched in groups on the top of trees or flying over fields.

European Starling Calls:

Starlings predominantly eat insects, including beetles, flies and caterpillars, earthworms, and spiders. However, they also eat fruit, including cherries, holly berries, mulberries, Virginia Creeper, sumac, blackberries, and grains and seeds.

Attract European Starlings to your backyard feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, suet, cracked corn, and peanuts.

3. House Finch

House Finches males have a red head and breast, and the rest of their bodies are mainly brown-streaked. Females are brown-streaked all over. 

• Haemorhous mexicanus
• Length: 5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)
• Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz (16-27 g)
• Wingspan: 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm)

Originally only in western US states, House Finches were introduced to eastern US states and have done very well, even pushing out the Purple Finch.

They can be found in parks, farms, forest edges, and backyard feeders in noisy groups that are hard to miss.

House Finch Song:

House Finch Call:

Attract House Finches to backyard feeders with black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube feeders or platform feeders.

4. Black-billed Magpie

Black-billed Magpies, usually just called Magpies, are black and white birds that are noisy. They have long tails and blue-green iridescent flashes in the wing and tail. Males are up to 25% heavier than females.

• Pica hudsonia
• Length: 17.7-23.6 in (45-60 cm)
• Weight: 5.1-7.4 oz (145-210 g)
• Wingspan: 22.1-24.0 in (56-61 cm)

Black-billed Magpies live in northwestern US states and western Canada, and the coast of Alaska. They do not migrate.

You can find them walking on the ground in meadow and grasslands or other open areas feeding on fruit and grain, beetles, and grasshoppers. They have also been known to kill small mammals such as squirrels and voles and raid bird nests for eggs or nestlings and even carrion.

Black-billed Magpie sounds: A series of harsh calls and also a scream.

You can attract Black-billed Magpies to your backyard with platform and suet feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, fruit, suet, millet, and milo.

Fun Fact: A gathering of magpies calling around one of their dead is called a funeral.

5. Mallard

Mallards are large ducks, and the males have striking green heads. They also have bright yellow bills and gray bodies with brown breasts and black towards the tail. They have a curl of tail feathers and a blue patch on the wings bordered with white which is called a speculum.

Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange bills but still have the blue speculum.

• Anas platyrhynchos
• Length: 19.7 – 25.6 in (50 – 65 cm)
• Weight: 35.3 – 45.9 oz (1000 – 1300 g)
• Wingspan: 32.3 – 37.4 in (82 – 95 cm)

Mallards remain all year in most of the lower 48 and the western coast of Canada and Alaska. Those that breed in Canada and Alaska head south to the southern United States and northern Mexico.

Mallards are one of the most commonly spotted and recognizable ducks that will happily be fed on ponds and rivers. They are dabbling ducks that feed on water plants and do not dive. They are very long-lived, and they have been recorded at 27 years old.

Mallard Calls:

Male Mallards don’t quack, only females do. Instead, the male makes a rasping sound.

Fun Fact: Most domesticated ducks are descended from Mallards, and they have been hunted and bred for food.

6. American Robin

American Robins are a common sight on lawns eating earthworms. They have black heads and backs with red or orange breasts. They tend to roost in trees in winter, so you are more likely to see them in your backyard from spring.

• Turdus migratorius
• Length: 7.9-11.0 in (20-28 cm)
• Weight: 2.7-3.0 oz (77-85 g)
• Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in (31-40 cm)

American Robins are residents in the lower 48 and the coast of Western Canada and Alaska. Those that breed in Canada and inland Alaska move south for the winter.

American Robins can be found in many habitats, from woodlands, forests, and mountains to fields, parks, and lawns. They eat earthworms, insects, snails, and fruit.

American Robin Song:

American Robin Call:

Attract American Robins to your backyard with sunflower seeds, suet and peanut hearts, fruit, and mealworms. Platform feeders are best or food scattered on the ground. Also, try planting some native plants that produce berries, such as juniper, sumac, hawthorn, and dogwood.

7. House Sparrow

The House Sparrow is another introduced species that has done very well and is now one of the most common birds. They have gray and brown heads and white cheeks. Their backs are black and brown, and their bellies are gray.

• Passer domesticus
• Length: 5.9-6.7 in (15-17 cm)
• Weight: 0.9-1.1 oz (27-30 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5-9.8 in (19-25 cm)

House Sparrows live in the US and Southern Canada all year.

You can find them near houses and buildings, and they can be pretty tame, and they may even eat out of your hand.

House Sparrows eat mostly grain and seed as well as discarded food. They can be considered a pest because they are non-native, but they are found in backyards even if you do not feed them.

House Sparrow Song:

Attract House Sparrows to your backyard feeders with most kinds of birdseed, including millet, corn, and sunflower seeds.

8. Northern Flicker

Northern Flickers are large brown woodpeckers with black spots and a white patch on their rump in flight, plus a red nape of the neck in the males. 

Northern Flickers have red or yellow flashes in the wings and tail depending on where they originate. Red-shafted birds live in the west, and yellow-shafted birds live in the east.

• Colaptes auratus
• Length: 11.0-12.2 in (28-31 cm)
• Weight: 3.9-5.6 oz (110-160 g)
• Wingspan: 16.5-20.1 in (42-51 cm)

Northern Flickers can be spotted across the US all year and in Canada during summer. Those that breed in Canada migrate south for the winter.

Northern Flickers mainly eat ants, beetles, fruits, and seeds, and they can often be seen on the ground digging with their curved bill.

Northern flicker Call:

Attract Northern Flickers to your backyard with suet.

9. Black-capped Chickadee

The Black-capped Chickadee is a cute bird with a big round head and tiny body. These birds will happily feed at backyard feeders and investigate everything, including you! 

They have black caps and beaks, white cheeks, and are gray on the back, wings, and tail.

• Poecile atricapillus
• Length: 4.7-5.9 in (12-15 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (9-14 g)
• Wingspan: 6.3-8.3 in (16-21 cm)

Black-capped Chickadees do not migrate and can be spotted in the northern half of the US and Canada.

You can find them in forests, open woods, and parks. Black-capped Chickadees eat seeds, berries and insects, spiders, and suet.

Black-capped Chickadee Call/Song:

Attract Black-capped Chickadees to your backyard with suet, sunflower seeds, and peanuts or peanut butter. They will even feed from your hand and are often one of the first birds to discover new feeders. They will also use nest boxes, especially if you fill them with wood shavings.

10. Canada Goose

The Canada Goose, also called the Canadian goose, is a large, long-necked goose recognized for its black head and easily identifiable white chin strap.

Canada Geese look very similar to Cackling Geese, and they have the same black head and white chin strap, but their long, graceful neck and large size separate them.

Their bodies are brown with a tan or pale chest and white rump. The color of the bodies among the subspecies may be shades of gray or brown. Their legs and webbed feet are black. 

• Branta canadensis
• Length: 25 – 45 in (64 – 114 cm)
• Weight: 230.09 oz (6521 g)
• Wingspan: 70 – 75 in (178 – 190 cm)

As their name would suggest, Canada Geese breed in Canada and migrate for the winter to southern US states, but those in northern US states remain all year and do not migrate. They are also found in western Europe.

You can find Canada Geese practically anywhere. They are often seen near lakes and rivers, basically, anywhere there’s a body of water and an abundant food source. They are also used to humans, so they live comfortably in urban habitats like city parks, reservoirs, golf courses, public parks, and beaches.

In some places, their population has risen considerably and they’re considered pests. 

Canada Geese mainly eat grasses when they’re on land and small aquatic insects and fish when they’re on the water. They also eat wheat, rice, and corn when they’re on agricultural fields. They’re accustomed to receiving food from humans or digging through trash cans. 

Canada Goose Call:

Fun Fact: During the breeding season, adults lose their flight feathers because it coincides with their molting season. They only regain their feathers after twenty to forty days, just in time for them to fly with their young. 

11. Common Raven

Common Ravens are thought to be one of the smartest and definitely one of the largest species in the songbird family. They have shaggy throat feathers, large black beaks, and wedge-shaped tails.

• Corvus corax
• Length: 22.1-27.2 in (56-69 cm)
• Weight: 24.3-57.3 oz (689-1625 g)
• Wingspan: 45.7-46.5 in (116-118 cm)

Common Ravens are resident in Canada, western US states, northeastern US states, Mexico, and northern Central America. They are not found in the Great Plains or eastern US states.

You can find Common Ravens in most places, and they especially follow humans. Forests, beaches, fields, grasslands are all places to find them and rural human areas. They are not common in towns and cities as American Crows take over.

Not known as picky eaters, Common Ravens will eat most things, including any small animals, eggs and nestlings, plus insects and fish. Human rubbish and pet food

Common Raven sounds: Mostly croaks and harsh calls

Fun Fact: Common Ravens in Canada weigh up to 60% more than those in California.

12. Red-tailed Hawk

As their name suggests, Red-tailed Hawks have a distinctive short, wide red tail. They are large, with broad, rounded wings. Most Red-tailed Hawks are brown on the back and pale underneath.

They are also the easiest to spot, often on long car journeys, as they circle slowly over open fields looking for prey such as small mammals, birds, and reptiles. You can also see them perched on telephone poles.

Male

• Length: 17.7-22.1 in (45-56 cm)
• Weight: 24.3-45.9 oz (690-1300 g)
• Wingspan: 44.9-52.4 in (114-133 cm)

Female

• Length: 19.7-25.6 in (50-65 cm)
• Weight: 31.8-51.5 oz (900-1460 g)
• Wingspan: 44.9-52.4 in (114-133 cm)

Red-tailed Hawk Call:

The high-pitched descending raspy-screech sound of the Red-tailed Hawk is often used in movies for all birds of prey.

Red-tailed Hawks remain resident in the US and Mexico, but those birds in Alaska, Canada, and the northern Great Plains fly south for winter.

13. Eurasian Collared-Dove

Eurasian-collard 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.

Eurasian Collared-Dove song:

14. Song Sparrow

Song sparrows are not as remarkable looking as other backyard birds, but these predominantly brown-streaked birds use their almost constant song to attract mates in spring and summer.

• Melospiza melodia
• Length: 4.7-6.7 in (12-17 cm)
• Weight: 0.4-1.9 oz (12-53 g)
• Wingspan: 7.1-9.4 in (18-24 cm)

Song Sparrows live all year in the northern US states. Those that breed in Canada migrate to southern US states for winter.

They can be found in open, shrubby, and wet areas, often perched on a low shrub singing. They are often found at backyard feeders.

Song Sparrows eat a wide variety of insects and plants, including beetles, caterpillars, midges, spiders, and earthworms. They will also eat buckwheat, sunflower, raspberries, wild cherries, blackberries, wheat, and rice.

Song Sparrow Song:

Song Sparrow Call:

Attract Song Sparrows to your backyard feeders by putting black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and nyjer on platform feeders.

15. White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrows are large grayish sparrows with long tails, small bills, and bold black and white stripes on their heads.

• Zonotrichia leucophrys
• Length: 5.9-6.3 in (15-16 cm)
• Weight: 0.9-1.0 oz (25-28 g)
• Wingspan: 8.3-9.4 in (21-24 cm)

White-crowned Sparrows breed in Alaska and arctic Canada before heading south to the lower 48 and Mexico for winter. However, some may remain along the Pacific Coast and the mountainous west all year.

You can find White-crowned Sparrows in weedy fields, along roadsides, forest edges,  and in yards foraging for seeds of weeds and grasses or fruit such as elderberries and blackberries.

White-crowned Sparrow Song:

Attract White-crowned Sparrows to your backyard with sunflower seeds, and they will also eat seeds that other birds drop at feeders.

16. American Coot

American Coots are medium-sized waterbirds that may be mistaken for ducks when they’re in the water. But they’re not ducks since they don’t have a duck’s webbed feet.

Instead, their feet are lobed, which allows them to walk on land and swim expertly in water.  They are striking birds with their dark gray to black bodies, red eyes, their white frontal shield tipped with red, and white bills with a black ring around the tip.

Juvenile American Coots have light brown crowns and pale gray bodies. 

• Fulica americana
• Length: 15 in (38 cm)  
• Weight: 25.6 oz (726 g)
• Wingspan: 23 – 28 in (58 – 71 cm)

American Coots that breed in northern US states and Canada migrate to southern US states and Central America. Those in southern and western US states remain all year.

You can find American Coots in general wetlands like marshes, lake edges, sluggish rivers, and salt marshes. They also inhabit reservoirs, sewage treatment ponds, and roadside ditches. Breeding locations are usually bodies of water with heavy emergent aquatic vegetation along shorelines. 

As American Coots love being in the water, their food is usually sourced from diving, like algae and fish. They also eat aquatic plants like water lilies, and cattails in addition to land plants like leaves of trees or grains. They will also catch insects and eat snails, crustaceans, tadpoles, and salamanders. 

American Coot Call:

Fun Fact: American Coots display a variety of swimming formations. They may form single-file lines, synchronized swimming, broad arcing formations, and sequential take-off dynamics.

17. American Kestrel

American Kestrels are the smallest and most colorful falcons in North America. Males and females have different colors and markings.

Adult Male American Kestrels are brown and gray and spotted. They have dark gray heads with varying amounts of rufous on the crown, white throats, and unique vertical slashes on their white faces – one under their eyes and another behind their eyes. This is significant because most falcons only have one. 

Female American Kestrels are browner and more barred.

• Falco Sparverius
• Length: 9 – 12 in (23 – 30 cm)
• Weight: 3.9 oz (111 g)
• Wingspan: 20 – 25 in (51 – 64 cm)

American Kestrels are the most common falcon with seventeen subspecies living in varied environments and habitats across the Americas. With many subspecies, American Kestrels have plenty of regional variation in their coloring, markings, and vocalizations.

American Kestrels are found in North and South America. Those that breed in Canada migrate south for winter, but the rest remain resident all year.

You can find American Kestrels mainly in open areas without dense cover as they prefer viewing their whole territory from a single perch.

They can hunt and eat grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas, beetles, and dragonflies. What they do is sit and wait on a perch. When they have their prey in sight, they either catch it on the ground or while in flight. 

American Kestrels can also hunt by hovering while scanning for prey on the ground.

American Kestrel Call:

Attracting American Kestrels to your backyard is possible if you put up nest boxes that are within their preferred habitats. They need a perch and open area and preferably with no outdoor pets. 

Fun Fact: American Kestrels can see using ultraviolet light which comes in handy when trying to hunt their prey. It is especially handy when seeing the trails of urine that are left by voles that allow the American Kestrels to pinpoint their exact location.  

18. Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged blackbirds are very common and easy to identify with the all-black coloring except for the reddish-orange wing patches. Females are rather dull in comparison with streaky brown color.

• Agelaius phoeniceus
• Length: 6.7-9.1 in (17-23 cm)
• Weight: 1.1-2.7 oz (32-77 g)
• Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in (31-40 cm)

Red-winged Blackbirds remain all year in the lower 48 and the Pacific Coast of British Columbia. Those that breed in Canada and some northern US states migrate south for the winter.

They can often be spotted sitting on telephone wires, and the males will fiercely defend their territories in the breeding season, even attacking people that get too close to their nests. In winter, they roost in large numbers into the millions.

Red-winged Blackbird Song:

Red-winged Blackbird Calls:

Attract Red-winged blackbirds to your backyard with mixed grain and seeds spread on the ground. They will also feed from large tube feeders or platform feeders.

19. Northern Harrier

Northern Harriers are slender with long broad wings and are between the size of a crow and a goose. They often fly with the tips of their wings higher than their bodies in a v-shape. 

Females are brown, and males are gray above and white below, and they have a white rump patch.

• Length: 18.1-19.7 in (46-50 cm)
• Weight: 10.6-26.5 oz (300-750 g)
• Wingspan: 40.2-46.5 in (102-118 cm)

Northern Harriers that breed in Alaska, Canada, the northern Great Plains, and the Northeast before migrating south for the winter to southern states, Mexico and Central America. Those in the middle of the range remain all year.

This slim, longed-tailed hawk can be seen gliding low over grassland or marshes. 

Northern Harriers mostly eat small mammals and small birds. They nest on the ground in dense vegetation such as reeds, willows, or brushtails. They lay 4-5 dull white eggs.

20. Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is a widely-recognized bird of prey. It has a white head, yellow eyes, and a large, hooked yellow bill. Its body is chocolate brown, and its legs are yellow, with huge talons.

Females look similar to males, except they’re about 25% larger. Juveniles have dark brown heads and bodies with variable white mottling or streaking until they reach their fifth year. 

• Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Length:  34 – 43 in (86 – 109 cm)
• Weight: 168 oz (4761 g)
• Wingspan: 72 – 96 in (183 – 244 cm)

Bald Eagles breed predominantly in Canada and then migrate to the United States for winter. However, some remain resident all year, especially in coastal regions.

You can find the Bald Eagle, during its breeding season, in wetland environments. Open and large bodies of water with plenty of fish are ideal spots.

When they’re nesting, roosting, or perching, Bald Eagles need tall, mature, and large trees for good visibility and have to have an open structure allowing the Bald Eagles to see the forest floor, and must be near water, especially when nesting.

In the winter, Bald Eagles flock to spots with a lot of perches around unfrozen water with plenty of fish. When there’s no available unfrozen water source, Bald Eagles will congregate in open habitats with medium-sized mammals like in prairies and meadows.  

Bald Eagles are opportunistic feeders and will eat what is available in their environment. Their favorite food is fish, and they prefer large ones, like trout and salmon. They may hunt these fish themselves or steal them away from other birds. Sometimes, they also eat carrion (dead) fish. 

They also eat medium to large-sized birds, like ducks, herons, owls, and geese. During winter, bald eagles turn to mammals for their prey when fishing for food is not as lucrative. They will initially target weak, dying, or young prey. They hunt rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, beavers, and deer fawns. 

Bald Eagle Calls: The squeak of the Bald Eagle does not fit its size as they make a rather disappointing high-pitched whistle!

Females may lay one to three eggs per year in the wild. In captivity, they may lay up to seven eggs. The parents take turns in incubating the eggs for thirty-five days. Whoever is not sitting on the eggs gets to hunt for food to feed the other. 

Fun Fact: The Bald Eagle has been the national symbol of America since 1782. It may be named “bald,” but it isn’t actually bald. The old version of “bald” actually meant “white,” referring to its white head and tail. 

21. Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye males have green heads that are iridescent and can look almost black. They have a white spot under their yellow eyes. They have white bodies and sides and black backs.

Female Common Goldeneyes are grayish-brown with brown heads. Both males and females have black bills, but females have a yellow tip.

• Bucephala clangula
• Length: 15.8 – 20.1 in (40 – 51 cm)
• Weight: 21.2 – 45.9 oz (600 – 1300 g)
• Wingspan: 30.3 – 32.7 in (77 – 83 cm)

Common Goldeneyes breed in Canada and Alaska in summer and migrate late to the lower 48 for winter.

You can find Common Goldeneyes in boreal forest lakes during the breeding season and in coastal areas in winter. Common Goldeneyes are diving ducks that feed on crabs, shrimp, crayfish, fish, fish eggs, and insects.

Common Goldeneye Calls: They are quiet ducks, but male Common Goldeneyes make soft calls, and females make harsh alarm calls.

Fun Fact: Common Goldeneyes can fly at speeds of over 40 miles per hour.

22. American Goldfinch

American Goldfinches are popular birds with the males’ bright yellow and black coloring in spring. The females are duller brown, as are males in winter.

• Spinus tristis
• Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz (11-20 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in (19-22 cm)

American Goldfinches can be found in most of North America and are usually resident all year. However, those that breed in Canada and the Midwest migrate to southern US States for winter.

They can be found in weedy fields and overgrown areas foraging for sunflower, thistle, and aster plants. They are also common in suburbs, parks, and backyards.

American Goldfinch Song:

Attract American Goldfinches to your backyard by planting thistles and milkweed. They will visit most bird feeders and prefer sunflower seed and nyjer seed. 

23. Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhees are large sparrows that are black on their head, throat, and back in the males and brown in the females. Both males and females have reddish-brown sides, white bellies, and white spots on the wings and back. They have long tails and are about the size of a Robin.

• Pipilo maculatus
• Length: 6.7-8.3 in (17-21 cm)
• Weight: 1.2-1.7 oz (33-49 g)
• Wingspan: 11.0 in (28 cm)

Spotted Towhees live in western US states, but those in the interior of the north migrate south after breeding to Texas and surrounding areas.

You can find Spotted Towhees on the ground in dense tangles of shrubs scratching around for insects, including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, wasps, and bees. They also eat acorns, berries, and seeds.

Spotted Towhee Song:

Attract Spotted Towhees to your yard if you leave overgrown borders, and they will visit platform feeders or ground feeders for black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, and milo.

24. Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays are the Blue-Jays of the Southwest with lovely blue and gray coloring. They are light blue and dark gray on the back and light gray underneath. Their tails are long and blue.

They are duller in color than California Scrub-Jays and have only a small necklace, and lack the crests of Blue Jays and Stellar’s Jays.

• Aphelocoma woodhouseii
• Length: 11.0-11.8 in (28-30 cm)
• Weight: 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g)

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays are resident inland in southwest US states and Mexico. You can find them in wooded areas with pinyon-juniper and scrubby areas.

Insects and fruit make up most of the diet of Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays in summer and nuts and seeds in winter.

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay sounds:

Attract Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays to your backyard with sunflower seeds and peanuts.

Fun Fact: Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays are thieves that steal food from other birds stores, especially Acorn Woodpeckers’ granary tree store of acorns.

25. Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinches are tiny bright yellow and black songbirds with long pointed wings and short notched tails. Females have olive backs and are more dull yellow underneath.

• Spinus psaltria
• Length: 3.5-4.3 in (9-11 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (8-11.5 g)
• Wingspan: 5.9-7.9 in (15-20 cm)

Lesser Goldfinches live in the southwestern US states and the West Coast all year, but those that breed in the interior of western US states migrate for winter.

Lesser Goldfinches can be found in large flocks in open habitats, including thickets, weedy fields, forest clearings, parks, and gardens. They forage for seeds, especially sunflower seeds, but also fruits from elderberry, coffeeberry, and buds from cottonwoods, willows, sycamores, and alders.

Lesser Goldfinch call/Song:

Attract Lesser Goldfinches to your yard with sunflower seeds and nyjer in tube feeders or platform feeders.

Winter vs Summer Birds Utah

There are some birds that stay all year in Utah but many migrate in or out in the spring and fall. These lists give you the most common birds recorded in checklists by bird watchers in summer or winter on ebird.