Backyard Birds of Washington
Washington splits in two at the Cascades — wet evergreen forest to the west, sage and pine to the east — and an Evergreen State feeding station works twelve months a year. Sixteen portraits are pinned on the map below, right where each species is most characteristic. Hover any portrait to see its name, tap to jump to its profile, then open its photo gallery and play its call.
Jump to a Species
The state bird — the American Goldfinch — leads the list, followed by feeder regulars, winter flocks, and the hummingbird that never leaves. Every entry links to a full species guide.
Backyard Birds in Washington: A Year-Round Seasonal Identification Guide
Quick Answer: Birding a Washington Backyard
Washington’s Cascade divide creates two birding worlds in one state, and backyard birding works 12 months a year. Anchor birds are year-round residents led by the American Goldfinch (the state bird since 1951), Chestnut-backed and Black-capped Chickadees, Bushtits, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Steller’s and California Scrub-Jays, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, and Dark-eyed Juncos. Anna’s Hummingbird stays all winter — keep nectar thawed. Winter adds Varied Thrushes and Golden-crowned Sparrows. In Washington’s wet climate, mold is the enemy: weather guards and weekly cleaning are essential.
Meet the 101 Backyard Birds of Washington
The state bird leads the list, followed by year-round regulars, winter visitors, and summer breeders. Every card opens a photo gallery, plays a real field recording, and links to the full species guide. Use the seasonal filter bar above to narrow the list.
📍 Olympia
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristisBreeding males are lemon-yellow with a jet-black cap and wings; winter birds are soft olive-drab. Goldfinches mob Nyjer socks across Washington in every season, nesting late in summer when thistle seed ripens. Their bouncy flight and po-ta-to-chip call are unmistakable.
📍 Seattle
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescensThe Pacific coast chickadee (3.9–4.7 inches): rich chestnut back and flanks, black bib, and white cheeks — a little jewel of the fog belt. Chestnut-backs live year-round in Washington’s conifer and mixed woods, visit suet and seed feeders, and travel with winter flocks of kinglets and nuthatches.
📍 Spokane
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillusA tiny 4.7–5.9-inch acrobat with a black cap and bib, white cheeks, and buffy flanks. Chickadees are the bold first visitors to any new feeder, grabbing one seed and flying off to cache it. Listen for the chick-a-dee-dee-dee call that gives the bird its name — and the clear two-note fee-bee whistle of spring.
📍 Tacoma
Bushtit
Psaltriparus minimusA tiny 3.7–4.3-inch gray puffball with a long tail — plain, busy, and never alone. Bushtits roam Washington in twittering flocks of 10 to 40, hanging upside down on twigs and suet cages. One minute your feeder is empty; the next it’s wearing a dozen Bushtits; then they’re gone.
📍 Bellingham
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensisA compact 4.3-inch nuthatch: blue-gray above, rusty below, with a bold white eyebrow stripe. Red-breasted Nuthatches live in Washington’s conifer belt year-round and irrupt southward in cone-poor winters, hitching down tree trunks headfirst and calling a tin-horn yank-yank.
📍 Vancouver
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescensNorth America’s smallest woodpecker (5.5–6.7 inches) is a Washington backyard regular in every season. Black-and-white checkered wings, a clean white stripe down the back, and a tiny stubby bill separate it from the larger Hairy Woodpecker; males wear a small red patch on the nape.
Recording via Wikimedia Commons / xeno-canto
Read Full Guide →
📍 Everett
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratusA big 11–12-inch woodpecker in brown-barred plumage with a black bib and spotted belly; eastern birds flash golden wing linings and a red nape crescent. Flickers spend much of their time on the ground lapping up ants, and drum on Washington gutters at dawn in spring — loud, but it’s a love song.
Recording via Wikimedia Commons / xeno-canto
Read Full Guide →
📍 Port Angeles
Steller’s Jay
Cyanocitta stelleriA gorgeous 11.5–12.6-inch jay: black crest and head melting into deep blue body — the crested jay of the West. Steller’s Jays dominate Washington mountain and coastal yards, caching peanuts, imitating hawks to clear feeders, and announcing everything with a rattling shack-shack-shack.
📍 Longview
California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californicaA bold 11–11.8-inch jay: azure blue above, gray-white below, with a white throat and no crest. Scrub-jays are the personalities of Washington suburbs — they cache thousands of acorns each fall (and remember most of them), scold cats, and land on your shoulder for peanuts if you let them.
📍 Bremerton
American Robin
Turdus migratoriusThe familiar 7.9–11-inch thrush: gray above, brick-red below, yellow-billed. The dawn chorus over a Washington lawn is built on its cheerily-cheerup phrases. Robins nest on porch lights and ledges, and big winter flocks descend on holly and hackberry trees across the state.
📍 Yakima
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodiaA streaky 4.7–6.7-inch sparrow with breast streaks converging into one bold central spot and a long rounded tail it pumps in flight. Song Sparrows sing their bright three-note-and-a-trill song from Washington marsh edges, creek willows, and garden hedges nearly year-round.
📍 Wenatchee
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatusA striking 6.7–8.3-inch sparrow: black hood, white-spotted back, rusty flanks, and red eyes — the western counterpart of the Eastern Towhee. Spotted Towhees double-scratch in Washington leaf litter, singing a buzzy tow-hee from shrubs and visiting ground feeders near cover.
📍 Aberdeen
Varied Thrush
Ixoreus naeviusA robin-sized thrush (7.5–10.2 inches) in slate blue and burnt orange with a black breast band — hauntingly beautiful. Varied Thrushes breed in Pacific Northwest rain forest and visit Washington yards in winter for berries and ground seed, their eerie, echoing whistles drifting from wet woods.
📍 Kennewick
Anna’s Hummingbird
Calypte annaThe West’s year-round hummingbird (3.9–4.3 inches): males wear an iridescent rose-pink hood that blazes in sunlight; females are green with spotted throats. Anna’s Hummingbirds don’t migrate — they live in Washington yards all year, even through frosts, and sing a scratchy, buzzy song from exposed perches, unusual among hummingbirds.
📍 Pullman
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalisThe classic snowbird: a 5.5–6.3-inch sparrow with a slate-gray hood set cleanly against a white belly, white outer tail feathers flashing in flight. Juncos pour into Washington each October and double-scratch for millet under feeders until April — the surest sign of winter.
📍 Walla Walla
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia atricapillaA big 7.2–8.3-inch sparrow, gray-brown with a gold forehead patch bordered in black (brightest in spring). Golden-crowned Sparrows winter along the Pacific slope, scratching under Washington shrubs with White-crowned flocks and singing a plaintive, descending oh-dear-me.
More Backyard Birds in Washington +85 species
Every other species from our backyard bird library that regularly occurs in Washington — each with its own photo gallery, playable call, and full species guide. Browse 16 per page using the dots below.
Feeder: Whole corn, peanuts, and a shallow water pan on open ground.
Feeder: Perches on fences; nest boxes on poles in open country.
Feeder: White millet and fine cracked corn on ground or platform.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Suet crumbs and brush piles or wood stacks for cover.
Feeder: Suet and table scraps on a big open platform; bold and clever.
Feeder: Sunflower seeds at a sturdy platform feeder in summer.
Feeder: Whole in-shell peanuts and coarse sunflower on a large tray.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Grain and crumbs on ground platforms in open western yards.
Feeder: Suet smeared on tree bark; spirals up trunks for hidden insects.
Feeder: Cracked corn and grain on the ground; a nest parasite.
Feeder: Grape jelly, halved oranges, and sugar water in summer.
Feeder: Cracked corn scattered near dense cat-proof shrubs.
Feeder: Sugar-water feeders; North America’s smallest bird.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Sunflower chips at mountain-town feeders; loves a water dish.
Feeder: Berry-producing trees and a fountain or moving water.
Feeder: Fine seed mix and grass seed scattered on open ground.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Rarely visits feeders; appreciate these giants from the window.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Not a feeder guest — it hunts the birds at your feeders.
Feeder: Large grains on big platform feeders; spreading fast.
Feeder: Suet and crumbs; use starling-resistant caged feeders.
Feeder: Striped sunflower on big platform feeders — arrives in hungry flocks.
Feeder: Sunflower pieces and cracked corn; double-scratches in leaf litter.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Grape jelly, halved oranges, raisins, and dense shady shrubs.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Suet blocks and whole peanuts; favors larger trees near feeders.
Feeder: Berry-producing shrubs and a ground birdbath in shady yards.
Feeder: Black oil sunflower at tube feeders; nests in hanging baskets.
Feeder: Cracked corn, millet, and crumbs; nests in cavities and crevices.
Feeder: Nest boxes with 1-inch holes; eats insects, not seed.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: White millet and fine sunflower chips near brushy slopes.
Feeder: Nyjer socks and sunflower chips; feeds in tight twittering flocks.
Feeder: Mealworms; nest boxes in open meadows with clear sightlines.
Feeder: Suet, sunflower, and pine seeds at mountain feeders.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: White millet and cracked corn on the ground or a low platform.
Feeder: Suet crumbs; occasionally sips at hummingbird feeders.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Large suet feeders mounted on a board or big trunk.
Feeder: Sunflower seeds and mountain ash berries in winter; tame at feeders.
Feeder: Nyjer and fine sunflower chips; irrupts to feeders in dense flocks.
Feeder: Black oil sunflower, especially at tube feeders, in winter and spring.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Suet and crushed nuts; communal winter flocks in pine towns.
Feeder: Sunflower seeds on open platforms; visits erratically with cone crops.
Feeder: Suet and fruit; tends sap wells on birches and conifers.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Sunflower, millet, and corn — arrives in loud flocks.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Sugar-water feeders; fiercely territorial — hang several apart.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Hunts small feeder birds in winter; give feeders escape cover.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Mealworms and a nest box facing open ground.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Tree-cavity style nest boxes; listen for the bouncing-ball call.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Suet, whole peanuts, and sunflower; walks headfirst down trunks.
Feeder: Sunflower chips and white millet on the ground near brush.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Visits backyard feeders and water features.
Feeder: Suet cakes, berries, and peanut butter smeared on bark.
The Washington Seasonal Feeder Calendar
🌱 Spring
March – MayRufous Hummingbirds return in March — keep the Anna’s feeders up and add more. Robins sing before dawn; chickadees and Bushtits inspect nest boxes. Washington’s spring rains mold seed fast: use weather guards and smaller seed trays, and scrub feeders monthly with a 10% bleach solution.
☀️ Summer
June – AugustChange hummingbird nectar every 2–3 days and keep the birdbath clean. Robins and goldfinches raise broods — goldfinches nest late, in July, when thistles go to seed. Watch for streaky juveniles at feeders. In dry eastern Washington, a dripping birdbath outdraws every feeder.
🍂 Autumn
September – NovemberThe Pacific flyway hugs the coast. Varied Thrushes and Golden-crowned Sparrows arrive in October; Rufous Hummingbirds leave by August. Stock seed and suet ahead of the wet season, and watch berry bushes for Cedar Waxwing flocks.
❄️ Winter
December – FebruaryPrime feeding season. Suet, black oil sunflower, and Nyjer serve chickadees, nuthatches, flickers, and finch flocks. Anna’s Hummingbirds stay all winter — bring nectar in on freezing nights or use a feeder warmer. Varied Thrushes work the leaf litter after every storm.
Frequently Asked Questions: Backyard Birding in Washington
- The State Bird: The American Goldfinch — Washington’s state bird since 1951 — winters here in drab olive and returns to brilliant yellow by April; Nyjer feeders keep them year-round.
- The Winter Hummingbird: Anna’s Hummingbirds don’t migrate — they live in Washington yards all year, even in snow. Keep one nectar feeder up and thawed all winter.
- Two Chickadees: Chestnut-backed rules the wet west side; Black-capped rules the dry east — and they overlap in between. Your feeder may host both.
- Mold, Not Cold: Washington’s wet climate spoils seed faster than its mild winters do — weather guards, small trays, and weekly cleaning matter more than feeder volume.
- The Map: The pinned map at the top of this page shows where each of the 16 featured birds is most characteristic; every pin jumps to a profile with photos, a playable call, and a full guide link.
- Best Single Upgrade: A suet cage plus a Nyjer feeder — chickadees, nuthatches, flickers, and goldfinches, twelve months a year.
Washington Birding Checklist
Region: Washington — 101 Backyard Species