If you live in Iowa and want to know how to lure birds to your backyard, you first need to know what birds are native to Iowa. We’ll provide information on some of the birds of Iowa.
Year-Round Residents
- Black-Capped Chickadee
- Northern Cardinal
- European Starling
Birds of Spring, Summer, and Early Fall
- Indigo Bunting
- Eastern Kingbird
Birds of Fall and Winter
- House Finch
- Red-Bellied Woodpecker
- Cedar Waxwing
We’ll provide a description of each bird, tell you what areas or types of vegetation you can find it in, and what they like to eat so you know what to use to lure them out into the open or to your birdfeeder.
Year-Round Resident Birds
Black-Capped Chickadee
The bird has short wings that have a hint of white and a velvet-gray back. The tail is long, thin, and gray. Their breasts and underbelly are snowy white, while their faces are capped with a black cap and a black bib extending from their heads to the middle of their eyes. They have a small, black, conical bill.
They’re between 4.7 and 5.9 inches long and their wingspan is between 6.3 and 8.3 inches. They prefer trees and dense vegetation. You can find these birds in forests, parks, shrubs, fields, and yards. They love peanut butter and suet.
Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinals’ bodies are mostly red, with some gray spots. Their wings are medium length, their tails are long, and their faces are vibrant. A large crest and black mask lean closely under the bill to resemble a goatee. The orange bill is short and stout.
Females have smooth brown skin and black faces. They sometimes have red highlights on their skin. Their wingspan is 9.8 to 12.2 inches, and they’re 8.3 to 9.1 inches long. They like dense shrubs or thickets near forest edges, but they also like the city, so you might see them foraging there. They like peanuts, cracked corn, suet, and Black Oil Sunflower seeds.
European Starling
From a distance, it resembles any blackbird. The straight, long bill sets it apart. Closer inspection reveals its purple-green coloring. Look for them in winter though, as they turn brown and have white spots.
Their wingspan is between 12.2 and 15.8 inches and they are 7.9 to 9.1 inches long. You can find them on farms and in cities. You’ll see them on fences, lawns, and even backyards if you provide food for them. They like honey, sunflower seeds, and berries.
Birds of Spring, Summer, and Early Fall
Indigo Bunting
Indigo Buntings come in many colors. Most of them have blue wings and tails, but sometimes the tips are black or gray. Sometimes their eye and bill have some black between them, and their face has a richer blue color. The silver-gray bill is slightly curved.
Males have brown and blue patches, and females have brown with blue and white around their throats. Their wingspan is 7.5 to 8.7 inches. They measure 4.7 to 5.1 inches long. They live in brush, thickets, and brambles. You’ll often find buntings inside dense shrubbery. Buntings eat thistles and mealworms.
Eastern Kingbird
The eastern kingbird’s back is a velvety dark grey color. The black wings have white tips, and the long tail has a white tip. The breast and abdomen are snowy white; it continues into the lower half of the face, framing the cheek and finishing mid-bill. The upper half of the bird’s face resembles a black hood. Its bill is long and black. It measures 7.5 to 9.1 inches long and has a 13 to 15-inch wingspan.
They prefer open spaces like weedy or grassy fields and areas susceptible to flooding. Feed them dried mealworms and apple chunks. They don’t like feeders, so fruiting trees or vines may be more attractive.
Birds of Fall and Winter
House Finch
It has striped wings, and its back can be brown or gray. The tail is gray to brown with white edges. Its underbelly is white with dark streaks, and its breast is red. The underside of the bill and cap is red, with the gray eye line curving around to frame the cheek in white with gray underlining. Females lack red coloring or facial markings but have more streaking at the breast.
Finches’ bills are silver, straight, stout, and curved at the top. Their wingspan is 7.9-9.5 inches and they’re 5.1-5.5 inches long. Forest clearings, meadows, and forest edges are favorite haunts, but they like the city more. They eat sunflower seeds, nuts, and fruit.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
They have black and white stripes across their backs and long wings and tails. They also have faint red splashes around their breasts and red markings on the underbelly. They have a white face with red cheeks and throat, and a bold red cap that crosses behind their head and ends at the base of their neck. Their bill is straight and black. Their wingspan is 13 to 16.5 inches, and they are 9.4 inches long.
They like oak or hickory stands. They wander into parks and visit backyards if they see food left out for them. They like insects and sweets. Serve them black oil sunflower seeds for the main course, and oranges for dessert.
Cedar Waxwing
This bird’s plumage is distinctive. Soft, brown fur covers its back and lower half of its wings. You’ll see descending red lines above the black wingtips. It is short and gray, but its tail turns black and then yellow at the tips. Its eyes are darker brown.
A black mask extends past the eyes and curves backward on it. Its bill is straight with some white accentuating the black of the mask. It’s 5.5 to 6.7 inches long, and 8.7 to 11.8 inches wide. They visit gardens, orchards, and backyards, especially if you have a shrub cover to keep them safe.
Those are some birds of Iowa you should know about. If you’re visiting Iowa, look for them. If you live there, leave something in your feeder to attract them to your backyard.