Colorado Birds Guide

Discover the birds that visit Front Range backyards year-round and learn how to attract them to your yard

400+ Species in Colorado

30+ Common Backyard Birds

4 Seasons of Birding

Year-Round Residents

Present all year

Black-capped Chickadee perched on a snowy branch

Year-Round

Black-capped Chickadee

Bold, curious, and always hungry — the most fearless visitor at any Front Range feeder.

Male House Finch with vivid red plumage

Year-Round

House Finch

Males flash rosy-red heads; cheerful flocks crowd sunflower feeders throughout the year.

Dark-eyed Junco foraging on the ground

Year-Round

Dark-eyed Junco

Slate-and-white "snowbirds" that scatter white tail feathers as they flush from feeders.

Downy Woodpecker clinging to a suet feeder

Year-Round

Downy Woodpecker

North America's smallest woodpecker — a suet-feeder regular with a candy-cane back.

White-breasted Nuthatch walking headfirst down a tree trunk

Year-Round

White-breasted Nuthatch

The acrobatic "upside-down bird," creeping headfirst down bark in search of insects.

Blue Jay displaying brilliant blue and white plumage

Year-Round

Blue Jay

Striking, intelligent, and loud — often the first to spot a hawk and raise the alarm.

Northern Flicker showing spotted breast and red crescent

Year-Round

Northern Flicker

Colorado's flashiest woodpecker, with spotted belly and brilliant orange-red wing linings.

American Robin with orange-red breast on a lawn

Year-Round

American Robin

The herald of spring — though many stay all winter in Denver's urban parks and yards.

Spring & Summer Migrants

Seasonal visitors

Broad-tailed Hummingbird hovering at a red flower

Spring Migrant

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Colorado's signature summer hummer, arriving in May with the males' trilling wingbeats.

American Goldfinch in bright yellow summer plumage

Spring Migrant

American Goldfinch

Males turn brilliant yellow each spring — a crowd-pleaser at Nyjer and sunflower feeders.

Summer Visitors

Summer only

Mountain Bluebird perched on a fence post against blue sky

Summer Visitor

Mountain Bluebird

Colorado's sky-blue state bird, nesting in mountain meadows and foothills nest boxes.

Red-tailed Hawk soaring with wings spread wide

Summer Visitor

Red-tailed Hawk

The iconic soaring raptor of Colorado's open skies — recognizable by its rusty tail.

No birds found for this season filter.

Attract More Birds

Choose the Right Feeder

Match your feeder to the birds you want to attract. Our experts can help you find the perfect setup for any Front Range yard.

Tube seed feeder filled with sunflower seeds

Seed Feeders

Tube, hopper, and platform feeders loaded with sunflower or safflower seed draw the widest variety of Colorado songbirds to your yard.

Finches Chickadees Juncos Blue Jays

Hummingbird feeder

Hummingbird Feeders

Hang a hummingbird feeder by mid-April so it's ready when Broad-tailed Hummingbirds arrive from Mexico. Keep it up through September.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird

Suet cage feeder

Suet Feeders

High-energy suet cakes are the top choice for woodpeckers and nuthatches — especially valuable in winter when insects are scarce.

Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Nuthatches