Birding Factoids

360 species
in 43 families

56 of the 246 species 
endemic to 
North America are 
represented here. 
No state endemics
2 USA endemics

    Idaho
    Hotspots
Checklist of Idaho BirdsLocal EventsTours and GuidesRare Bird AlertsSpeciality BirdsMap
...
Idaho Specialities
(Pause your cursor on the photo to see the species name. Click on the birds for more info... )
Mountain Bluebird - state bird - Photo by A. Wilson
Photo by Andrew Wilson

Common Merganser - highest breeding density - Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Common Snipe - highest breeding density - Photo copyright Don Desjardin
Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Spotted Sandpiper - Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Rought-legged Hawk - Photo copyright George McCarthy

Photo copyright George McCarthy

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Photo copyright Bill Horn

Photo copyright Bill Horn
    ...
    Key to Icons....Snake River Birds of Prey Area - near Boise,  Idaho
      has about 700 pairs of nesting raptors from mid-march to early June. 
    ...
    ....Three Rivers Ranch Birding Itinerary - this commercial site provides
      an interesting week-long itinerary birding in the south-east Idaho area. Three Rivers Ranch is located on the edge of the Snake River plain, surrounded by National Forest, within easy driving distance of several National Wildlife Refuges and Yellowstone National Park. 
    ...
    ....Guide to the Bear Lake Valley - By Michelle Licudine. Despite
      early pressures by emigrants and settlers to the area, today the area is still a haven for many species of waterfowl and other species of migratory birds. Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Formation Spring Preserve are three areas offering a wide variety of bird  watching activities.
    ...
    ....Palouse Audubon Society's Area Hotspots - The Palouse Audubon
      Society has been serving the Palouse region of North Central Idaho and Eastern Washington since 1973. Chapter Headquarters is in Moscow, Idaho.
    ...
    ....Idaho's Watchable Wildlife Sites - links to information 
      on a huge variety of wildlife sites in Idaho.
    ...
    ....Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Index - clickable
      map leads to information on: 
      • Bear Lake NWR
      • Camas NWR
      • Deer Flat NWR
      • Grays Lake NWR
      • Kootenai NWR
      • Minidoka NWR
      • Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area
      • Southeast Idaho Refuge Complex (Bear Lake, Camas, Grays Lake, Minidoka, and Oxford Slough)
    ...
    ....Idaho's Wildlife Management Areas - this site provides
      dowloadable (PDF format) descriptions of many of Idaho's 29 Wildlife Management Areas. "Several of them are excellent sites for birding. We just went to the Camas NWR and also to the Market Lake WMA and we found that the WMA had as many birds as did the National Wildlife Refuge." Information provided by Cliff Keene. 
    ...
    ....Birding in Idaho - from On-Line Highways
    ...
    ....Boise's Greenbelt - Bald eagles, golden eagles, kingfishers, 
      Canada geese, great blue heron, mergansers, mallards, loons, etc., can be seen along the Greenbelt.  Various songbirds can be found in the trees at different times of the year.  The local Audubon Society often takes field trips along various segments of the Greenbelt.  There are several ponds along the Greenbelt which follows the Boise River for approximately 27 miles.  Over 20 miles of the Greenbelt is paved and is handicapped accessible.  Any visitor to Boise who has an interest in birds will find parking readily available at various points along the  Greenbelt. Information provided by Pat McCoy. 
    ...
    ....Birding within the Boundaries of National Parks - By Susan Weller. 
      National Parks are important to resident birds and also provide reliable stopover and staging areas for migratory birds during fall and winter. 
    ...
    ....Trip Report - Idaho - June, 1997 by Arlene Ripley. Covers the Boise 
      Greenbelt, Snake River Birds of Prey area,  and Craters of the Moon National Monument area.
    ...
    ....Idaho Trip Reports - a number of Idaho trip reports are available
      from Blake Maybank's "Birding the Americas - Trip Report and Trip Planning Repository".

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Tours and Guides

See DISCLAIMER
>>>>

birdingpal.com...>> A Birding Pal is not a paid guide, but someone who likes to help out of town visitors. You can become a Birding Pal today! Help someone to enjoy your local birding spots and find a pal to help you when you travel. Click here for Idaho Birding Pals, or join to be a Birding Pal!
Osprey - highest breeding density - Photo copyright Oleg Volk
Photo copyright Oleg Volk
    American Tour Operator....Tour de Jour - A Different Tour Each Day. Come see what the 
      high desert of Idaho has to offer. All three target areas are wildlife refuges, so expect to see shore & waterbirds, songbirds & raptors, along with some big game wildlife & an abundance of wildflowers.

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Local Birding Events

Belted Kingfisher - Photo copyright Monte Taylor
Photo copyright Monte Taylor

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 Rare Bird Alert

Black-billed Magpie - Photo copyright Robert McDonald
Photo copyright Robert McDonald
         Northern Idaho / Eastern Washington / Northeastern Oregon Hotline: 
      (208) 882-6195 
         South Idaho, concentrating on SE Idaho, Hotline: (208) 236-3337 
         Southwest Idaho Hotline: (208) 368-6096 
         Check also Idaho RBA Archives
         Also see the 1999 Bird Highlights for British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon,
      Washington, Yukon

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North American Specialities in Idaho

Information derived from Sibley & Monroe checklists in Thayer's Birder's Diary - Version 2.5.
These counts will differ in minor ways from counts based on the ABA classification,
but an international checklist system was required to enable world-wide
country to country comparisons.These speciality birds may be uncommon, or extremely rare
at this location, or may only be present in migration. However, documented sightings of
each species noted below have been made in Idaho location. Consult the Breeding Bird Survey or
Christmas Bird Count data on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center website
to determine the "best" place to see each bird.


USA Endemics in Idaho

___ Black Rosy-Finch ___ Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
North American Endemic Specialities in Idaho

___ Anna's Hummingbird
___ Black-chinned Hummingbird
___ Black-headed Grosbeak
___ Black-throated Sparrow
___ Blue Grouse
___ Brewer's Sparrow
___ Bullock's Oriole
___ California Gull
___ Calliope Hunmmingbird
___ Canyon Wren
___ Cassin's Finch
___ Chestnut-backed Chickadee
___ Clark's Grebe
___ Clark's Nutcracker
___ Common Poorwill
___ Cordilleran Flycatcher
___ Curve-billed Thrasher
___ Ferruginous Hawk
___ Gambel's Quail
___ Grey Flycatcher
___ Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch
___ Harris's Sparrow
___ House Finch
___ Le Conte's Sparrow
___ Lewis's Woodpecker
___ McCown's Longspur
___ Mountain Bluebird
___ Mountain Chickadee
___ Mountain Plover
___ Mountain Quail
___ Pileated Woodpecker
___ Pinyon Jay
___ Plain Titmouse
___ Prairie Falcon
___ Pygmy Nuthatch
___ Red-naped Sapsucker
___ Ruffed Grouse
___ Sage Sparrow
___ Sage Thrasher
___ Say's Phoebe
___ Scott's Oriole
___ Sharp-tailed Grouse
___ Spotted Towhee
___ Spruce Grouse
___ Timberline Sparrow
___ Townsend's Solitaire
___ Trumpeter Swan
___ Western Bluebird
___ Western Grebe
___ Western Gull
___ Western Screech-Owl
___ Western Scrub-Jay
___ Whooping Crane
___ White-headed Woodpecker
___ White-tailed Ptarmigan
___ Williamson's Sapsucker

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Links checked November 28, 2000