This is a difficult question to answer because of the sheer number of common birds of iowa. Did you know that there are over 390 species recorded here?
As you can imagine, there is no way to include that many birds in the article below. So instead, I have tried to focus on the most commonly seen and observed birds. birdsofjoy.com shares the best and common birds of iowa.
The best and common birds of iowa
American Nightingale
The American Nightingale is a beautiful bird with a rusty red chest and a dark head and back. To identify it, look for a white throat and white spots around the eyes. Both males and females look alike, except that the female has a lighter skin tone. The American Nightingale is one of the most familiar birds in Iowa! They live in a variety of habitats and are found everywhere from forests to tundra. These birds are comfortable around humans and are often seen in backyards.
Although they are quite numerous, American Nightingales rarely visit bird feeders because they do not eat seeds. Instead, their diet consists of invertebrates such as worms, insects, snails, and fruit. For example, I often see a nightingale in my backyard, pulling up earthworms in the grass!
These birds also often nest near humans. Look for an open cup nest containing 3-5 beautiful, distinctive blue eggs. The American Nightingale sings a series of clear whistles, a familiar sound in the spring. (Listen to the American Nightingale song below)
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker is a woodpecker with a short, relatively small bill. In terms of color, they have a white belly and a mostly black back with white streaks and spots. Males have a distinctive red spot on the back of their heads, while females do not. Downy Woodpeckers are one of the most common birds in Iowa! They are easy to spot because they are commonly found in most backyards.
Downy Woodpeckers are very easy to attract to your backyard. The best foods to eat are lard, sunflower seeds, and peanuts (including peanut butter). You may even spot them drinking sugar water from your hummingbird feeder! If you use lard products, be sure to use a specialized lard bird feeder.
Hairy Woodpeckers
Hairy woodpeckers are distinctive for their striped heads and upright, upright posture when perched in trees. Their bodies are black and white and have long, chisel-like bills. Males can be identified by the red patch on the back of their heads, while females do not.
Hairy woodpeckers are common in Iowa and are often found in old-growth forests, suburban backyards, city parks, swamps, orchards, and even cemeteries. They can be found practically anywhere there are large trees.
Their most common call is a short, sharp “peek,” similar to the Downy Woodpecker, but slightly lower in pitch. They also make a sharp chirp or whinny.
Not to be confused with the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker can be a little difficult to identify because it looks very similar to the Downy Woodpecker. These two birds often confuse many people and can make species identification more difficult.
American Oriole
American Orioles vary in appearance between seasons and sexes. In the summer, males are bright yellow with black caps and black wings, while females are duller yellow and lack black caps. In the winter, both sexes turn light brown/olive and can be identified by their black wings and white wing stripes. These small, colorful birds are common in Iowa and can easily be attracted to your backyard.
American Orioles love Nyjer seeds, which not many other birds eat, along with sunflower seeds. To attract them, it helps to have a bird feeder designed specifically for goldfinches. These small birds are easily scared off by larger bullies, so they will prefer places that only they can use. In particular, American Orioles will feed in any position, even upside down.
American Orioles are strict vegetarians. Their diet consists entirely of seeds, with no insects, which is rare in the bird world. They naturally feed on seeds from asters, thistles, sunflowers, grasses, and many other plants. Because of this special diet, American goldfinches breed later than other birds. They wait until June or July, when most plants are in full seed production, ensuring there is enough food to feed their young.
House Sparrows
House sparrows have distinctly different characteristics between males and females. Males have a grey crest, black wattle, white cheeks, and chestnut on the sides of the face and neck, along with a brown back with black streaks. Females are dull brown with black streaks on the back and light brown underparts. They can be distinguished by the tan line extending behind the eye.
House sparrows are an invasive bird native to the Middle East and are now one of the most common and widespread birds in Iowa and around the world. They compete with many native birds, such as bluebirds and purple martins, for nesting space. These invasive species often prevail due to their adaptability and proximity to humans.
House sparrows are easily seen in most urban and suburban areas. They are extremely adaptable, love grains, and are frequently seen eating bread and popcorn at amusement parks and sporting events. They are especially fond of cracked corn, millet, and milo at bird feeders. House sparrows can be heard all over the world, and you can recognize them by their simple song with many “cheep” notes when watching the news in any country.
American Crow
The American Crow is a large bird, notable for its shiny black body that shimmers metallically in the light. They have black beaks, legs, and feet. They are very adaptable and are common in Iowa, living in a variety of environments. You can find them in forests, fields, rivers, swamps, farms, parks, landfills, golf courses, cemeteries, and residential areas.
Although crows do not frequent feeders as often as other birds, certain foods do attract them. The crows in my backyard love peanuts, shelled or unshelled. Whole corn and lard are also popular foods. You can try counting how many peanuts they can fit in their mouths.
Crows are known to be one of the most intelligent birds in Iowa. They are capable of using tools, solving problems, and recognizing human faces. Crows sometimes even do things just for fun, like sliding down roofs with round objects, which can be easily seen in videos on the internet.
American crows have an extensive vocabulary of calls, ranging from cackles to rattles. Their most common sound is “caw-caw,” a distinctive feature of their communication.
