Washington gardens create perfect havens for some of nature’s most colorfully surprising birds. Our state’s unique mix of climates and native plants attracts feathered visitors that can transform an ordinary backyard into a birdwatcher’s paradise.
Creating bird-friendly spaces with diverse plants not only beautifies your garden but invites these living jewels to become regular visitors at your feeders and flowering shrubs.
1. Western Tanager’s Striking Red And Yellow
Summer evenings in my Washington garden often bring this flame-colored visitor to my mountain ash tree. The male’s brilliant yellow body contrasted with a red-orange head creates a tropical appearance that seems out of place in the Pacific Northwest.
They particularly love gardens with tall conifer edges and deciduous trees. Plant native serviceberry or elderberry shrubs to entice these colorful birds closer to viewing windows.
Western Tanagers feast on both insects and berries, making a diverse garden with both flowering plants and fruit-bearing shrubs irresistible to them during their breeding season visits from May through July.
2. Evening Grosbeak In Uncommon Gold Shades
Nothing brightens a dreary Washington winter day like the sudden appearance of Evening Grosbeaks at my feeding station. Their chunky bodies showcase a unique gold coloration that glows against our evergreen backdrop, topped with striking black and white wing patterns.
Maple trees are particular favorites of these hefty finches. I’ve noticed they visit more frequently when I’ve filled platform feeders with black oil sunflower seeds – their preferred meal.
Gardens with a mix of conifers and deciduous trees create the perfect habitat edge these birds prefer. Their distinctive call, resembling a clear chirp, often announces their arrival before you spot their gold plumage.
3. Purple Finch That Looks Almost Exotic
Many Washington gardeners mistake the Purple Finch for its more common cousin, the House Finch. The difference becomes clear when sunlight hits the male – revealing a genuine raspberry-colored wash across the entire head and breast instead of just a red cap.
My garden’s nyjer seed feeder became a Purple Finch hotspot last spring. They also frequent my coneflowers and black-eyed Susans when the seeds begin to mature in late summer.
Creating a garden with native seed-producing flowers provides natural food sources that keep these colorful visitors returning. Unlike many birds, Purple Finches will bring their young to garden feeders, giving you glimpses of the next generation.
4. The Unexpected Blue Of Mountain Bluebirds
First-time spotters often gasp at the electric turquoise-blue of a male Mountain Bluebird against green garden foliage. Eastern Washington gardeners are more likely to host these stunning birds, especially in rural areas with open spaces nearby.
Offering mealworms in open platform feeders has successfully attracted them to my garden borders. Creating perching spots with varied heights gives these insect-catchers perfect hunting platforms above garden beds.
Mountain Bluebirds readily accept nest boxes with specific dimensions. Installing a properly-sized bluebird house on the edge of your garden might encourage these sky-blue beauties to raise their young within daily viewing distance during spring and summer months.
5. American Goldfinch In Backyard Gardens
Our Washington state bird brings summer sunshine with its brilliant yellow plumage. Males sport a black cap that makes them look like they’re wearing a stylish beret while bouncing through garden plants in search of seeds.
Gardeners who leave coneflower, sunflower, and cosmos seedheads standing through fall create natural feeding stations. Last August, I counted eleven goldfinches on my spent coneflowers, their yellow bodies bobbing as they extracted seeds.
Unlike many birds that disappear in winter, some American Goldfinches stay year-round in Washington gardens, though their bright colors fade to olive-drab during colder months. Keep nyjer seed feeders filled to maintain their cheerful presence through all seasons.
6. Rufous Hummingbird Visiting Flower Beds
Gardens explode with energy when these copper-colored missiles zoom between blooms. Rufous Hummingbirds display a metallic orange-red that flashes like burnished copper in sunlight – unlike the green of our other Washington hummingbird species.
Plant trumpet-shaped flowers in red and orange hues to attract these territorial dynamos. My salvia bed becomes a battleground each summer as males chase rivals away from prime nectar sources.
Despite weighing less than a nickel, these birds migrate thousands of miles annually. Creating sequential blooming gardens with crocosmia, penstemon, and fuchsia provides refueling stations from spring through fall, helping sustain their remarkable journey through our Washington landscapes.
7. Cedar Waxwing With Subtle Color Blends
Few birds match the refined elegance of Cedar Waxwings with their silky, peach-fading-to-yellow plumage, black mask, and waxy red wingtips that look like sealing wax droplets. These social birds typically arrive in small flocks to feast on garden berries.
My serviceberry shrubs become waxwing magnets each June. The birds methodically strip every berry, sometimes passing them to each other in a charming feeding ritual rarely seen in other species.
Washington gardeners can attract these sophisticated birds by planting native fruiting shrubs like elderberry, dogwood, and viburnum. Their gentle trilling calls announce their arrival before they descend on berry-laden branches throughout summer and fall months.
8. Northern Flicker’s Bright Markings
Garden soil in Washington often reveals these unusual woodpeckers hunting for ants on the ground. Northern Flickers showcase salmon-pink underwings and tail feathers that flash surprisingly when they take flight from garden lawns.
Western Washington gardens typically host the “red-shafted” variety with red whisker marks, while eastern counties see more “yellow-shafted” birds. Both sport polka-dotted bellies and a distinctive black bib that makes them stand out from typical woodpecker patterns.
Maintaining some open ground with healthy soil ecology attracts these colorful birds to feast on ants and grubs. My mulched garden beds frequently host Flickers probing for insects, their curved bills perfectly adapted for extracting protein-rich treats from between plants.
9. Spotted Towhee In Shrub Borders
Garden cleanup procrastination paid off when I discovered these striking birds rustling through my leaf litter. Spotted Towhees combine a jet-black hood and back with vibrant rufous sides and white spotted markings that create a Halloween-colored palette unlike any other Washington garden visitor.
Their distinctive two-footed backward scratching motion sends leaves and mulch flying as they search for hidden insects and seeds. Native shrub borders that aren’t too tidy provide ideal foraging grounds.
Gardens with dense, low-growing native shrubs like Oregon grape, salal, and snowberry create perfect Towhee habitat. These shy birds prefer protective cover but reward patient observers with their distinctive “drink-your-tea” song throughout Washington gardens from coast to mountains.
10. Red-Breasted Sapsucker Along Garden Edges
The crimson bib against charcoal-gray plumage makes this woodpecker relative unmistakable when it visits Washington gardens with mature trees. Their name comes from their habit of drilling neat rows of holes in tree bark to collect sap and catch insects.
Gardens featuring native birch, maple, or fruit trees often attract these distinctive birds. I spotted one working methodically up my old apple tree last spring, its red head flashing between branches as it maintained its sap wells.
While some gardeners worry about damage, the small holes rarely harm healthy trees and actually create feeding opportunities for hummingbirds who visit the sap wells. Creating garden spaces with some mature trees helps support these unique birds throughout western Washington.
11. Varied Thrush That Stands Out In Fall
Autumn gardens in Washington receive a special visitor when Varied Thrushes descend from mountain forests to lower elevations. Their slate-blue backs and burnt-orange breast bisected by a bold black necklace create a color combination that seems designed for Northwest forests.
Fallen fruit beneath garden trees attracts these shy birds. My winterberry holly becomes a temporary cafeteria when berries ripen and Varied Thrushes appear silently to feast, their orange plumage glowing against evergreen foliage.
Gardens with a mix of conifers and berry-producing shrubs create ideal winter habitat. Maintaining leaf litter in garden corners provides foraging opportunities for these ground-feeding birds during their seasonal visits to Washington’s lowland gardens and parks.
12. Steller’s Jay Flashing Deep Colors
Gardens near wooded areas often host these bold corvids with their deep indigo-blue bodies and charcoal crests. Unlike the familiar blue jay of eastern states, our Washington Steller’s Jays showcase a richer, darker blue that seems perfectly matched to our evergreen forests.
Peanuts or sunflower seeds scattered on garden patios quickly attract these intelligent birds. Their raucous calls announce their presence as they swoop down from Douglas firs to investigate garden offerings.
My backyard feeding station becomes a regular Steller’s Jay stop during winter months. Creating garden spaces with tall native conifers at the edges provides the perfect staging area for these striking birds to survey your yard before making dramatic entrances to feeders.