Nevada’s desert landscape might seem like an unlikely spot for colorful birds, but our state actually hosts some spectacular feathered visitors. From mountain slopes to backyard feeders, these vibrant birds add unexpected splashes of color to our arid environment.
Keep your eyes peeled for these rare and colorful avian neighbors that might just be stopping by your yard.
1. Vermilion Flycatcher
The male Vermilion Flycatcher looks like a small ball of fire perched on your fence or tree branch. With his bright red head and chest contrasting against dark wings, he’s impossible to miss.
These birds typically inhabit riparian areas but occasionally venture into suburban yards with trees. Males perform spectacular aerial displays, flying upward and then floating down while singing, trying to impress potential mates.
2. Lazuli Bunting
Sporting a brilliant blue head and back, rusty-orange chest band, and white belly, male Lazuli Buntings transform any Nevada yard into a colorful sanctuary. These songbirds frequently visit during spring migration.
They’re particularly drawn to yards with seed feeders and nearby shrubs for protection. Listen for their sweet, warbling songs that ring out from perches during breeding season. Females are more subtly colored with soft brown tones.
3. Western Tanager
Imagine a bird wearing a flaming red-orange face mask with a yellow body and black wings – that’s the striking male Western Tanager. These colorful visitors sometimes appear in Nevada yards during migration periods.
Despite their tropical appearance, Western Tanagers breed in pine forests of the Sierra Nevada and other mountain ranges. They’re attracted to yards with fruit trees, berry bushes, and water features. Their presence is often brief but unforgettable.
4. Lewis’s Woodpecker
Unlike typical woodpeckers, the Lewis’s sports an unusual color combination – dark greenish-black back, pink belly, and red face patch. These striking birds occasionally visit yards near wooded areas, especially in northern Nevada.
Named after explorer Meriwether Lewis, these woodpeckers catch insects in mid-air like flycatchers. They’re drawn to properties with dead trees for nesting and perching. Their flight pattern resembles a crow more than typical woodpeckers, with slow, deep wing beats.
5. Evening Grosbeak
Evening Grosbeaks bring a splash of yellow to Nevada yards during winter irruptions. Males display bright yellow bodies with striking black and white wings and a prominent yellow forehead stripe.
These stocky finches have massive beaks designed for cracking seeds. They descend from mountain forests in unpredictable years when food is scarce in their normal range. A single Evening Grosbeak can empty your bird feeder astonishingly fast!
6. Varied Thrush
The Varied Thrush resembles a robin wearing a Halloween costume – orange-rust underparts with a bold black necklace across the chest and bluish-gray back and tail. These secretive birds occasionally appear in Nevada yards during winter.
Native to Pacific Northwest forests, they venture into Nevada when heavy snow covers their food sources. Look for them foraging quietly under shrubs or trees. Their haunting, ethereal song sounds like a single sustained note that rises and falls in pitch.
7. Hepatic Tanager
Male Hepatic Tanagers display a unique brick-red color that stands apart from other tanagers. These uncommon visitors sometimes appear in southern Nevada yards with plenty of trees and shrubs.
Their name comes from the Latin word for liver, referencing their distinctive reddish color. Females are yellow-olive, blending perfectly with foliage. They hunt insects among tree branches and occasionally visit fruit feeders, particularly during migration through desert mountain ranges.
8. Indigo Bunting
Resembling a piece of the summer sky, male Indigo Buntings shine with deep blue plumage that appears almost iridescent in sunlight. These uncommon Nevada visitors occasionally stop in yards during migration.
Despite their tropical appearance, they’re actually related to sparrows. Indigo Buntings navigate by using stars as their guide during night migration! Attract them with nyjer seed or white millet in feeders and by maintaining dense shrubs where they can find shelter.
9. Painted Redstart
The Painted Redstart looks like it’s wearing formal attire – glossy black with a bright red belly, white wing patches, and white eye arcs. These eye-catching birds occasionally venture into southern Nevada yards with mature trees.
Watch for their distinctive behavior – they fan their tails and spread their wings while hopping along branches, flushing out insects. Originally from Mexico and Central America, they’re expanding their range northward. Providing a bird bath is your best bet for attracting these water-loving beauties.
10. Scott’s Oriole
Brilliant lemon-yellow and jet-black, Scott’s Orioles bring tropical flair to southern Nevada yards. Males display a striking black hood and back contrasting with their vibrant yellow underparts.
These desert specialists have a special relationship with yucca plants, often building nests in them and feeding on yucca nectar. Unlike many colorful birds, Scott’s Orioles remain in southern Nevada year-round in some areas. Offering orange halves or grape jelly can entice these beautiful birds to your yard.
11. Phainopepla
Often called the “desert cardinal,” male Phainopeplas shine with glossy black feathers and striking red eyes. Their slender profile and crest give them an elegant, distinctive silhouette on desert vegetation.
Females wear a more subtle gray plumage. These unique birds have a fascinating double breeding strategy – nesting first in desert areas and then moving to higher elevations for a second brood. They’re especially fond of mistletoe berries growing on desert trees and shrubs.
12. Mountain Bluebird
Nevada’s state bird transforms yards into scenes from a fairy tale with its ethereal sky-blue coloration. Males display an almost unreal turquoise blue that seems to glow against desert landscapes.
Mountain Bluebirds frequently visit yards at higher elevations or during migration in valley areas. They hover while hunting insects, similar to kestrels. Installing bluebird nest boxes might encourage these beautiful birds to raise families in your yard, especially if you have open space nearby.