Washington winters are less snow globe and more damp hoodie that never quite dries (my hair has filed several complaints). The upside is that Washington winter birds don't mind the drizzle one bit. West of the Cascades, mild, wet weather keeps hummingbirds, thrushes, and sparrows around all season, while the colder, drier east side collects magpies, waxwings, and rosy-finches. And in the Skagit Valley, tens of thousands of snow geese turn farm fields white without a single flake of snow.
The state bird sticks around, too, though it's easy to overlook. The American Goldfinch is Washington's state bird, and according to Birds Connect Seattle's BirdWeb, it's uncommon in winter west of the Cascades but common year-round on the Columbia Plateau. In winter it swaps its lemon-yellow outfit for olive-brown, so the bird you're looking for may be sitting right on your feeder in disguise.
Types of Winter Birds in Washington
There are 3 types of winter birds in Washington you'll see on this list:
- Resident Washington Birds – species that live here all year, like chickadees, Steller's Jays, Spotted Towhees, and Anna's Hummingbirds. Some move downhill or into the lowlands when the mountains fill with snow
- Winter Migrants / Visitors – birds that breed farther north and spend the cold months here. That includes Golden-crowned Sparrows, Rough-legged Hawks, Trumpeter Swans, and snow geese that fly in from Wrangel Island in Russia. The Fir Island Farm unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area draws thousands of them from fall through early spring
- Irruptive Species – birds like Pine Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings, and Snowy Owls that flood in some winters and skip others, depending on food supplies up north
Each entry covers ID, male vs female, calls, where to find the bird in Washington, and its feeder favorites if it visits feeders. If you've ever wondered where the summer swallows and warblers vanished to, here's where birds go in the winter.
Birds of Washington in Winter: West vs East of the Cascades
The Cascade Range splits Washington into two very different winters, and it changes which birds you'll see. West of the mountains, in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham, Olympia, and Vancouver, winter is mostly rain with the occasional cold snap. That keeps the ground soft and the insects (just barely) available, so the west side holds Varied Thrushes, Anna's Hummingbirds, Bushtits, Townsend's Warblers, and a big crowd of sparrows under every feeder. It's also where the Skagit and Nooksack river valleys host the state's famous swans, snow geese, and Bald Eagles.
East of the Cascades, in Spokane, Wenatchee, Yakima, and the Okanogan, winter is colder, sunnier, and snowier. Here you'll find Black-billed Magpies, Mountain Chickadees, Bohemian Waxwing flocks, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, and open-country hawks over the wheat fields. Some of the common birds in Washington, like Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Flickers, and Black-capped Chickadees, are found on both sides, so they make a good warm-up before you start chasing the specialties.
1. Dark-eyed Junco
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Junco hyemalis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird / Winter Migrant
The Dark-eyed Junco tops the chart in the Pacific Northwest. In Project FeederWatch's North Pacific rankings, it showed up at nearly 96% of count sites, which is better attendance than I managed at any book club. Plenty of Washington's juncos breed in the mountains and drift down into backyards for the winter, joined by more from the north.
Most juncos in Washington are the "Oregon" form. Males have a sharp black hood, a warm brown back, and pinkish-buff sides. Females have a paler, grayer hood and look softer overall. Both have a pink bill and flash white outer tail feathers when they take off.
The Dark-eyed Junco call is a sharp tick or smack, and flocks keep up a soft twitter as they feed.
In Washington winters, juncos are statewide, from city yards to sagebrush edges, usually in small flocks hopping on the ground.
Feeder favorites: millet, sunflower chips, cracked corn scattered on the ground
2. Northern Flicker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Colaptes auratus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Northern Flicker was the second most widespread bird in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings, which surprises people who think of woodpeckers as shy. Flickers spend a lot of time on the ground eating ants, and in winter they switch over to berries, seeds, and suet.
Washington's flickers are mostly the "Red-shafted" type, with salmon-red under the wings and tail. They're brown with black barring on the back, black spots on the belly, and a black crescent across the chest. Males have a red mustache stripe, and females don't.
The Northern Flicker call is a loud, single klee-yer and a long, rolling wick-wick-wick. They also drum on gutters and metal vents, usually right outside the bedroom window.
In Washington winters, flickers are common statewide in neighborhoods, parks, farmland, and open woods.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower
3. Black-capped Chickadee
- Family – Paridae
- Species – Poecile atricapillus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Black-capped Chickadee is the friendly little ringleader of Washington's winter flocks. It eats seeds and hibernating insects, stashes food in bark crevices all fall, and remembers where it put most of it.
It has a black cap and bib, bright white cheeks, a soft gray back, and buffy sides. Males and females look alike.
The Black-capped Chickadee call is its namesake chick-a-dee-dee-dee, and the more dees it adds, the more worked up it is. Its song is a sweet, whistled fee-bee.
In Washington winters, it's found statewide in lowland woods, river corridors, parks, and backyards, though it's less common in the dense forests of the outer coast.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, shelled peanuts
4. Chestnut-backed Chickadee
- Family – Paridae
- Species – Poecile rufescens
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is the Pacific Northwest's own chickadee, a conifer-forest specialist that spends most of its time high in Douglas-firs and western hemlocks. It shows up at feeders near big evergreens and often travels with kinglets and Black-capped Chickadees.
It has a sooty brown cap, a black bib, white cheeks, and a rich chestnut back and sides, like it's wearing a little suede vest. Males and females look alike.
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee call is a hoarse, high, buzzy tsick-a-dee-dee, faster and scratchier than the Black-capped's.
In Washington winters, it's common in the conifer forests of western Washington, from the Olympic Peninsula to Puget Sound neighborhoods, with smaller numbers in the mountain forests of the northeast.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, shelled peanuts
5. Mountain Chickadee
- Family – Paridae
- Species – Poecile gambeli
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird (east of the Cascades)
The Mountain Chickadee is the east side's chickadee. It lives in pine and fir forests on the dry side of the Cascades, and Okanogan Country lists it among the regulars at winter feeding stations.
It looks like a Black-capped Chickadee that added a bold white eyebrow, which breaks up the black cap. Its sides are grayer, without the buffy wash. Males and females look alike.
The Mountain Chickadee call is a hoarse chick-a-dee-dee, and its song is a clear, falling whistle of three or four notes.
In Washington winters, look for it in ponderosa pine forests and mountain towns from the eastern Cascades to the Okanogan, Methow Valley, and Spokane area.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, shelled peanuts
6. Spotted Towhee
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Pipilo maculatus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Spotted Towhee is the big, flashy sparrow scratching in the leaf litter under your shrubs. It ranked fifth in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings, and it eats like it's trying to dig to China: a two-footed hop backward that flings leaves everywhere.
Males have a jet-black hood and back, white spots on the wings, rusty sides, a white belly, and red eyes. Females have the same pattern but swap the black for dark chocolate brown.
The Spotted Towhee call is a catlike, rising mew, and the song is a quick, buzzy trill.
In Washington winters, towhees are common west of the Cascades in yards, parks, blackberry tangles, and forest edges, with fewer in brushy areas on the east side.
Feeder favorites: millet, black oil sunflower, cracked corn scattered on the ground near cover
7. Song Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Melospiza melodia
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Song Sparrow is the brown bird that pops up from the blackberries to scold you and then dives right back in. The ones in western Washington tend to be darker and richer brown than the paler birds of drier country.
It's streaky brown with a grayish face, a brown stripe through the eye, and heavy breast streaks that often meet in a dark central spot. Males and females look alike.
The Song Sparrow call is a nasal chimp, and on mild winter days it sings a bright song that starts with a few sharp notes and ends in a jumble.
In Washington winters, it's common in thickets, marsh edges, creeks, and brushy backyards across the state, especially west of the Cascades.
Feeder favorites: millet, sunflower chips scattered under shrubs
8. Golden-crowned Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Zonotrichia atricapilla
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Golden-crowned Sparrow breeds in Alaska and western Canada and winters along the West Coast, which makes western Washington one of the best places to meet it. Flocks work brushy yards and feeder areas together, often mixed with juncos and towhees.
Adults have a yellow forehead bordered by black and a plain gray-brown face. In winter, the black is duller and some birds look almost faded. Males and females look alike, and first-winter birds have just a faint yellow smudge on the forehead.
The Golden-crowned Sparrow song is three sad, falling whistles, often written as oh dear me, which is also roughly what I say when I check the weather in January.
In Washington winters, look for it in western Washington's hedgerows, garden shrubs, and brushy park edges.
Feeder favorites: millet, sunflower chips, cracked corn on the ground
9. Fox Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Passerella iliaca
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Fox Sparrow is a big, chunky sparrow that scratches through leaf litter with both feet, much like a towhee. It ranked 16th in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings, so it's a regular under west-side feeders even if most people have never heard of it.
The Fox Sparrows that winter in western Washington are mostly the dark "Sooty" type: deep, chocolate brown with heavy spotting that blends into a dark blotch on the breast. Males and females look alike.
The Fox Sparrow call is a sharp smack or chek, and it rarely sings in winter.
In Washington winters, look for it under dense shrubs, in blackberry thickets, and around backyard brush piles west of the Cascades.
Feeder favorites: millet, sunflower chips scattered on the ground near cover
10. House Finch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Haemorhous mexicanus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The House Finch is a seed-and-fruit eater that travels in chatty gangs and can drain a tube feeder in an afternoon. It's common on both sides of the Cascades and ranked fourth in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings.
Males have a rosy-red head, breast, and rump, though the color can run from strawberry to orange depending on diet. Females are plain gray-brown with blurry streaks and no red.
The House Finch song is a long, rambling warble that usually ends on a buzzy, rising note, and the call is a cheerful cheep.
In Washington winters, it's most common in towns, suburbs, and farmyards statewide.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, nyjer
11. Pine Siskin
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus pinus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird / Irruptive
The Pine Siskin is a small, streaky finch that roams in search of conifer and alder seeds. Some winters, flocks swarm Washington feeders, and other winters you'll barely see one. It ranked ninth in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings.
It's brown and heavily streaked with a thin, pointed bill and flashes of yellow in the wings and tail. Males tend to show a bit more yellow than females, but there's a lot of overlap.
The Pine Siskin call is a rising, buzzy zreeee, like someone slowly zipping up a jacket.
In Washington winters, numbers depend on seed crops. Look in conifer forests, alder stands, mountain towns, and well-stocked backyard feeders statewide. Siskins are prone to salmonella outbreaks at crowded feeders, so clean feeders often when they're around.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips
12. American Goldfinch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus tristis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Washington State Bird (resident)
The American Goldfinch is Washington's state bird, and it stays all winter in its drabber olive-brown plumage. It's a strict seed eater that bounces between weed patches and feeders in small flocks.
In winter, males keep a yellowish wash on the face and throat and jet-black wings with white bars. Females are grayer and duller, with brownish wings and fainter bars.
The American Goldfinch call is a bouncy po-ta-to-chip, given as it dips up and down in flight.
In Washington winters, goldfinches are most dependable east of the Cascades, especially along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. West of the mountains they're less common in winter but still turn up at tube feeders.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips, black oil sunflower
13. Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Family – Sittidae
- Species – Sitta canadensis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird / Irruptive
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a tiny conifer specialist that climbs down trunks head-first and pries seeds out of cones. It was eighth in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings, so if you have evergreens nearby, you probably have one of these.
It has a black cap, a bold white eyebrow, a black eye stripe, and a rusty-cinnamon belly. Males have a glossier black cap and richer rust below, while females have a grayer cap and paler underparts.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch call is a nasal yank-yank, often compared to a toy horn.
In Washington winters, it's common in conifer forests and wooded neighborhoods statewide, with more moving around in years when cone crops fail.
Feeder favorites: suet, shelled peanuts, black oil sunflower
14. Downy Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Dryobates pubescens
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in Washington, and it'll forage on twigs and weed stalks too thin for bigger woodpeckers. In winter it's a steady regular at suet feeders and often travels with chickadee flocks.
It's black and white with a white stripe down the back and a short, stubby bill. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head, and females don't.
The Downy Woodpecker call is a soft pik and a whinnying rattle that drops in pitch.
In Washington winters, look for it in alder and cottonwood groves, parks, and backyards statewide.
Feeder favorites: suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts
15. Steller's Jay
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Cyanocitta stelleri
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Steller's Jay is the Pacific Northwest's crested jay, and it treats a peanut feeder the way I treat a free sample table. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and the occasional egg, and it caches food for winter.
It has a sooty black head and tall crest with faint blue streaks on the forehead, and a deep blue body and wings. Males and females look alike.
The Steller's Jay call is a harsh shook-shook-shook, and it does a convincing Red-tailed Hawk scream when it wants everyone else gone.
In Washington winters, look for it in conifer forests and wooded neighborhoods on both sides of the Cascades. It ranked tenth in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings.
Feeder favorites: peanuts in the shell, black oil sunflower, suet
16. California Scrub-Jay
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Aphelocoma californica
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The California Scrub-Jay is a relative newcomer to much of Washington. It has spread north from Oregon over the past few decades and is now a familiar backyard bird in southwest Washington and parts of the Puget Sound lowlands. It's bold, curious, and buries acorns all over your lawn for later.
It has no crest. It's bright blue on the head, wings, and tail, with a gray-brown back, a whitish throat, and a blue "necklace" across the upper chest. Males and females look alike.
The California Scrub-Jay call is a harsh, rasping shreep, usually repeated a few times from the top of a shrub.
In Washington winters, look for it in oak woodlands, suburbs, and brushy parks from Vancouver north through the I-5 corridor.
Feeder favorites: peanuts, black oil sunflower, suet
17. Black-billed Magpie
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Pica hudsonia
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird (east of the Cascades)
The Black-billed Magpie is the bird that makes west-siders do a double take when they drive over Snoqualmie Pass. It's a loud, long-tailed corvid that eats insects, seeds, carrion, and anything left out on a porch.
It's black and white with an iridescent blue-green shine on the wings and tail, and the tail is longer than the body. Males and females look alike, though males are slightly bigger.
The Black-billed Magpie call is a harsh, rapid shek-shek-shek, plus a whiny, questioning mag?
In Washington winters, magpies are common in open country, farms, and towns east of the Cascades, from Yakima and Ellensburg to the Okanogan and Spokane.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, cracked corn
18. Varied Thrush
- Family – Turdidae
- Species – Ixoreus naevius
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Varied Thrush is the robin-shaped bird with the Halloween color scheme, and it's one of the best reasons to bird western Washington in winter. BirdWeb lists it as common in winter across western Washington, where it moves down from the mountain forests into lowland ravines, thickets, and sometimes your lawn.
Males have an orange throat and belly crossed by a black breast band, a bold orange eyebrow, and a blue-gray back. Females have the same pattern in softer tones, with a faint gray breast band and a browner back.
The Varied Thrush song is a long, eerie, buzzing whistle on one pitch, then another on a different pitch, like a referee who's lost his whistle and is doing his best.
In Washington winters, look for it in damp, wooded yards, stream ravines, and forest edges west of the Cascades, especially during cold snaps that push them into the lowlands.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower and millet on the ground, plus chopped apples
19. American Robin
- Family – Turdidae
- Species – Turdus migratorius
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Partial Migrant
The American Robin doesn't leave Washington for winter. It just stops pulling worms out of the lawn quite so often and joins roving flocks that strip berries from holly, madrone, hawthorn, and ornamental trees. In the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings, it visited nearly three-quarters of count sites.
It has a dark gray back and a warm orange breast. Males have a darker, almost black head and richer orange, while females are paler and grayer.
In winter, the American Robin call is mostly a low tut-tut and a thin tseep in flight. West-side robins sometimes start singing on mild days in late winter.
In Washington winters, robins are common statewide, especially in towns and river bottoms with fruiting trees.
Feeder favorites: chopped apples, softened raisins, and a reliable source of water
20. Anna's Hummingbird
- Family – Trochilidae
- Species – Calypte anna
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Anna's Hummingbird is the reason a Seattle birder might go outside at 6 a.m. in January to swap out a frozen nectar feeder. Its range has expanded over recent decades, and Birds Connect Seattle notes it's now the only hummingbird that stays in Washington through winter, lowering its body temperature at night to save energy.
Males have an iridescent rose-pink throat and crown that flash magenta in the sun and look almost black in the shade. Females are green above and grayish below, often with a small patch of pink in the center of the throat.
The Anna's Hummingbird song is a scratchy, squeaky jumble, and in late winter males make dramatic dive displays that end in a loud chirp made by their tail feathers.
In Washington winters, it's common in gardens and neighborhoods west of the Cascades, and a few now try their luck in eastern Washington towns.
Feeder favorites: nectar made with 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water, no red dye, kept from freezing
21. Bushtit
- Family – Aegithalidae
- Species – Psaltriparus minimus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird
The Bushtit is a tiny gray puffball with a long tail that travels in flocks of a dozen or more, swarming a suet feeder all at once and then vanishing just as quickly. It eats mostly tiny insects and spiders, even in winter.
It's plain gray-brown with a stubby bill and a long tail. The easiest way to tell the sexes apart is the eye: males have dark eyes, while females have pale, cream-colored eyes.
The Bushtit call is a constant, soft tsit and twitter that keeps the flock together.
In Washington winters, Bushtits are common west of the Cascades in shrubby yards, parks, and woodland edges. They ranked 19th in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings.
Feeder favorites: suet, especially soft suet cakes or suet dough
22. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Family – Regulidae
- Species – Corthylio calendula
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a hyperactive little olive bird that flicks its wings nonstop while it picks insects off twigs. Many arrive in western Washington's lowlands for winter after breeding in the mountains and farther north.
It's olive-green above with a broken white eye ring and a white wing bar next to a dark patch. Males have a red crown patch that they mostly keep hidden unless they're excited. Females don't have one.
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet call is a dry, husky ji-dit.
In Washington winters, look for it in shrubby yards, park edges, and mixed woods west of the Cascades, often with chickadees.
Feeder favorites: suet, mealworms
23. Townsend's Warbler
- Family – Parulidae
- Species – Setophaga townsendi
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor (western Washington)
The Townsend's Warbler is the bright yellow surprise at a January suet feeder. Most warblers leave the Pacific Northwest for winter, but a number of Townsend's spend the season in the mild lowlands of western Washington, gleaning insects in conifers and taking advantage of feeders.
Males have a black throat, a black cheek patch outlined in yellow, and a yellow breast with black streaks on the sides. Females and young birds are duller, with a yellowish throat and an olive cheek patch.
The Townsend's Warbler call is a sharp, thin tsip.
In Washington winters, look for it in conifers and backyard feeders around Puget Sound and the coast, usually in small mixed flocks with chickadees and kinglets.
Feeder favorites: suet
24. Evening Grosbeak
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Coccothraustes vespertinus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Irruptive
The Evening Grosbeak is a chunky finch with a bill like a nutcracker. It's nomadic in winter and can descend on a Washington feeder in a loud flock, empty it, and move on before you find your binoculars.
Males are mustard-yellow and brown with a bright yellow eyebrow, black wings, and big white wing patches. Females are silvery gray with a yellowish wash on the neck and black-and-white wings.
The Evening Grosbeak call is a loud, ringing peer, often given by the whole flock at once.
In Washington winters, look in mountain forests and towns on both sides of the Cascades, especially in northeast Washington, with irregular appearances in the lowlands.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower on a platform feeder
25. Bohemian Waxwing
- Family – Bombycillidae
- Species – Bombycilla garrulus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Irruptive (east of the Cascades)
The Bohemian Waxwing arrives from the far north in big, swirling flocks and strips fruit trees bare like it's the last day of a clearance sale. It's the larger, grayer cousin of the Cedar Waxwing.
It's soft gray with a sleek crest, a black mask, rusty feathers under the tail, and yellow, white, and waxy red marks on the wings. Males and females look nearly alike.
The Bohemian Waxwing call is a high, buzzy trill that's lower and rougher than a Cedar Waxwing's.
In Washington winters, numbers vary a lot from year to year. Look in eastern Washington towns with mountain ash, crabapple, and juniper, especially around Spokane and the Okanogan.
Feeder favorites: not a seed eater, but fruiting shrubs and open water will draw them in
26. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Leucosticte tephrocotis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird (uncommon, east of the Cascades)
The Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch nests on high, rocky peaks and comes down to open lowlands in winter. According to BirdWeb, it's most often found east of the Cascades in winter, especially at Grand Coulee and Moses Coulee, and flocks sometimes mix with Snow Buntings and Horned Larks.
It's chocolate brown with a pink wash on the belly, rump, and wings, a gray band on the back of the head, and a black forehead. Females are a bit duller, with less pink.
The Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch call is a buzzy chew, given constantly by flocks in flight.
In Washington winters, look on open wheat fields, canyon edges, and gravel roadsides in the coulees of central and eastern Washington. Numbers vary, and it's always considered uncommon.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower and millet on the ground or a platform, where they're near open country
27. Snow Goose
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Anser caerulescens
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Snow Goose is the headliner of a Skagit Valley winter. The Nature Conservancy says the snow geese that winter on the Skagit and Stillaguamish deltas summer on Wrangel Island in Russia and fly about 3,000 miles to get here, arriving from late September. They gather by the tens of thousands, and when a Bald Eagle flies over, the whole flock lifts off at once like a snow squall that forgot which way is down.
Adults are white with black wingtips and a pink bill with a dark "grin patch." Juveniles are dingier gray. Males and females look alike.
The Snow Goose call is a high, nasal whouk, and a big flock sounds like a stadium crowd that's had too much coffee.
In Washington winters, look on farm fields of Fir Island, the Skagit Flats, and Port Susan Bay near Stanwood. The Port Susan Snow Goose and Birding Festival happens each February. At Fir Island Farm you'll need a Discover Pass, and access is limited to the entrance road, parking area, and a short dike-top trail.
28. Trumpeter Swan
- Family – Anatidae
- Species – Cygnus buccinator
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Trumpeter Swan is North America's heaviest native waterfowl, and Washington is its winter headquarters. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says nearly three-quarters of the Pacific Flyway's Trumpeter Swans winter in Washington, mainly in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, arriving in late October and heading north in April.
Adults are all white with a long neck and a solid black bill. Males and females look alike, though males are a little larger. Young birds are dusky gray with a pinkish bill. The smaller Tundra Swan, which shares the same fields, usually has a small yellow spot near the eye.
The Trumpeter Swan call is a deep, bugling honk, like a French horn warming up.
In Washington winters, look in farm fields and wetlands of the Skagit Valley, including Butler Flats north of Burlington, and across Whatcom County. Watch from the road shoulder or a pullout and give them plenty of space. A flushed swan burns energy it needs for the rest of the winter.
29. Bald Eagle
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident Washington Bird / Winter Migrant
The Bald Eagle gathers along Washington's rivers every winter for an all-you-can-eat salmon buffet. On the upper Skagit River, hundreds of eagles feed on the carcasses of spawned-out chum and coho salmon, with the best numbers from December through January.
Adults have a white head and tail, a dark brown body, and a massive yellow bill. Young eagles are mottled brown and white and take about five years to get the full look. Females are larger than males.
The Bald Eagle call is a thin, high, chattering whistle, not the bold scream movies dub in (that's usually a Red-tailed Hawk).
In Washington winters, the classic viewing stretch is the upper Skagit between Rockport and Marblemount, and the Nooksack River along the Mount Baker Highway is also excellent. Eagles also hunt waterfowl around the Skagit Flats and Puget Sound shorelines.
30. Rough-legged Hawk
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Buteo lagopus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Rough-legged Hawk nests on the Arctic tundra and spends winter hunting voles over Washington's open fields. It's one of the few big hawks that hovers in place, flapping, while it scans the ground.
It has feathered legs down to the toes (hence the name), dark patches at the wrists under the wings, and a white tail base with a dark band. Females usually have a solid dark belly band and a paler head, while males often have a darker chest and more bands on the tail.
The Rough-legged Hawk call is a descending, catlike scream, though it's mostly quiet in winter.
In Washington winters, look on the Samish and Skagit Flats on the west side and over the wheat fields and grasslands of the Columbia Basin and Palouse on the east side.
31. Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Accipiter striatus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Winter Migrant
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is the small, fast hawk that occasionally turns your feeder into a nature documentary. It hunts songbirds by surprise and showed up at about 31% of sites in the North Pacific FeederWatch rankings. (If the feeder suddenly goes silent, check the nearest tree.)
Adults are slate gray above with fine orange barring below and a square-tipped tail. It looks a lot like the larger Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii), but the Sharpie has a smaller head and a squarer tail. Females are noticeably larger than males.
The Sharp-shinned Hawk call is a high, rapid kik-kik-kik, though it's mostly silent in winter.
In Washington winters, it's widespread anywhere small birds gather, including backyards in Seattle, Spokane, and everywhere between.
32. Short-eared Owl
- Family – Strigidae
- Species – Asio flammeus
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
- Crepuscular
- Resident / Winter Migrant (uncommon)
The Short-eared Owl is the owl you can actually see without staying up all night. It hunts low over open grassland and farm fields in the late afternoon, flopping along on long wings like a giant moth.
It's tawny brown and streaky with a pale face, yellow eyes set in dark smudges, and ear tufts so short you'll rarely see them. Females tend to be darker and more richly buff than males, which are paler.
The Short-eared Owl call is a raspy, barking kee-yow, but it's mostly quiet in winter.
In Washington winters, the Samish Flats are a well-known spot to watch them hunt in late afternoon. Park safely, stay on the road, and let them come to you.
33. Snowy Owl
- Family – Strigidae
- Species – Bubo scandiacus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Irruptive (rare)
The Snowy Owl is rare in Washington, but some winters it arrives in an irruption from the Arctic, and suddenly every birder in the state is checking shorelines and farm fields. The Nature Conservancy has even reported one at Seattle's Discovery Park.
It's a big white owl with yellow eyes. Adult males can be nearly pure white, while females and young birds have heavy dark barring.
The Snowy Owl call is a low, booming hoot, but it's usually silent in winter.
In Washington winters, any that show up tend to pick wide-open beaches, farm fields, and airport edges, especially in the northwest part of the state. If you find one, keep your distance and skip the flash. It's had a long flight.
Washington Winter Birds FAQ
What are the most common birds in Washington in winter?
The most common Washington birds in winter are feeder regulars like Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Flickers, Black-capped Chickadees, House Finches, Spotted Towhees, American Robins, and Song Sparrows. Those were the top seven in Project FeederWatch's North Pacific rankings, with juncos at nearly every count site.
What birds stay in Washington in the winter?
Year-round residents like chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, Steller's Jays, Spotted Towhees, and Anna's Hummingbirds stay put. They're joined by winter visitors such as Golden-crowned Sparrows, Varied Thrushes in the lowlands, Rough-legged Hawks, Trumpeter Swans, and snow geese. For neighboring states, see our guides to winter birds in Oregon and winter birds in Idaho.
Do hummingbirds stay in Washington all winter?
Yes, Anna's Hummingbirds do. They live year-round west of the Cascades, survive cold nights by lowering their body temperature, and rely on insects and feeders. If you feed them, keep the nectar at 1 part sugar to 4 parts water and bring the feeder in overnight or rotate two feeders so it doesn't freeze.
Where can I see snow geese and swans in Washington?
The Skagit Valley is the top spot, especially Fir Island, the Skagit Flats, and Butler Flats north of Burlington. Port Susan Bay near Stanwood and farm fields in Whatcom County are also good. Most arrive in the fall and stay through March.
What are the birds of Washington I'm most likely to see at a feeder?
Juncos, chickadees, House Finches, towhees, and flickers are the backyard regulars across most of the state. West-side feeders add Steller's Jays, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Varied Thrushes, and Anna's Hummingbirds, while east-side feeders get magpies, Mountain Chickadees, and goldfinches. A little open water helps too. You don't need to buy a heated bath to keep it thawed. A shallow dish you already own and a few tricks from our guide on how to keep a bird bath from freezing in winter will do most of the work.
What birds have you seen in Washington lately?
Share them on the Sparkbird App, where Washington birders on both sides of the mountains can swap sightings, compare notes on the snow geese, and agree once and for all which side of the Cascades has better winter birds.
And if it rains on every single birding trip you plan this winter, don't take it personally. The Varied Thrush has been waiting out the same drizzle since October, and it still looks fabulous.
Happy Birding.
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