Backyard birds in Twin Falls, Idaho
Which birds visit Twin Falls yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Twin Falls's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 42.563°, -114.461°
- Population
- 47,468
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 19 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 3 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:58 AM / 5:59 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 6 days earlier than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 3b–7b
Nesting timing in Twin Falls
The state guides give nesting windows for Idaho as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 44.1°N). Twin Falls is at 42.6°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 6 days earlier than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Twin Falls goes from 9 h 3 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 19 min in June, a 6 h 15 min swing.
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window May–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- House Finch — state window April–August
- Mourning Dove — state window March–September
- American Robin — state window April–July
- Dark-eyed Junco — state window May–July
Birds you can expect in Twin Falls
Year-round residents (50)
Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Cassin's Finchs, Spotted Towhees, California Quail, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red Crossbills, Black-throated Sparrows, Pinyon Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers, Western Screech-Owls, Band-tailed Pigeons
Summer breeders (30)
House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Rufous Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Lesser Goldfinchs, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Varied Thrushs, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Pine Grosbeaks, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Lark Sparrows, Green-tailed Towhees
Winter visitors (3)
Cold winters with inversions in the valleys; mountain finches and Bohemian Waxwings move into towns.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Twin Falls
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Twin Falls, sunrise is around 6:58 AM in mid-April, 5:59 AM at the June solstice and 8:04 AM in late December (local time, America/Boise). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Twin Falls yards
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Sweet dry fruit on the branch all winter.
Nearby cities in Idaho
- Pocatello — 104 mi away, nesting about the same time as Twin Falls
- Boise — 114 mi away, nesting roughly 4 days later than Twin Falls
- Kuna — 118 mi away, nesting roughly 4 days later than Twin Falls
- Meridian — 121 mi away, nesting roughly 4 days later than Twin Falls
- Eagle — 123 mi away, nesting roughly 5 days later than Twin Falls
- Nampa — 126 mi away, nesting roughly 4 days later than Twin Falls
Frequently asked
What birds live in Twin Falls all year?
Year-round residents across Idaho include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Twin Falls.
When do birds start nesting in Twin Falls?
Twin Falls sits at a different latitude from Idaho's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 6 days earlier than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Twin Falls?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Twin Falls, sunrise is around 6:58 AM in mid-April and 5:59 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Idaho
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.