Backyard birds in West Des Moines, Iowa
Which birds visit West Des Moines yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from West Des Moines's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 41.577°, -93.711°
- Population
- 64,113
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 12 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 10 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:36 AM / 5:40 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 4b–6a
Nesting timing in West Des Moines
The state guides give nesting windows for Iowa as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 41.9°N). West Des Moines is at 41.6°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts about the same time as the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. West Des Moines goes from 9 h 10 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 12 min in June, a 6 h 2 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window April–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window May–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- 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
- Tufted Titmouse — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- 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
Birds you can expect in West Des Moines
Year-round residents (46)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Field Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Horned Larks, Great-tailed Grackles, Rock Pigeons, Eurasian Tree Sparrows
Summer breeders (60)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhees, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Least Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, American Woodcocks, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Savannah Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Dickcissels, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds
Winter visitors (21)
Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wrens, Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Harris's Sparrows, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Hoary Redpolls, White-winged Crossbills, Bohemian Waxwings
Cold, windy winters; open farmland makes backyard shelter and feeders a lifeline.
When to watch: dawn chorus in West Des Moines
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In West Des Moines, sunrise is around 6:36 AM in mid-April, 5:40 AM at the June solstice and 7:37 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for West Des Moines yards
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Nearby cities in Iowa
- Des Moines — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as West Des Moines
- Waukee — 9 mi away, nesting about the same time as West Des Moines
- Ankeny — 12 mi away, nesting about the same time as West Des Moines
- Altoona — 14 mi away, nesting about the same time as West Des Moines
- Indianola — 17 mi away, nesting about the same time as West Des Moines
- Ames — 32 mi away, nesting about the same time as West Des Moines
Frequently asked
What birds live in West Des Moines all year?
Year-round residents across Iowa include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in West Des Moines.
When do birds start nesting in West Des Moines?
West Des Moines sits at a different latitude from Iowa's population centre, so nesting runs about the same time as the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in West Des Moines?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In West Des Moines, sunrise is around 6:36 AM in mid-April and 5:40 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Iowa
- 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.