Backyard birds in Cedar City, Utah
Which birds visit Cedar City yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Cedar City's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 37.677°, -113.062°
- Population
- 30,184
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 46 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 33 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:58 AM / 6:10 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 11 days earlier than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 4a–9a
Nesting timing in Cedar City
The state guides give nesting windows for Utah as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 40.4°N). Cedar City is at 37.7°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 11 days earlier than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Cedar City goes from 9 h 33 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 46 min in June, a 5 h 13 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 Cedar City
Year-round residents (58)
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, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Bushtits, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Lesser Goldfinchs, Cassin's Finchs, Spotted Towhees, Gambel's Quail, California Quail, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Cactus Wrens, Verdins, Bewick's Wrens, 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, Phainopeplas, Black-throated Sparrows, Pinyon Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers, Western Screech-Owls, Band-tailed Pigeons
Summer breeders (25)
House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Costa's Hummingbirds, Say's Phoebes, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, 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 (2)
Cold winters with valley inversions; mountain birds descend to backyards.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Cedar City
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Cedar City, sunrise is around 6:58 AM in mid-April, 6:10 AM at the June solstice and 7:43 AM in late December (local time, America/Denver). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Cedar City 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.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.
Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.
Nearby cities in Utah
- Hurricane — 37 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cedar City
- Saint George — 49 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cedar City
- Payson — 178 mi away, nesting roughly 9 days later than Cedar City
- Spanish Fork — 185 mi away, nesting roughly 10 days later than Cedar City
- Eagle Mountain — 191 mi away, nesting roughly 11 days later than Cedar City
- Provo — 192 mi away, nesting roughly 10 days later than Cedar City
Frequently asked
What birds live in Cedar City all year?
Year-round residents across Utah include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Cedar City.
When do birds start nesting in Cedar City?
Cedar City sits at a different latitude from Utah's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 11 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 Cedar City?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Cedar City, sunrise is around 6:58 AM in mid-April and 6:10 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Utah
- 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.