Most commonly seen birds in Washington
Stacker compiled a list of the most common birds seen near feeders in Washington using data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch. Birds are ranked by the percent of sites visited from Feb 18-Mar 3. Ties are broken by the average group size when seen, any further ties were not broken. Data was collected at 269 count sites in Washington. States with less than 10 count sites were not included in rankings for each bird.
Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project where participants collect data on birds at their feeders, was founded in Ontario by Erica Dunn and the Long Point Bird Observatory in 1976. The project partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology after 10 years to scale the project across the U.S. and Canada and now has over 20,000 participants.
The data Project FeederWatch collects is used by scientists to understand trends in bird populations. If you would like to participate as a FeederWatcher you can learn more about the project here.
Read on to see which birds are most commonly seen in your state.
#50. Cedar Waxwing
- Average group size: 2.79
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Mississippi: 25%
--- #2. Texas: 20%
--- #3. Georgia: 19%
--- #4. Louisiana: 15%
--- #5. South Carolina: 12%
#49. Pygmy Nuthatch
- Average group size: 3.04
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Colorado: 18%
--- #2. California: 10%
--- #3. Arizona: 9%
--- #4. Oregon: 6%
--- #5. Nevada: 5%
#48. Black-billed Magpie
- Average group size: 2.01
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Montana: 63%
--- #2. Alaska: 48%
--- #3. Colorado: 41%
--- #4. Wyoming: 39%
--- #5. Utah: 34%
#47. Rock Pigeon
- Average group size: 7.04
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nevada: 32%
--- #2. Arizona: 18%
--- #3. New Mexico: 16%
--- #4. South Dakota: 14%
--- #5. Colorado: 6%
#46. Pacific Wren
- Average group size: 1.15
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington: 3%
--- #2. Oregon: 1%
#45. White-breasted Nuthatch
- Average group size: 1.26
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. West Virginia: 93%
--- #2. Maine: 85%
--- #2. Vermont: 85%
--- #4. Connecticut: 84%
--- #4. Massachusetts: 84%
#44. Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Average group size: 1.52
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Mississippi: 8%
--- #2. Louisiana: 5%
--- #3. Washington: 3%
--- #3. North Carolina: 3%
--- #3. Georgia: 3%
#43. Common Raven
- Average group size: 1.83
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Alaska: 31%
--- #2. New Mexico: 18%
--- #3. Nevada: 16%
--- #4. Arizona: 15%
--- #5. California: 8%
#42. Lesser Goldfinch
- Average group size: 2.57
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nevada: 68%
--- #2. California: 66%
--- #3. Arizona: 57%
--- #4. Oregon: 55%
--- #5. Utah: 45%
#41. Mallard
- Average group size: 3.4
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Mississippi: 8%
--- #2. Utah: 7%
--- #2. Rhode Island: 7%
--- #4. South Dakota: 5%
--- #4. Louisiana: 5%
#40. White-throated Sparrow
- Average group size: 1.25
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 80%
--- #2. Arkansas: 79%
--- #3. Delaware: 77%
--- #4. Maryland: 72%
--- #5. Virginia: 69%
#39. Pine Siskin
- Average group size: 2.72
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Mexico: 49%
--- #2. Maine: 20%
--- #2. Colorado: 20%
--- #4. Arizona: 16%
--- #5. Montana: 13%
#38. Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Average group size: 1.02
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Idaho: 12%
--- #2. Nevada: 11%
--- #3. Rhode Island: 10%
--- #4. Oklahoma: 7%
--- #4. New Mexico: 7%
#37. California Quail
- Average group size: 9.44
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nevada: 21%
--- #2. Idaho: 19%
--- #3. Utah: 17%
--- #4. California: 11%
--- #5. Oregon: 9%
#36. Brown Creeper
- Average group size: 1.05
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 15%
--- #2. New Hampshire: 13%
--- #3. Washington, D.C.: 10%
--- #3. Oklahoma: 10%
--- #3. South Dakota: 10%
#35. Band-tailed Pigeon
- Average group size: 5.69
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. California: 16%
--- #2. Washington: 6%
--- #3. Oregon: 2%
--- #4. Arizona: 1%
#34. Mountain Chickadee
- Average group size: 1.75
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Mexico: 42%
--- #2. Montana: 33%
--- #3. Nevada: 32%
--- #4. Wyoming: 28%
--- #5. Colorado: 27%
#33. Cooper's Hawk
- Average group size: 1.04
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nevada: 32%
--- #2. Arizona: 26%
--- #3. New Mexico: 18%
--- #4. Illinois: 17%
--- #4. Mississippi: 17%
#32. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Average group size: 1.14
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Georgia: 27%
--- #2. Louisiana: 25%
--- #3. South Carolina: 23%
--- #4. Texas: 20%
--- #4. Washington, D.C.: 20%
#31. Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Average group size: 2.58
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Utah: 69%
--- #2. South Dakota: 67%
--- #3. Wyoming: 61%
--- #4. Idaho: 48%
--- #4. Colorado: 48%
#30. Townsend's Warbler
- Average group size: 1.09
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Oregon: 24%
--- #2. California: 14%
--- #3. Washington: 12%
#29. Pileated Woodpecker
- Average group size: 1.18
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Minnesota: 28%
--- #2. West Virginia: 21%
--- #3. Michigan: 17%
--- #4. Indiana: 16%
--- #4. Wisconsin: 16%
#28. California Scrub-Jay
- Average group size: 1.65
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. California: 59%
--- #2. Oregon: 55%
--- #3. Nevada: 37%
--- #4. Washington: 12%
#27. Red-winged Blackbird
- Average group size: 5.66
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Delaware: 60%
--- #2. New Jersey: 56%
--- #3. New York: 48%
--- #4. Louisiana: 45%
--- #4. Illinois: 45%
#26. Mourning Dove
- Average group size: 3.69
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 100%
--- #2. New Jersey: 90%
--- #3. West Virginia: 88%
--- #3. Delaware: 88%
--- #5. Rhode Island: 87%
#25. Fox Sparrow
- Average group size: 1.56
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Oregon: 27%
--- #2. Washington: 15%
--- #3. California: 12%
--- #4. Oklahoma: 7%
--- #5. Missouri: 5%
#24. Hairy Woodpecker
- Average group size: 1.21
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Hampshire: 69%
--- #2. Maine: 67%
--- #3. Minnesota: 63%
--- #3. Vermont: 63%
--- #5. Connecticut: 61%
#23. Purple Finch
- Average group size: 2.56
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Mississippi: 50%
--- #2. Arkansas: 32%
--- #3. Alabama: 27%
--- #4. North Carolina: 25%
--- #5. Missouri: 24%
#22. Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Average group size: 1.35
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Louisiana: 70%
--- #2. South Carolina: 68%
--- #3. Florida: 66%
--- #3. Georgia: 66%
--- #5. North Carolina: 58%
#21. White-crowned Sparrow
- Average group size: 2.43
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nevada: 74%
--- #2. California: 67%
--- #3. Arizona: 59%
--- #4. New Mexico: 36%
--- #5. Utah: 21%
#20. House Sparrow
- Average group size: 3.9
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 100%
--- #2. Iowa: 88%
--- #3. Illinois: 87%
--- #4. Nebraska: 79%
--- #5. Indiana: 74%
#19. American Goldfinch
- Average group size: 4.42
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. West Virginia: 77%
--- #2. Oklahoma: 76%
--- #2. Wisconsin: 76%
--- #4. Michigan: 74%
--- #5. Missouri: 73%
#18. Bushtit
- Average group size: 10.36
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Mexico: 43%
--- #2. Oregon: 40%
--- #3. Washington: 29%
--- #4. Colorado: 27%
--- #5. Nevada: 26%
#17. Bewick's Wren
- Average group size: 1.09
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. California: 31%
--- #1. Washington: 31%
--- #3. Texas: 22%
--- #4. Nevada: 16%
--- #4. Arizona: 16%
#16. American Crow
- Average group size: 2.49
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 49%
--- #2. Oklahoma: 45%
--- #3. North Carolina: 39%
--- #4. Vermont: 37%
--- #5. Georgia: 34%
#15. Golden-crowned Sparrow
- Average group size: 3.01
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. California: 41%
--- #2. Oregon: 36%
--- #3. Washington: 31%
--- #4. Nevada: 5%
--- #5. Alaska: 3%
#14. Downy Woodpecker
- Average group size: 1.19
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 90%
--- #2. Minnesota: 89%
--- #2. Arkansas: 89%
--- #4. Missouri: 88%
--- #4. Iowa: 88%
#13. European Starling
- Average group size: 3.7
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 90%
--- #2. Nebraska: 67%
--- #3. Indiana: 66%
--- #4. Ohio: 62%
--- #4. Missouri: 62%
#12. American Robin
- Average group size: 2.26
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 70%
--- #2. Arkansas: 64%
--- #3. Tennessee: 59%
--- #4. Nevada: 58%
--- #5. Oklahoma: 55%
#11. Varied Thrush
- Average group size: 1.74
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington: 44%
--- #2. Oregon: 35%
--- #3. Alaska: 7%
--- #4. Idaho: 5%
#10. Steller's Jay
- Average group size: 2.26
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Oregon: 44%
--- #1. Washington: 44%
--- #3. Nevada: 21%
--- #4. Colorado: 18%
--- #5. California: 17%
#9. Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Average group size: 1.33
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 69%
--- #2. South Dakota: 57%
--- #3. Alaska: 55%
--- #4. Montana: 54%
--- #5. Oregon: 45%
#8. Chestnut-backed Chickadee
- Average group size: 1.94
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington: 48%
--- #2. Oregon: 39%
--- #3. California: 37%
--- #4. Alaska: 3%
--- #5. Montana: 2%
#7. Song Sparrow
- Average group size: 1.35
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 70%
--- #2. Washington: 59%
--- #3. Oregon: 56%
--- #4. Rhode Island: 50%
--- #5. Delaware: 47%
#6. House Finch
- Average group size: 4.0
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Utah: 97%
--- #2. Arizona: 94%
--- #3. New Mexico: 90%
--- #4. Ohio: 87%
--- #5. Colorado: 86%
#5. Northern Flicker
- Average group size: 1.69
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Utah: 79%
--- #2. Colorado: 66%
--- #3. Montana: 65%
--- #4. Washington: 63%
--- #4. Nevada: 63%
#4. Anna's Hummingbird
- Average group size: 1.64
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Oregon: 73%
--- #2. Washington: 66%
--- #3. California: 63%
--- #4. Arizona: 55%
#3. Spotted Towhee
- Average group size: 1.89
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington: 71%
--- #2. Oregon: 60%
--- #3. Nevada: 53%
--- #4. New Mexico: 52%
--- #5. Utah: 48%
#2. Black-capped Chickadee
- Average group size: 2.22
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 97%
--- #2. Minnesota: 96%
--- #3. Vermont: 94%
--- #4. Rhode Island: 93%
--- #5. New Hampshire: 92%
#1. Dark-eyed Junco
- Average group size: 7.03
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Oregon: 96%
--- #2. Washington: 94%
--- #3. New Jersey: 93%
--- #3. Rhode Island: 93%
--- #5. Connecticut: 92%