Birds in Wyoming: Identification Guide for Birdwatchers

Wyoming is a wonderful state for birdwatching because it has mountains, sagebrush flats, grasslands, rivers, lakes, wetlands, forests, canyons, and high desert habitats. This mix gives birders a chance to see meadowlarks, bluebirds, hawks, eagles, owls, woodpeckers, grouse, waterfowl, sparrows, jays, and many seasonal migrants.

Birds in Wyoming often change by elevation and habitat. Open prairie and sagebrush areas are good for Western Meadowlarks, Sage Thrashers, raptors, and grouse. Mountain forests attract jays, nuthatches, woodpeckers, chickadees, and owls, while lakes, rivers, and wetlands bring ducks, geese, herons, grebes, and shorebirds.

This guide covers common and interesting birds in Wyoming, with simple identification tips based on color, size, habitat, season, and behavior. You can also explore our main Birds in the United States guide to find bird identification pages for all 50 states.

Quick Look at Birds in Wyoming

Bird	Main ID Clue	Common Habitat
Western Meadowlark	Yellow chest, black V mark	Grasslands, prairies, open fields
Mountain Bluebird	Bright sky-blue male	Open country, meadows, sagebrush
Sage Thrasher	Gray-brown body, streaked chest	Sagebrush flats, dry scrub
Greater Sage-Grouse	Large grouse, spiky tail	Sagebrush country
Red-tailed Hawk	Broad wings, reddish tail	Roadsides, fields, open country
Golden Eagle	Large dark eagle, golden nape	Mountains, cliffs, open country
Great Horned Owl	Large owl, ear tufts	Forests, cliffs, towns
Black-billed Magpie	Black-and-white body, long tail	Open country, towns, fields
Clark’s Nutcracker	Gray body, black wings	Mountain forests
Canada Goose	Black neck, white cheek patch	Lakes, rivers, wetlands