Reference
How many bird species are in Idaho?
Idaho has 432 bird species on its official list (Idaho Bird Records Committee, 2020), tied for the 36th highest count of the 46 states with a verified count. The list dates from 2020, so a newer one may exist. It includes introduced birds such as the Chukar, Ring-necked Pheasant and House Sparrow.
Updated
Idaho bird list at a glance
| Official count | 432 species |
|---|---|
| List’s date | 2020 |
| Kept by | Idaho Bird Records Committee |
| Among US states | Tied for 36th highest of the 47 US lists (50 states and DC) with a verified count |
| Official list | Idaho Bird Checklist (IBRC, 2020) |
What does Idaho’s count include?
- Introduced species that live wild, such as the Chukar, Ring-necked Pheasant, Rock Pigeon, European Starling and House Sparrow.
- The committee's 2020 checklist, the newest we found; a newer one may exist.
Why might you see a different number?
A state’s count is every species ever accepted on its official list, so a figure from another year, or one that counts something else, won’t match.
Every state’s list follows its own rules: see why the counts differ from state to state.
How do you count your own Idaho list?
Your state list is every species you’ve seen in the state. If you log your sightings in eBird, it lets you filter your life list by place, a state included (eBird’s My eBird help page, updated March 28, 2025), and the data download you can ask for gives the state of every sighting: our guide shows how to download your own eBird data. On paper, count the species you’ve seen in Idaho; what is a life list? explains how birders keep their lists.
If you’d like your whole life list in print, Birdfolio turns it into a hardcover book, each species beside a classic painting.
Idaho’s state bird
Mountain Bluebird
Idaho’s state bird is the Mountain Bluebird, the state bird since 1931. Adopted by the legislature.
Audubon painted it too: plate 393 of The Birds of America.
Source: Idaho State Symbols (Idaho Secretary of State), read October 3, 2026. See the state birds of all 50 states, each with its painting.
Birding festivals in Idaho
Our birding festivals calendar lists one festival in Idaho, with dates from its own website:
- Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival, Teton Valley: dates not announced yet (2026 festival: September 23–26, 2026)
In winter you can also join a Christmas Bird Count near you; our guide explains how.
More about bird counts
- How many bird species are in each state: all 50 states, DC and Canada, each from its official list.
- Bird lists of nearby states: Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
- State birds of all 50 states, each with its classic painting.
- How many bird species are in the US and Canada, and how birders count them.
- Bird splits and lumps: when one species becomes two, state lists change too.