The U.S. state of Iowa is known for beautiful birds and as of July 2024, there are around 430 species identified in Iowa where 92 are classed as accidental, 25 are classed as casual, eight have been introduced to North America. The three bird species has been extinct and one has been extirpated. American Goldfinch has been designated as the official state bird in 1933 because it is commonly found in Iowa and often stays through the winter. Here is the list of birds from Iowa,
Birds of Iowa
1.American Robin
- American Robin is native to the Nearctic region and one of the birds chirping at night.
- It is a songbird that belongs to the family Turdidae.
- This is a migratory and cute bird that will move south for the winter as far as southern Mexico and Guatemala. During summers, they are seen in northernmost Canada and Alaska.
- It prefers to thrive in woodlands, shrublands, tundra, gardens, orchards, lawns, and fields.
- The avarage lifespan of the bird species is 2 years in the wild.
- Males species of American Robin are slightly larger than females.
- American Robin is social birds and mostly active mostly during the day.
- The diet includes a mixture of fruits, berries, earthworms, and insects such as beetle grubs, caterpillars, and grasshoppers.
- The American robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
2.Downy Woodpecker
- Downy Woodpecker is one of the birds of Iowa that belongs to the family of Woodpeckers and also one of the common woodpeckers in Ohio.
- It prefers to thrive in forests, woodlots, willows, river groves, orchards and shade trees.
- This is also the smallest type of woodpecker in North America.
- It primarily feeds on trees, however, does more tapping and excavating in winter.
- The incubation period of Downy Woodpecker is 12 days and the young would leave the nest about 20-25 days after hatching and will follow parents advice for another week.
- It is popular as one of the birds with red on the head and amazing black and white bird in the world.
3.American Goldfinch
- American Goldfinch is one of the types of yellowbirds that belongs to the finch family.
- It is widespread across most of North America.
- The bird species loves to thrive in cultivated lands, roadsides, orchards, and suburban gardens.
- The avarage lifespan of the bird species is 3 to 6 years in the wild.
- It can grow upto 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 in) long in length with a total wingspan of 19 to 22 cm (7.5 to 8.7 in). The avarage wieght of the species is 11 and 20 g (0.39 and 0.71 oz).
- American Goldfinch is one of the amazing black and yellow birds which is seen in large flocks while feeding and migrating.
- The natural predators include snakes, weasels, squirrels, and blue jays.
- The American goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa and New Jersey where they are known as the eastern goldfinch and in Washington, it is known as the willow goldfinch.
- The American Goldfinch and the European Goldfinch have approximately similar names but they are not closely related to each other.
4.House Sparrow
- House Sparrow is a beautiful brown bird that belongs to the sparrow family Passeridae.
- The bird species is native to Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia.
- House Sparrow was introduced in North America in the year 1851 where a group of 100 birds from England was released in Brooklyn, New York.
- The avarage lifespan of the bird species is under 10 years, however, in captivity, they have a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.
- It can grow upto 16 cm (6.3 in) long in length with a total wingspan of 14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in). The varage wieght of the bird species is 24 to 39.5 g (0.85 to 1.39 oz).
- It is a social bird that is seen in groups or flocks while feeding.
- The house sparrow feeds mostly on the ground.
- The incubation period of house sparrows lasts for 11 to 14 days and later young ones were feed by both males and females feed the young through regurgitation
5.House Finch
- House Finch is a songbird and the finch species has been divided into 4 subfamilies that contain more than 40 genera.
- All finch species can be seen throughout the world except Australia, however, they are abundant in the Northern hemisphere.
- It can grow upto 3 to 6 inches in length with an avarage wieght of 0.35 to 1.2 ounces.
- The apperance of a male house finch is a red-coloured head and breasts where red colour originates from pigments (carotenoids) from the food that this bird is eating.
- The yellow colour of the house finches is a sign of stress or inadequate diet.
- House Finch is often prefered as a pet because of its small size and it easily adapts to life near humans.
- The avarage lifespan is 20 years in the wild but most birds live from 4 to 7 years in the wild.
6.Song Sparrow
- Song sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow that belongs to the family Passerellidae.
- It can grow upto 11 to 18 cm (4.3 to 7.1 in) with a total wingspan of 18 to 25.4 cm (7.1 to 10.0 in). The avarage body wieght is 11.9 to 53 g (0.42 to 1.87 oz).
- The diet includes insects and seeds. It is also seen feeding on beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, wasps, and many others, also spiders. Feeds heavily on
- seeds, especially in winter, mainly those of grasses and weeds.
- The avarage lifespan is 11 years in the wild, however, there are numerous song sparrows that probably die within their first year of life.
- It is one of the most common birds from Iowa know for its streaky and brown with thick streaks on a white chest and flanks.
7.White-breasted Nuthatch
- The White-breasted Nuthatch is an active North American songbird who can be easily spotted in the backyards.
- It is known to have loud voices and they are capable of crack open seeds.
- White-breasted Nuthatch in monogamous birds.
- These are one of the most popular types of nuthatch in North America and produces one brood each season.
- It is one of the common birds of Iowa that live in pairs year-round.
- The population of nuthatches are stable.
8.American Crow
- American Crow is one of the birds of Iowa that belongs to the family Corvidae.
- It can grow upto 40–50 cm (16–20 in) in length where males tend to be larger than females. The varage wieght of the bird species is 300 to 600 g (11 to 21 oz). The total wingspan is around 85 to 100 cm (33 to 39 in).
- The apperance of the bird species is all black along with iridescent feathers. It looks similar to all-black corvids, however, it can be distinguished from the common raven because American Crow is smaller in size.
- The American crow was described by Christian Ludwig Brehm in 1822.
- The breeding area of the American crow extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean in Canada, on the French islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. It is also seen in the regions of the United States, and into northern Mexico.
- American Crow is omnivorous and its diet consists of food, seeds, eggs and nestlings, stranded fish on the shore and various grains.
- The avarage lifespan of the bird species is 7–8 years in the wild.
9.European Starling
- European Starling has been introduced in the year 1890s by Eugene Schieffelin who released 100 birds in New York’s Central Park. The purpose was to introduce all of the animals mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.
- It is one of the most common birds from Iowa who is also seen in Alaska to Florida and northern Mexico, and its population is estimated at over 200 million birds.
- The primary diest includes invertebrates, fruits, grains, seeds, and garbage.
- European Starling young will begin to fly at 18 to 21 days of age.
- It is also known as common starling or starling in Great Britain and Ireland is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae.
- European Starling can grow upto 20 cm (8 in) long and popular for its black plumage with a metallic sheen.
- The avarage lifespan is about 2–3 years in the wild.
- The diet includes bird feed and mealworms.
10.Brown-headed Cowbird
- Brown-headed Cowbird is a small American blackbird which is also known as “cowbird” and mostly feed on insects.
- The appearance is the brown head with a black body and a sparrowlike bill. It has a medium-long tail and generally feeds with the tail lifted up.
- It is one of the birds of Iowa that can grow upto 18 cm (7.5”). The varage wieght of the bird species is 44 g (1.5oz).
- The habitat is preferred where there is abundant insect life. This is the primary reason they are seen on farms and in barnyards.
- The incubation period of the bird species is 10-12 days. The egg is white to greyish-white with brown or grey spots.
- The avarage lifespan of a Brown-headed Cowbird is upto 16 years in the wild.
This is the list of beautiful birds from Iowa. Kindly share and do post your comments.