Birds in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA)

Birds are everywhere! There are over 9,000 species of birds that inhabit almost every inch of our planet. Birds are diverse in their plumage, habitat, migration patterns, feeding behavior, diet and nesting. It’s these differences that make them fascinating to watch!

All birds are captivating in their own way even our most common feathered friends. Read on to learn fun facts on six common birds that are found in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA). Happy birdwatching!

Mountain Bluebird

If you see a bird as brilliant as the Idaho blue sky, you spotted the male.
Females are mainly gray-brown with hints of pale blue in the tail and wings. She is blah in color to stay hidden from predators.
A female chooses her mate simply on the location and quality of the male’s nesting cavity. It doesn’t matter that the males have the bluest plumage out of all North American bluebirds, the female only wants him for his lavish home.
They’re the only bluebird species that will hover while foraging for beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, crickets, ants, bees and other insects.
You will find them in wide open spaces perched on fence posts, power lines and treetops.
Designated the official state bird of Idaho in 1931.

Black-billed Magpie

Year-round residents and the only species of magpie found in Idaho.
Long black tail and head with white belly and shoulders. Their shimmering feathers have a bluish or greenish shine in the light.
Omnivorous birds that eat insects, snakes, decaying flesh of dead animals, seeds, nuts, fruits and berries. The will also eat eggs and hatchlings from other species. As a result, do you think there is animosity between magpies and other birds?
They’ll hitch a ride on moose, elk, cattle and deer to eat the blood-sucking ticks off their backs. In this instance, the mammals may not mind giving them a piggyback ride!
Lewis and Clark recorded magpies fearlessly entering their tents to steal food. Magpies will also follow predators to take their leftovers and steal food from other birds.
They are monogamous birds and remain loyal to each other for life which is usually 3 years.

Killdeer

Two black bands circle a white chest with black and white patches on a brown face.
You can find them hanging out on the open ground that has low or no vegetation eating a wide variety of insects like earthworms, grasshoppers, spiders and fly larvae.
They will walk, break into a run, stop to look around and continue running again. As they walk, they’ll bob their heads up and down.
A shrill, wailing call that sounds like kill-deer was how they earned their name.
A scrape ceremony is performed by a mated pair to choose their nesting site. The male uses his feet to scrape a shallow depression. The female takes his place while the male spreads his tail and calls rapidly to her. After a swoon-worthy courtship like that, it’s no wonder mating usually follows this ritual.
They are known for their grand performance of fluttering on the ground pretending to have a broken wing. This is to lure intruders away from its nest and chicks. Natural selection should have given them a better defense against predators then this played-out performance!
The broken wing trick doesn’t keep the cows and horses from trampling on their eggs. So in another grand performance, killdeer fluff their feathers, display the tail over their head and run straight towards that beast hoping to make it change its course. Wouldn’t you run the other way if a killdeer charged after you?

Sandhill Cranes

These crimson-capped, large-bodied birds with long legs and necks can weigh up to 14 pounds. It’s amazing that these gangly birds can fly gracefully!
Their long tracheas aid in the blaring, rolling trumpet-like sounds that can be heard throughout the Sawtooth Valley.
They have some mad dancing skills. They twirl and bounce, pump their heads, leap around and flap their wings. Not only do they dance during courtship, but they dance throughout the year when they’re happy, angry or need to burn off energy.
They can start breeding at two years old although some may wait until they’re seven. When they find that special someone, they mate for life. They can share 20+ years of blissful togetherness.
A sandhill crane fossil found in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida is estimated to be 2.5 million years old. WOW!

Western Tanager

The males are bright yellow with black wings and an orange-red head. The upper wing bar is yellow and the lower is white. The females front of the face is red with yellow-green feathers on the body.
Dine mainly on insects including wasps, bees, ants, beetles and grasshoppers as well as on fruit and berries.
They eat slowly and methodically by plucking insects from twigs, branches, leaves and flowers.
Produce a robin-like song with pauses in between. Their call is a dry pit-r-ick.
The nonstop singing of the males establishes their territory.
The males watch the females build the nest in 4 – 5 days out of things like twigs, grasses, feathers, cow hairs and pine needles.

American Robin

Robins are the largest thrushes in North American. Since they are so common (a toddler can identify them!), they make a good reference point when comparing sizes and shapes of other birds.
Gray-brown birds with rusty orange underpants and a black head.
They are known as the quintessential early bird that gets the biggest, fattest and juiciest earthworms every morning.
They eat fruit and invertebrates such as earthworms, snails and insects.
Did you know they typically eat worms in the morning and fruit later in the day?
They find a new mate every spring. The males courtship display includes shaking their wings, fluffing their feathers and singing pleasant-sounding tunes to the females.
Their musical song can be interpreted as “cheer-up, cheerily, cheer-up, cheerily.”
Robins in the west are generally paler than those found in the east.

Sources: All About Birds and Audubon