Idaho's Special Birds

Idaho has a number of birding highlights. The northern panhandle has birds of the boreal forests like Spruce Grouse and Boreal Chickadee, while typical Rocky Mountain species, including specialties like the Black Rosy-Finch, can be found in the mountains throughout the state. The Snake River Birds of Prey Conservation Area south of Boise has some of the densest concentrations of nesting raptors anywhere. Pinyon-juniper areas in the south have some birds at the northern edge of their range such as Western Scrub-Jay and Scott's Oriole. Where the sagebrush desert of the Great Basin is interrupted by wetlands, numerous waterbirds can be seen, among them recovering nesting populations of the Trumpeter Swan. The Gem State certainly lives up to its name if you're a birder.