In this article I’ll be going over 5 unique green birds that considrer Utah home so, continue reading if you want a more detailed breakdown of these birds below.

• Lewis’ Woodpecker
• Mallard
• Violet Green Swallow
• Ruby Crowned Kinglet
• Green Heron

5 Green Birds In Utah

1. Lewis’ Woodpecker (Melanerpes Lewis)

• Size: 25 – 28cm
• Weight: 110 – 130 grams
• Wingspan: 49 – 52cm

You’ll find Lewis’s woodpeckers in southwest and central Utah in their non-breeding season but they will stick around in the remainder of the state year round. 

Lewis’s woodpecker is recognised by their red, black and dark green plumage where their wings and back are black in color, their breast and face have elements of red and their neck a mostly white/gray color. Females are mostly white and gray,

These woodpeckers can be found in open ponderosa pine forests and burned forests with a high density of standing dead trees. They will also breed near streamsides, oak woodlands, orchards, and pinyon-juniper woodlands.

Lewis’s woodpeckers mostly eat insects that they catch flying in mid-air or found on branches and trees, nuts along with a variety of seeds.

As for how long these woodpeckers are known to live for, it can be anywhere from 4 – 12 years.

2. Mallard (Anas Platyrhynchos)

• Size: 50 – 65cm
• Weight: 0.72 – 1.6kg
• Wingspan: 81 – 98cm

Mallards can be spotted in Utah all throughout the year, specifically around ponds and lakes.

You’ll be able to recognise mallards by their dark, iridescent green head, brown neck, brown stripes upon the upper level of the wing with the remainder of their body a cream/white color. Females on the other hand are a mostly light brown patterned color with both male and females having orange webbed feets.

Mallards prefer calm, shallow sanctuaries, but can be found in almost any body of freshwater, which can include wetlands, saltwater and brackish water.

These ducks tend mostly to consume seeds, acorns and berries, plants, insects and shellfish.

In regards to lifespan, these mallards are known to live for around 5 – 10 years in the wild.

3. Violet Green Swallow (Tachycineta Thalassina)

• Size: 13 – 14cm
• Weight: 13 – 15 grams
• Wingspan: 26 – 28cm

Violet green swallows tend to spend their spring and summer breeding months everywhere throughout Utah. 

These swallows are recognised by their darker green upper back and upper head, graysish/green wings and tail feathers along with a white face and breast. Females look very similar to the males.

Violet green swallows can be found around deciduous and coniferous forest where you’ll see them nesting within tree holes.

These swallows feed on a variety flying insects like flies, true bugs, wasps, winged ants, wild bees, beetles, moths etc. like most others. They will also eat the occasional berry or seed if they come across some.

The oldest recorded violet green swallow lived for 9 years and 1 month but, the typical lifespan for these birds will be at least a couple years less.

4. Ruby Crowned Kinglet (Regulus Calendula)

• Size: 9 – 11cm
• Weight: 5 – 10 grams
• Wingspan: 16 – 18cm

Ruby crowned kinglets are year round residents in southern and central Utah year round, in northwest and southeast parts of the state when they aren’t breeding and northeast Utah when migrating.

These kinglets are recognised by their gray and green plumage throughout, besides the red/orange color on the top of their head. Females look almost the same bar the orange/red element on the head.

Ruby crowned kinglets will often be found by tall, dense conifer forests such as spruce, fir, and tamarack.

These kinglets eat the same food sources as most other birds in the wild, which in this case would be small insects, small berries, seeds and other smaller fruits.

As for how long a ring crowned kinglet can live for, it’s estimated to be around 4 – 6 years.

5. Green Heron (Butorides Virescens)

• Size: 40 – 44cm
• Weight: 230 – 250 grams
• Wingspan: 54 – 58cm

You’ll find green herons in southern Utah when migrating but they can also be found in soutwest Utah when breeding. 

These heron’s are recognised by their darker green back and wings, maroon chest and neck, with yellow legs and a relatively long and pointy black beak. Females on the other hand are mostly brown and gray in color.

Green herons tend to spend the majority of their time around wetlands like lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, streamsides and rivers. 

As for what they consume, it includes a variety of different sources such as small fish like minnows, sunfishes, gizzard shads, crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, tadpoles, grasshoppers, snakes, earthworms, snails and other smaller rodents.

Green herons don’t have the longest of lifespans for a bird of their size, with the maximum known life expectancy said to be around 8 years.