Rare Birds in British Columbia
Our list for British Columbia has 75 rare birds recorded regularly there: 11 residents, 38 summer visitors, 5 winter visitors, 19 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in British Columbia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 75, most common first
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentRare100–125 cmRecorded all year
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacusSummer visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly May–Sep
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusSummer visitorRare16–20 cmRegularly May–Aug
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusSummer visitorRare34–44 cmRegularly May–Oct
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaResidentRare40–50 cmRecorded all year
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaSummer visitorRare12–15 cmRegularly May–Aug
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantRare27–33 cmRegularly May–Oct
Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianusSummer visitorRare18–22 cmRegularly May–Sep
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusSummer visitorRare19–22 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaSummer visitorRare43–51 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly May–Feb
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcanSummer visitorRare32–36 cmRegularly May–Nov
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaResidentRare12–15 cmRecorded all year
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusResidentRare58–85 cmRecorded all year
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantRare46–51 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaPassage migrantRare80–104 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorRare28–34 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made