Uncommon Birds in Ontario
Our list for Ontario has 79 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 34 summer visitors, 27 winter visitors and 12 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Ontario in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 79, most common first
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrinaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Sep
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusSummer visitorUncommon16–20 cmRegularly May–Sep
Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrinaSummer visitorUncommon10–13 cmRegularly May–Oct
Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescensSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly May–Oct
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRecorded all year
Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striataPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Oct
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Aug–May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaSummer visitorUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Blue-headed VireoVireo solitariusSummer visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsSummer visitorUncommon31–38 cmRecorded all year
Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivaceaSummer visitorUncommon16–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Oct
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensisResidentUncommon80–122 cmRecorded all year
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisSummer visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorUncommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Aug–May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Oct
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