Rare Birds in Canada
Our list for Canada has 74 rare birds recorded regularly there: 7 residents, 21 summer visitors, 15 winter visitors, 28 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Canada in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 74, most common first
Red-naped SapsuckerSphyrapicus nuchalisSummer visitorRare19–21 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorRare33–39 cmRegularly May–Sep
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Oct–May
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisPassage migrantRare43–51 cmRegularly Jun–Sep
Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaPassage migrantRare28–34 cmRegularly Jun–Nov
Say's PhoebeSayornis sayaSummer visitorRare17–20 cmRegularly Feb–Nov
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaSummer visitorRare36–42 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Cattle EgretArdea ibisPassage migrantRare46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorRare57–64 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Long-eared OwlAsio otusWinter visitorRare35–40 cmRegularly Jul–May
Little AukAlle alleWinter visitorRare18–21 cmRegularly Sep–Feb
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorRare40–47 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacusSummer visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Sabine's GullXema sabiniSummer visitorRare27–33 cmRegularly May–Oct
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusWinter visitorRare38–44 cmRecorded all year
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorRare40–51 cmRegularly May–Nov
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Northern Pygmy-owlGlaucidium gnomaWinter visitorRare15–17 cmRecorded all year
Piping PloverCharadrius melodusSummer visitorRare17–18 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Boreal OwlAegolius funereusWinter visitorRare21–28 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Jun–Dec
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