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 · Oct
Share of all bird records in Canada in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 74, most common first
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiSummer visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly May–Aug
RedwingTurdus iliacusPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Feb–Mar
BramblingFringilla montifringillaWinter visitorRare14–16 cmRegularly Dec–Apr
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorRare20–32 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaSummer visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
ChukarAlectoris chukarResidentRare32–38 cmRecorded all year
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Painted BuntingPasserina cirisPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly Nov–May
Steller's Sea-eagleHaliaeetus pelagicusPassage migrantRare85–105 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Greylag GooseAnser anserWinter visitorRare75–90 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisPassage migrantRare12–13 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorRare16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Jul
Burrowing OwlAthene cuniculariaScarceRare19–25 cm
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Sep
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataPassage migrantRare17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Williamson's SapsuckerSphyrapicus thyroideusSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Mar–Sep
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusScarceRare140–165 cmRegularly Apr
Grey HeronArdea cinereaPassage migrantRare90–98 cmRegularly Jan
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly May–Oct
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaPassage migrantRare17–19 cmRegularly Jun–Sep
Flammulated OwlPsiloscops flammeolusSummer visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly May–Aug
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusScarceRare20–24 cm
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