Rare Birds in Alabama
Our list for Alabama has 52 rare birds recorded regularly there: 11 residents, 2 summer visitors, 12 winter visitors, 25 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Alabama in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 52, most common first
Northern GannetMorus bassanusWinter visitorRare87–100 cmRecorded all year
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorRare54–59 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorRare52–64 cmRegularly Aug–May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaPassage migrantRare40–50 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorRare64–79 cmRegularly Jul–May
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Virginia RailRallus limicolaWinter visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Sep–May
Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Sep–May
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentRare23–26 cmRecorded all year
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusWinter visitorRare58–85 cmRegularly Aug–May
Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescensPassage migrantRare11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentRare140–160 cmRecorded all year
Red-cockaded WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus borealisResidentRare20–23 cmRecorded all year
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
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