Rare Birds in Delaware
Our list for Delaware has 40 rare birds recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 4 summer visitors, 5 winter visitors, 20 passage migrants and 8 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Delaware in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 40, most common first
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantRare41–46 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaResidentRare40–50 cmRegularly Jan–Mar
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusWinter visitorRare38–44 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimusPassage migrantRare16–17 cmRegularly May–Oct
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaScarceRare12–14 cm
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraPassage migrantRare15–17 cmRegularly Nov
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisPassage migrantRare36–41 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusScarceRare30–38 cm
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaScarceRare16–22 cm
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusPassage migrantRare52–71 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Jul
Painted BuntingPasserina cirisPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusResidentRare62–68 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantRare20–32 cmRegularly Mar–Jul
Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmusSummer visitorRare28–32 cmRegularly May–Oct
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineusSummer visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorRare46–59 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantRare64–81 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusPassage migrantRare17–21 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
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