Common Birds in Iowa
Our list for Iowa has 83 common birds recorded regularly there: 24 residents, 22 summer visitors, 21 winter visitors and 16 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Iowa in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 83, most common first
Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbulaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year
DickcisselSpiza americanaSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Aug
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasSummer visitorCommon91–137 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaResidentCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year
Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianusSummer visitorCommon18–22 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusResidentCommon19–23 cmRecorded all year
Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubrisSummer visitorCommon7–9 cmRegularly May–Oct
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–May
Chipping SparrowSpizella passerinaSummer visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year
Ruby-crowned KingletCorthylio calendulaPassage migrantCommon9–11 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Northern Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestivaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
American RedstartSetophaga ruticillaSummer visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly May–Sep
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–May
Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitusSummer visitorCommon17–22 cmRegularly May–Sep
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRegularly Feb–Nov
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorCommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–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