Birds to See in Iowa in January
78 bird species on our list for Iowa are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Blue Jay and House Sparrow. New this month: Grey Partridge.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanAt their peak
Leaving soon
From Iowa’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 78 birds in January
78 birds
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 5.23% in Jan
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 5.18% in Jan
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 4.47% in Jan
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 4.38% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.35% in Jan
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.25% in Jan
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 4.23% in Jan
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 4.15% in Jan
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 3.70% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.10% in Jan
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.99% in Jan
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.84% in Jan
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 2.58% in Jan
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.02% in Jan
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.00% in Jan
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Jan
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.28% in Jan
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Jan
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Jan
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorCommon16–20 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.05% in Jan
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Jan
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Jan
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaResidentCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Jan
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Jan
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.81% in Jan
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorCommon46–59 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.81% in Jan
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentCommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Jan
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Jan
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusResidentCommon19–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Jan
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.56% in Jan
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Jan
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.47% in Jan
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorCommon53–65 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.44% in Jan
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumResidentCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Jan
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.40% in Jan
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorCommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.39% in Jan
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Jan
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Jan
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusSummer visitorCommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Jan
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Jan
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.30% in Jan
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.28% in Jan
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysWinter visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.27% in Jan
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.26% in Jan
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.20% in Jan
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorCommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.20% in Jan
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.18% in Jan
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorCommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.16% in Jan
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.14% in Jan
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.14% in Jan
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.14% in Jan
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.12% in Jan
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.12% in Jan
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.11% in Jan
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.11% in Jan
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorUncommon17–21 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.09% in Jan
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaWinter visitorCommon15–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.09% in Jan
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaSummer visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.08% in Jan
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Jan
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.08% in Jan
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.07% in Jan
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusWinter visitorUncommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Jan
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixSummer visitorUncommon28–32 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.07% in Jan
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglectaResidentUncommon16–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Jan
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorCommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Jan
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Jan
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.06% in Jan
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.06% in Jan
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Jan
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Jan
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.03% in Jan
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.03% in Jan
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorRare66–102 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Jan
Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatusWinter visitorUncommon14–18 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Jan
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.01% in Jan
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosSummer visitorRare21–26 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.01% in Jan
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorRare64–79 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.01% in 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