Uncommon Birds in Iowa
Our list for Iowa has 78 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 21 summer visitors, 22 winter visitors and 30 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 78, most common first
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisPassage migrantUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striataPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusWinter visitorUncommon19–22 cmRecorded all year
Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicusPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly May–Sep
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusPassage migrantUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Marsh WrenCistothorus palustrisSummer visitorUncommon10–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacusSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly May–Oct
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglectaResidentUncommon16–26 cmRecorded all year
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineusSummer visitorUncommon13–17 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Forster's TernSterna forsteriSummer visitorUncommon33–36 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimusPassage migrantUncommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Sep
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaSummer visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Oct–May
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
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