Rare Birds in Kentucky
Our list for Kentucky has 51 rare birds recorded regularly there: 13 residents, 5 summer visitors, 6 winter visitors, 24 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Kentucky in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 51, most common first
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisPassage migrantRare37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Pacific LoonGavia pacificaScarceRare58–74 cmRegularly Nov–Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentRare15–17 cmRegularly Dec
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusResidentRare58–85 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorRare54–67 cmRegularly Sep–Jul
Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumPassage migrantRare13–17 cmRegularly May–Aug
WilletTringa semipalmataPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisWinter visitorRare28–34 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Aug
Virginia RailRallus limicolaResidentRare20–27 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorRare66–102 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatusSummer visitorRare28–38 cmRegularly May–Jul
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentRare21–24 cmRegularly May–Aug
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorRare53–69 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaResidentRare16–22 cmRegularly Mar
Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallidaPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacusSummer visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaSummer visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentRare64–79 cmRegularly Feb
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentRare63–73 cmRegularly Oct–May
Painted BuntingPasserina cirisScarceRare12–14 cm
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglectaResidentRare16–26 cmRegularly Nov–Dec
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