Rare Birds in Massachusetts
Our list for Massachusetts has 60 rare birds recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 7 summer visitors, 20 winter visitors, 25 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Massachusetts in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 60, most common first
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusWinter visitorRare50–90 cmRegularly Sep–Jul
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
King EiderSomateria spectabilisWinter visitorRare46–64 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensisResidentRare80–122 cmRecorded all year
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatusPassage migrantRare28–38 cmRegularly Nov
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorRare17–21 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorRare42–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusResidentRare58–85 cmRecorded all year
Cattle EgretArdea ibisPassage migrantRare46–56 cmRegularly Oct–May
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorRare64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusWinter visitorRare38–44 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusSummer visitorRare41–50 cmRecorded all year
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorRare62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineusSummer visitorRare13–17 cmRecorded all year
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisWinter visitorRare28–34 cmRegularly Dec–Apr
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaSummer visitorRare10–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantRare46–51 cmRegularly Jul–Jan
Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Jan
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
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