Uncommon Birds in Massachusetts
Our list for Massachusetts has 90 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 23 summer visitors, 38 winter visitors and 23 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Massachusetts in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 90, most common first
Forster's TernSterna forsteriPassage migrantUncommon33–36 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrinaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Oct
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusSummer visitorUncommon30–38 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaWinter visitorUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatusPassage migrantUncommon16–20 cmRegularly May–Oct
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusSummer visitorUncommon34–44 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castaneaPassage migrantUncommon14–14 cmRegularly May–Oct
Leach's Storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousPassage migrantUncommon18–21 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Nov–May
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–May
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Virginia RailRallus limicolaResidentUncommon20–27 cmRecorded all year
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaPassage migrantUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Jun–Nov
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantUncommon24–28 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumSummer visitorUncommon13–17 cmRegularly May–Aug
Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrinaPassage migrantUncommon10–13 cmRegularly May–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