Uncommon Birds in Michigan
Our list for Michigan has 85 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 35 summer visitors, 31 winter visitors and 13 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Michigan in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 85, most common first
Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimusPassage migrantUncommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Oct
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmusSummer visitorUncommon28–32 cmRegularly May–Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
DickcisselSpiza americanaSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Aug
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaWinter visitorUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Aug–May
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaSummer visitorUncommon10–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusResidentUncommon41–50 cmRecorded all year
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataPassage migrantUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Oct
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantUncommon24–28 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantUncommon23–32 cmRegularly May–Sep
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–May
Black TernChlidonias nigerSummer visitorUncommon22–26 cmRegularly May–Aug
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Forster's TernSterna forsteriSummer visitorUncommon33–36 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentUncommon50–90 cmRecorded all year
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