Birds to See in Minnesota in February
74 bird species on our list for Minnesota are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are American Crow, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch and Blue Jay. New this month: Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Snow Goose and Mute Swan.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebArriving
At their peak
Leaving soon
From Minnesota’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 74 birds in February
74 birds
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 6.85% in Feb
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 5.98% in Feb
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusWinter visitorCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 4.82% in Feb
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.81% in Feb
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 4.59% in Feb
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.59% in Feb
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 3.12% in Feb
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 2.97% in Feb
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.75% in Feb
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.74% in Feb
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.70% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaWinter visitorCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Feb
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.92% in Feb
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 1.58% in Feb
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 1.33% in Feb
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in Feb
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 1.21% in Feb
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Feb
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorResidentCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Feb
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentCommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in Feb
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.80% in Feb
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.80% in Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.77% in Feb
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Feb
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorCommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.72% in Feb
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusWinter visitorCommon41–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Feb
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Feb
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Feb
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorCommon53–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Feb
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Feb
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Feb
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.36% in Feb
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.36% in Feb
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.35% in Feb
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Feb
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.29% in Feb
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Feb
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Feb
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Feb
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.21% in Feb
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Feb
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.16% in Feb
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.14% in Feb
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Feb
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.12% in Feb
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.10% in Feb
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisSummer visitorCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Feb
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Feb
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.09% in Feb
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Feb
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Feb
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.08% in Feb
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorUncommon17–21 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Feb
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.07% in Feb
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.05% in Feb
Varied ThrushIxoreus naeviusWinter visitorUncommon20–26 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.05% in Feb
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Feb
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Feb
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorUncommon66–102 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Feb
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Feb
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixWinter visitorRare28–32 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.04% in Feb
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.04% in Feb
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiPassage migrantUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Feb
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorRare64–79 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.02% in Feb
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.02% in Feb
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusSummer visitorUncommon19–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Feb
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Feb
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Feb
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusWinter visitorRare13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.01% in Feb
Mute SwanCygnus olorSummer visitorUncommon140–160 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.00% in Feb
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataWinter visitorRare66–84 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.00% in Feb
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