Birds to See in Minnesota in January
75 bird species on our list for Minnesota are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are American Crow, Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay and Hairy Woodpecker. New this month: White-crowned Sparrow and King Eider.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanAt their peak
Rock DoveBusiest month of the year · All year
American Black DuckBusiest month of the year · Aug–Apr
Glaucous GullBusiest month of the year · Nov–Apr
Varied ThrushBusiest month of the year · Nov–Mar
Grey PartridgeBusiest month of the year · Oct–Aug
Great Black-backed GullBusiest month of the year · Dec–Mar
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 75 birds in January
75 birds
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 6.74% in Jan
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 6.05% in Jan
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 5.09% in Jan
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 5.00% in Jan
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusWinter visitorCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 4.68% in Jan
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.38% in Jan
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 3.00% in Jan
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 2.94% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.67% in Jan- Rock DoveColumba liviaWinter visitorCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 2.29% in Jan
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.26% in Jan
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Jan
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.95% in Jan
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 1.84% in Jan
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Jan
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.50% in Jan
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in Jan
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Jan
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentCommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 1.11% in Jan
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.09% in Jan
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorResidentCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Jan
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 1.05% in Jan
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Jan
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.80% in Jan
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.68% in Jan
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorCommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.63% in Jan
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorCommon53–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Jan
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Jan
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Jan
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Jan
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusWinter visitorCommon41–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Jan
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.40% in Jan
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Jan
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Jan
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Jan
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Jan
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Jan- American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.28% in Jan
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.27% in Jan
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.26% in Jan
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.21% in Jan
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Jan
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.20% in Jan
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.17% in Jan
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Jan
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisSummer visitorCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Jan- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.14% in Jan
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Jan
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Jan
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.10% in Jan
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.10% in Jan
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.09% in Jan
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Jan
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.08% in Jan
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Jan
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Jan
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorUncommon66–102 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Jan
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaPassage migrantCommon15–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Jan- Varied ThrushIxoreus naeviusWinter visitorUncommon20–26 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.05% in Jan
King EiderSomateria spectabilisPassage migrantUncommon46–64 cmRegularly Jan · 0.05% in Jan
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorUncommon17–21 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.05% in Jan
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.05% in Jan- Grey PartridgePerdix perdixWinter visitorRare28–32 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.04% in Jan
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysPassage migrantCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.04% in Jan
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Jan
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.04% in Jan
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.04% in Jan
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Jan
Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatusSummer visitorCommon14–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.03% in Jan- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorRare64–79 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.03% in Jan
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusWinter visitorRare13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.02% in Jan
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusSummer visitorUncommon19–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jan
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataWinter visitorRare66–84 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.01% in Jan
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusPassage migrantRare52–64 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.00% in Jan
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