Uncommon Birds in Minnesota
Our list for Minnesota has 86 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 33 summer visitors, 23 winter visitors, 26 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Minnesota in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 86, most common first
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataPassage migrantUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Marsh WrenCistothorus palustrisSummer visitorUncommon10–14 cmRegularly May–Oct
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRegularly Aug–May
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusSummer visitorUncommon19–22 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusPassage migrantUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusSummer visitorUncommon16–20 cmRegularly May–Sep
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Purple MartinProgne subisSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRecorded all year
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisSummer visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–May
Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumSummer visitorUncommon13–17 cmRegularly May–Aug
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPassage migrantUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Blue-headed VireoVireo solitariusSummer visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly May–Oct
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcanSummer visitorUncommon32–36 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–May
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