Rare Birds in New York
Our list for New York has 71 rare birds recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 11 summer visitors, 18 winter visitors, 29 passage migrants and 7 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in New York in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 71, most common first
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusResidentRare19–23 cmRecorded all year
Little AukAlle alleWinter visitorRare18–21 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusSummer visitorRare58–85 cmRecorded all year
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorRare64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisPassage migrantRare43–51 cmRegularly Jun–Nov
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentRare50–90 cmRecorded all year
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorRare66–102 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRegularly May–Oct
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorRare22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Jul–Jan
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentRare23–26 cmRegularly May–Feb
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorRare42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorRare17–21 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaSummer visitorRare13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
DickcisselSpiza americanaPassage migrantRare14–16 cmRegularly Jun–Jan
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiSummer visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly May–Sep
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaWinter visitorRare37–41 cmRegularly Sep–Feb
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaSummer visitorRare33–42 cmRegularly May–Aug
American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaPassage migrantRare43–51 cmRegularly Apr–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