Birds to See in North Dakota in February
48 bird species on our list for North Dakota are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are House Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow and Hairy Woodpecker.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebAt their peak
From North Dakota’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 48 birds in February
48 birds
House SparrowPasser domesticusWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 6.99% in Feb
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 6.42% in Feb
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensWinter visitorCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 5.95% in Feb
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosWinter visitorCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 4.64% in Feb
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusWinter visitorCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 4.34% in Feb
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 4.21% in Feb
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataWinter visitorCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 3.45% in Feb
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly Aug–May · 3.09% in Feb
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 3.07% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaWinter visitorCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 2.78% in Feb
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 2.49% in Feb
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in Feb
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 2.41% in Feb
Canada GooseBranta canadensisWinter visitorCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 2.37% in Feb
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 2.01% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.99% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Feb
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Feb
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixWinter visitorCommon28–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Feb
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in Feb
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.00% in Feb
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorCommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Feb
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Feb
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisWinter visitorCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Feb
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorCommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.88% in Feb
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Feb
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorCommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.85% in Feb
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumResidentCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Feb
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentCommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Feb
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Feb
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.51% in Feb
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.48% in Feb
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorCommon66–102 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.43% in Feb
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorUncommon17–21 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.39% in Feb
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.38% in Feb
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.35% in Feb
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.32% in Feb
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.29% in Feb
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisSummer visitorCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Feb
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.20% in Feb
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Feb
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorCommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.13% in Feb
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.11% in Feb
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.11% in Feb
Barred OwlStrix variaWinter visitorUncommon43–50 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.07% in Feb
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Feb
Varied ThrushIxoreus naeviusWinter visitorUncommon20–26 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.04% 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