Rare Birds in United States
Our list for United States has 103 rare birds recorded regularly there: 39 residents, 30 summer visitors, 23 winter visitors, 9 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in United States in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 103, most common first
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentRare38–42 cmRecorded all year
Flammulated OwlPsiloscops flammeolusSummer visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorRare40–47 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Vega GullLarus vegaeSummer visitorRare55–67 cmRegularly May–Dec
BluethroatLuscinia svecicaSummer visitorRare13–14 cmRegularly May–Sep
Rock PtarmiganLagopus mutaSummer visitorRare34–36 cmRegularly May–Oct
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorRare60–75 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
California CondorGymnogyps californianusResidentRare109–140 cmRecorded all year
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorRare20–32 cmRecorded all year
Whiskered Screech-owlMegascops trichopsisSummer visitorRare18–23 cmRecorded all year
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataPassage migrantRare17–22 cmRegularly Aug–Dec
Chestnut MuniaLonchura atricapillaResidentRare10–11 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisWinter visitorRare16–18 cmRecorded all year
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusPassage migrantRare28–31 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisWinter visitorRare58–70 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
WheatearOenanthe oenantheSummer visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly May–Oct
Red-flanked BluetailTarsiger cyanurusPassage migrantRare13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Mar
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentRare17–19 cmRecorded all year
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusResidentRare25–30 cmRecorded all year
Mandarin DuckAix galericulataWinter visitorRare41–49 cmRecorded all year
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentRare12–13 cmRecorded all year
Steller's Sea-eagleHaliaeetus pelagicusScarceRare85–105 cm
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaSummer visitorRare58–77 cmRegularly May–Dec
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