Rare Birds in South Carolina
Our list for South Carolina has 58 rare birds recorded regularly there: 4 residents, 2 summer visitors, 18 winter visitors, 25 passage migrants and 9 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Carolina in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 58, most common first
Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensisWinter visitorRare80–122 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusWinter visitorRare58–85 cmRegularly Sep–May
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysWinter visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioResidentRare16–25 cmRecorded all year
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineusWinter visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorRare48–60 cmRegularly Nov–Jun
Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisWinter visitorRare20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Common RavenCorvus coraxSummer visitorRare54–67 cmRecorded all year
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorRare39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimusPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorRare54–59 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorRare40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapillaPassage migrantRare11–13 cmRegularly Sep–May
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatusSummer visitorRare28–38 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Jun–Oct
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorRare37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicusPassage migrantRare11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
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