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 · Oct
Share of all bird records in South Carolina in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 58, most common first
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentRare15–17 cmRegularly Jun–Sep
Common MerganserMergus merganserPassage migrantRare58–68 cmRegularly Jan–Jun
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusPassage migrantRare34–43 cmRegularly Dec–Jan
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaScarceRare37–41 cm
Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallidaPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorRare57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaScarceRare36–42 cm
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacusWinter visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly Aug–May
Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolniiWinter visitorRare13–15 cmRegularly Oct–May
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorRare64–81 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
EiderSomateria mollissimaWinter visitorRare50–71 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Sep
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisPassage migrantRare28–34 cmRegularly Nov–Aug
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisScarceRare15–18 cm
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Pacific LoonGavia pacificaScarceRare58–74 cmRegularly Mar
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusWinter visitorRare41–46 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Say's PhoebeSayornis sayaScarceRare17–20 cm
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantRare42–51 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboPassage migrantRare80–100 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
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