Rare Birds in Virginia
Our list for Virginia has 85 rare birds recorded regularly there: 9 residents, 16 summer visitors, 26 winter visitors, 28 passage migrants and 6 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Virginia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 85, most common first
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantRare20–32 cmRegularly May–Aug
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorRare62–68 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallidaWinter visitorRare13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorRare46–59 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorRare15–18 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Aug–Nov
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusWinter visitorRare38–44 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisPassage migrantRare28–34 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantRare41–46 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacusPassage migrantRare15–17 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Jan–Mar
Red-cockaded WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus borealisResidentRare20–23 cmRecorded all year
Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Jan
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaPassage migrantRare40–51 cmRegularly May–Jun
Black SwanCygnus atratusPassage migrantRare110–142 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusScarceRare52–71 cm
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