Uncommon Birds in Virginia
Our list for Virginia has 77 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 14 residents, 19 summer visitors, 31 winter visitors and 13 passage migrants
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 77, most common first
Northern GannetMorus bassanusWinter visitorUncommon87–100 cmRegularly Oct–May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaResidentUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusSummer visitorUncommon23–32 cmRecorded all year
Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolniiPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Jan
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioResidentUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusSummer visitorUncommon16–20 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorUncommon16–20 cmRecorded all year
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapillaPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusResidentUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year
Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimusSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Marsh WrenCistothorus palustrisWinter visitorUncommon10–14 cmRecorded all year
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