Birds to See in West Virginia in January
83 bird species on our list for West Virginia are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are Northern Cardinal, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay and Song Sparrow. New this month: Fish Crow, Sandhill Crane and Eurasian Collared Dove.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanArriving
At their peak
MallardBusiest month of the year · All year
Peregrine FalconBusiest month of the year · All year
American Herring GullBusiest month of the year · Jul–May
Great Horned OwlBusiest month of the year · All year
Golden EagleBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
Greater White-fronted GooseBusiest month of the year · Nov–Mar
Leaving soon
From West Virginia’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 83 birds in January
83 birds
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 5.23% in Jan
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 4.52% in Jan
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 3.95% in Jan
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 3.91% in Jan
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaResidentCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 3.89% in Jan
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 3.69% in Jan
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.58% in Jan
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 3.35% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.10% in Jan
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.06% in Jan
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.54% in Jan
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 2.45% in Jan- MallardAnas platyrhynchosWinter visitorCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.31% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Jan
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Jan
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentCommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Jan
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in Jan
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in Jan
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.47% in Jan
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Jan
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.28% in Jan
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Jan
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.03% in Jan
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.99% in Jan
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Jan
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in Jan
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasResidentCommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Jan
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusWinter visitorCommon19–22 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.59% in Jan
Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronataWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.55% in Jan
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.47% in Jan
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisWinter visitorUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.46% in Jan
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsWinter visitorCommon31–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.38% in Jan
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.33% in Jan
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.32% in Jan
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.32% in Jan
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Jan
Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatusResidentUncommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Jan
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Jan
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusSummer visitorCommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Jan
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.23% in Jan
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.21% in Jan
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Jan
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.16% in Jan
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.16% in Jan
Ruby-crowned KingletCorthylio calendulaWinter visitorCommon9–11 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.16% in Jan
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Jan
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Jan- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Jan
- American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorUncommon53–65 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.12% in Jan
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.11% in Jan
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.10% in Jan
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Jan
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.09% in Jan
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.09% in Jan
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusResidentUncommon19–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Jan- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Jan
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.09% in Jan
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Jan
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.08% in Jan
MerlinFalco columbariusResidentUncommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Jan- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorUncommon66–102 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Jan
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.06% in Jan- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.06% in Jan
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.06% in Jan
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.05% in Jan
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorUncommon16–20 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.04% in Jan
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.04% in Jan
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.03% in Jan
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorRare46–59 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.03% in Jan
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Jan
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Jan
Common LoonGavia immerWinter visitorUncommon66–91 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.03% in Jan
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorRare53–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.03% in Jan
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentRare140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Jan
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusResidentUncommon41–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jan
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.02% in Jan
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.02% in Jan
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaWinter visitorUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.01% in Jan
Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensisResidentRare80–122 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.01% in Jan
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Jan
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorRare30–32 cmRegularly Jan–Aug · 0.01% in Jan
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorRare57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.01% in Jan
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