Rare Birds in West Virginia
Our list for West Virginia has 46 rare birds recorded regularly there: 16 residents, 8 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors, 15 passage migrants and 4 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in West Virginia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 46, most common first
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantRare16–22 cmRegularly Oct–May
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaSummer visitorRare13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentRare140–160 cmRecorded all year
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorRare57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Virginia RailRallus limicolaSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorRare46–59 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataResidentRare11–14 cmRegularly Sep–Feb
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorRare53–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineusSummer visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Forster's TernSterna forsteriResidentRare33–36 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Aug
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusSummer visitorRare17–21 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataPassage migrantRare53–69 cmRegularly Dec–Apr
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusResidentRare15–16 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantRare23–32 cmRegularly May–Aug
American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaResidentRare43–51 cmRegularly Aug
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaScarceRare12–14 cm
Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallidaPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly May–Jun
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