Birds in Iowa in December: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Iowa in December in our iNaturalist sample; 8 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in December

Bald Eagle159 obs.

Downy Woodpecker159 obs.

Northern Cardinal122 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco110 obs.

Canada Goose106 obs.

White-breasted Nuthatch105 obs.

Red-bellied Woodpecker101 obs.

House Sparrow92 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk74 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee67 obs.

Blue Jay58 obs.

American Tree Sparrow54 obs.

All birds seen in Iowa in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	159	Mar (past peak)
2	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	159	Dec (peak)
3	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	122	Apr (past peak)
4	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	110	Jan (past peak)
5	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	106	Apr (past peak)
6	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	105	Dec (peak)
7	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	101	Dec (peak)
8	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	92	Jul (past peak)
9	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	74	Mar (past peak)
10	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	67	Mar (past peak)
11	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	58	May (past peak)
12	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	54	Dec (peak)
13	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	51	Aug (past peak)
14	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	50	Apr (past peak)
15	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	45	Aug (past peak)
16	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	42	May (past peak)
17	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	37	Mar (past peak)
18	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	37	May (past peak)
19	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	35	Apr (past peak)
20	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	33	Dec (peak)
21	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	32	May (past peak)
22	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	31	May (past peak)
23	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	27	Apr (past peak)
24	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	27	May (past peak)
25	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	26	Mar (past peak)
26	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	26	Apr (past peak)
27	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	25	May (past peak)
28	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	25	Jan (past peak)
29	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	23	May (past peak)
30	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	23	Mar (past peak)
31	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	22	Mar (past peak)
32	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	22	Jun (past peak)
33	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	20	May (past peak)
34	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	20	May (past peak)
35	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	19	Apr (past peak)
36	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	18	May (past peak)
37	Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus	Typical Owls	16	Dec (peak)
38	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	13	Jan (past peak)
39	Brown Creeper	Certhia americana	Treecreepers	13	Apr (past peak)
40	Snowy Owl	Bubo scandiacus	Typical Owls	13	Dec (peak)
41	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	13	Mar (past peak)
42	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	13	Oct (past peak)
43	Cackling Goose	Branta hutchinsii	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	12	Dec (peak)
44	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	10	Mar (past peak)
45	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	10	Jul (past peak)
46	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	9	Aug (past peak)
47	Canvasback	Aythya valisineria	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	9	Mar (past peak)
48	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	9	Mar (past peak)
49	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	8	Aug (past peak)
50	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	8	Apr (past peak)

Birds Seen in Iowa in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in Iowa in December