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

60 birds were recorded seen in Iowa in February in our iNaturalist sample; 0 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 February

Bald Eagle171 obs.

Northern Cardinal116 obs.

Canada Goose105 obs.

Downy Woodpecker83 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk79 obs.

White-breasted Nuthatch71 obs.

House Finch67 obs.

House Sparrow65 obs.

Red-bellied Woodpecker62 obs.

American Robin58 obs.

Trumpeter Swan56 obs.

Barred Owl56 obs.

All birds seen in Iowa in February

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	171	Mar (rising)
2	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	116	Apr (rising)
3	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	105	Apr (rising)
4	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	83	Dec (rising)
5	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	79	Mar (rising)
6	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	71	Dec (rising)
7	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	67	Aug (rising)
8	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	65	Jul (rising)
9	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	62	Dec (rising)
10	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	58	May (rising)
11	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	56	Mar (rising)
12	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	56	May (rising)
13	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	55	Jan (past peak)
14	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	50	May (rising)
15	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	50	Mar (rising)
16	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	44	Aug (rising)
17	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	43	Apr (rising)
18	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	37	May (rising)
19	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	30	May (rising)
20	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	30	May (rising)
21	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	28	May (rising)
22	Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	28	Mar (rising)
23	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	26	May (rising)
24	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	22	Apr (rising)
25	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	22	Apr (rising)
26	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	20	Dec (rising)
27	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	20	Dec (rising)
28	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	19	Mar (rising)
29	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	18	Mar (rising)
30	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	18	May (rising)
31	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	17	Jan (past peak)
32	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	16	Apr (rising)
33	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	16	Jan (past peak)
34	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	15	Mar (rising)
35	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	15	May (rising)
36	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	14	Mar (rising)
37	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	14	Mar (rising)
38	Lesser Scaup	Aythya affinis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	14	Apr (rising)
39	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	14	Jun (rising)
40	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	14	Mar (rising)
41	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	13	May (rising)
42	Eurasian Collared-Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	Pigeons and Doves	12	Jun (rising)
43	Brown Creeper	Certhia americana	Treecreepers	12	Apr (rising)
44	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	11	Mar (rising)
45	Redhead	Aythya americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	11	Mar (rising)
46	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	11	Apr (rising)
47	Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus	Typical Owls	10	Dec (rising)
48	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	9	Apr (rising)
49	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	9	Apr (rising)
50	Northern Saw-whet Owl	Aegolius acadicus	Typical Owls	9	Jan (past peak)

Birds Seen in Iowa in February

Top birds in February

All birds seen in Iowa in February