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

60 birds were recorded seen in Iowa in January in our iNaturalist sample; 10 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 January

Bald Eagle180 obs.

Northern Cardinal167 obs.

Downy Woodpecker157 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco124 obs.

Canada Goose100 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee99 obs.

White-breasted Nuthatch95 obs.

Red-bellied Woodpecker95 obs.

House Sparrow88 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk80 obs.

House Finch60 obs.

Trumpeter Swan56 obs.

All birds seen in Iowa in January

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	180	Mar (rising)
2	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	167	Apr (rising)
3	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	157	Dec (rising)
4	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	124	Jan (peak)
5	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	100	Apr (rising)
6	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	99	Mar (rising)
7	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	95	Dec (rising)
8	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	95	Dec (rising)
9	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	88	Jul (rising)
10	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	80	Mar (rising)
11	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	60	Aug (rising)
12	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	56	Mar (rising)
13	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	54	May (rising)
14	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	40	Apr (rising)
15	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	40	May (rising)
16	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	39	Dec (rising)
17	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	34	May (rising)
18	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	34	Apr (rising)
19	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	33	May (rising)
20	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	33	Aug (rising)
21	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	30	May (rising)
22	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	27	Jan (peak)
23	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	27	Apr (rising)
24	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	25	Jan (peak)
25	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	24	May (rising)
26	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	22	Dec (rising)
27	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	19	May (rising)
28	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	19	May (rising)
29	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	18	May (rising)
30	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	18	Apr (rising)
31	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	18	May (rising)
32	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	17	Apr (rising)
33	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	17	Jan (peak)
34	Brown Creeper	Certhia americana	Treecreepers	17	Apr (rising)
35	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	17	Jul (rising)
36	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	15	Mar (rising)
37	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	14	Mar (rising)
38	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	13	May (rising)
39	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	13	Mar (rising)
40	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	12	Jan (peak)
41	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	12	Sep (rising)
42	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	12	Apr (rising)
43	Pine Siskin	Spinus pinus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	12	Jan (peak)
44	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	11	Apr (rising)
45	Northern Saw-whet Owl	Aegolius acadicus	Typical Owls	11	Jan (peak)
46	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	9	Jan (peak)
47	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	9	Mar (rising)
48	Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus	Typical Owls	9	Dec (rising)
49	Northern Shrike	Lanius borealis	Shrikes	9	Jan (peak)
50	Merlin	Falco columbarius	Falcons and Caracaras	8	Jan (peak)

Birds Seen in Iowa in January

Top birds in January

All birds seen in Iowa in January