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

60 birds were recorded seen in Kansas in December in our iNaturalist sample; 2 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

Red-tailed Hawk138 obs.

Bald Eagle130 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco115 obs.

Northern Cardinal97 obs.

Harris's Sparrow87 obs.

Mallard67 obs.

Canada Goose67 obs.

American Tree Sparrow66 obs.

House Finch65 obs.

Snow Goose62 obs.

Downy Woodpecker62 obs.

Red-bellied Woodpecker60 obs.

All birds seen in Kansas in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	138	Nov (past peak)
2	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	130	Feb (past peak)
3	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	115	Jan (past peak)
4	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	97	Apr (past peak)
5	Harris's Sparrow	Zonotrichia querula	New World Sparrows	87	Apr (past peak)
6	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	67	Apr (past peak)
7	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	67	Apr (past peak)
8	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	66	Dec (peak)
9	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	65	May (past peak)
10	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	62	Feb (past peak)
11	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	62	Apr (past peak)
12	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	60	Apr (past peak)
13	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	56	Nov (past peak)
14	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	55	Apr (past peak)
15	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	54	Mar (past peak)
16	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	54	May (past peak)
17	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	53	Feb (past peak)
18	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	52	Apr (past peak)
19	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	51	May (past peak)
20	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	49	May (past peak)
21	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	49	May (past peak)
22	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	47	Apr (past peak)
23	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	46	Oct (past peak)
24	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	46	Jan (past peak)
25	Cackling Goose	Branta hutchinsii	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	45	Nov (past peak)
26	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	45	Mar (past peak)
27	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	41	May (past peak)
28	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	40	Apr (past peak)
29	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	38	Feb (past peak)
30	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	37	May (past peak)
31	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	36	Apr (past peak)
32	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	36	May (past peak)
33	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	36	Apr (past peak)
34	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	36	Nov (past peak)
35	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	36	Aug (past peak)
36	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	35	Apr (past peak)
37	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	33	Mar (past peak)
38	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	33	Apr (past peak)
39	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	32	Apr (past peak)
40	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	31	Jan (past peak)
41	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	29	Apr (past peak)
42	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	27	Jan (past peak)
43	Fox Sparrow	Passerella iliaca	New World Sparrows	27	Mar (past peak)
44	Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	26	Feb (past peak)
45	Spotted Towhee	Pipilo maculatus	New World Sparrows	25	Dec (peak)
46	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	24	Mar (past peak)
47	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	23	Sep (past peak)
48	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	23	May (past peak)
49	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	22	Apr (past peak)
50	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	22	Feb (past peak)

Birds Seen in Kansas in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in Kansas in December