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

60 birds were recorded seen in Kansas in October in our iNaturalist sample; 6 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 October

Red-tailed Hawk137 obs.

Great Blue Heron117 obs.

Lincoln's Sparrow114 obs.

Franklin's Gull113 obs.

Double-crested Cormorant90 obs.

Turkey Vulture89 obs.

Northern Flicker82 obs.

American White Pelican80 obs.

Savannah Sparrow79 obs.

Wild Turkey75 obs.

Swamp Sparrow75 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow74 obs.

All birds seen in Kansas in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	137	Nov (rising)
2	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	117	May (past peak)
3	Lincoln's Sparrow	Melospiza lincolnii	New World Sparrows	114	Apr (past peak)
4	Franklin's Gull	Leucophaeus pipixcan	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	113	Oct (peak)
5	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	90	Mar (past peak)
6	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	89	Apr (past peak)
7	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	82	Oct (peak)
8	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	80	Sep (past peak)
9	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	79	Apr (past peak)
10	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	75	Apr (past peak)
11	Swamp Sparrow	Melospiza georgiana	New World Sparrows	75	Oct (peak)
12	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	74	Apr (past peak)
13	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	68	Mar (past peak)
14	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	64	Apr (past peak)
15	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	64	May (past peak)
16	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	63	Nov (rising)
17	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	62	Oct (peak)
18	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	61	Apr (past peak)
19	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	60	Feb (past peak)
20	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	58	Apr (past peak)
21	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	57	Apr (past peak)
22	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	57	May (past peak)
23	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	56	Apr (past peak)
24	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	55	Apr (past peak)
25	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	55	Apr (past peak)
26	Orange-crowned Warbler	Leiothlypis celata	New World Warblers	55	Apr (past peak)
27	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	54	May (past peak)
28	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	54	Jan (past peak)
29	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	53	May (past peak)
30	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	53	Apr (past peak)
31	Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	47	May (past peak)
32	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	45	May (past peak)
33	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	New World Sparrows	45	Apr (past peak)
34	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	45	Mar (past peak)
35	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	43	Nov (rising)
36	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	42	May (past peak)
37	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	42	Feb (past peak)
38	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	42	Oct (peak)
39	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	42	Sep (past peak)
40	Blue-winged Teal	Spatula discors	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	41	Apr (past peak)
41	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	40	Apr (past peak)
42	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	39	Apr (past peak)
43	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	38	Apr (past peak)
44	Field Sparrow	Spizella pusilla	New World Sparrows	38	Oct (peak)
45	American Avocet	Recurvirostra americana	Stilts and Avocets	37	Apr (past peak)
46	Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Sandpipers and Allies	36	May (past peak)
47	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	36	Apr (past peak)
48	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	35	Sep (past peak)
49	Eastern Phoebe	Sayornis phoebe	Tyrant Flycatchers	35	May (past peak)
50	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	35	Aug (past peak)

Birds Seen in Kansas in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in Kansas in October