Birds in Michigan in August: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Michigan in August in our iNaturalist sample; 12 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 August

Great Blue Heron865 obs.

Mallard792 obs.

Ring-billed Gull716 obs.

American Goldfinch665 obs.

Sandhill Crane616 obs.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird607 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk406 obs.

All birds seen in Michigan in August

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	865	Aug (peak)
2	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	792	Apr (past peak)
3	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	716	Jul (past peak)
4	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	665	Aug (peak)
5	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	616	May (past peak)
6	Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Archilochus colubris	Hummingbirds	607	Aug (peak)
7	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	586	Apr (past peak)
8	Green Heron	Butorides virescens	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	507	Aug (peak)
9	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	466	Aug (peak)
10	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	446	Apr (past peak)
11	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	435	May (past peak)
12	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	406	Apr (past peak)
13	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	375	Jul (past peak)
14	Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	358	Apr (past peak)
15	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	358	Aug (peak)
16	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	355	May (past peak)
17	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	339	Apr (past peak)
18	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	335	Apr (past peak)
19	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	304	Apr (past peak)
20	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	289	Apr (past peak)
21	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	287	Apr (past peak)
22	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	284	Apr (past peak)
23	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	272	May (past peak)
24	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	269	Apr (past peak)
25	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	251	Jun (past peak)
26	Eastern Kingbird	Tyrannus tyrannus	Tyrant Flycatchers	243	May (past peak)
27	Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	241	May (past peak)
28	Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Sandpipers and Allies	236	Aug (peak)
29	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	227	Aug (peak)
30	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	224	Jun (past peak)
31	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	224	Jul (past peak)
32	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	222	Apr (past peak)
33	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	207	May (past peak)
34	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	202	May (past peak)
35	American Redstart	Setophaga ruticilla	New World Warblers	202	May (past peak)
36	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	199	Jul (past peak)
37	Semipalmated Sandpiper	Calidris pusilla	Sandpipers and Allies	187	Aug (peak)
38	Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes	Sandpipers and Allies	185	Aug (peak)
39	Solitary Sandpiper	Tringa solitaria	Sandpipers and Allies	168	Aug (peak)
40	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	165	May (past peak)
41	Red-eyed Vireo	Vireo olivaceus	Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis	163	May (past peak)
42	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	158	Apr (past peak)
43	Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularius	Sandpipers and Allies	156	May (past peak)
44	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	155	Jan (past peak)
45	Eastern Wood-Pewee	Contopus virens	Tyrant Flycatchers	152	May (past peak)
46	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	151	Apr (past peak)
47	Semipalmated Plover	Charadrius semipalmatus	Plovers and Lapwings	149	Aug (peak)
48	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Swallows and Martins	146	May (past peak)
49	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	146	May (past peak)
50	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	145	May (past peak)

Birds Seen in Michigan in August

Top birds in August

All birds seen in Michigan in August