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

60 birds were recorded seen in Michigan in October 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 October

Downy Woodpecker372 obs.

Sandhill Crane362 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco355 obs.

Great Blue Heron332 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk323 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow318 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee314 obs.

Yellow-rumped Warbler303 obs.

All birds seen in Michigan in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	435	Apr (past peak)
2	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	420	Apr (past peak)
3	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	416	May (past peak)
4	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	377	Apr (past peak)
5	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	372	Apr (past peak)
6	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	362	May (past peak)
7	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	355	Jan (past peak)
8	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	332	Aug (past peak)
9	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	323	Apr (past peak)
10	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	318	May (past peak)
11	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	314	Apr (past peak)
12	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	303	Apr (past peak)
13	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	298	Apr (past peak)
14	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	286	Jul (past peak)
15	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	273	May (past peak)
16	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	271	May (past peak)
17	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	269	Apr (past peak)
18	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	247	Apr (past peak)
19	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	233	Apr (past peak)
20	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	211	Apr (past peak)
21	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	207	May (past peak)
22	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Corthylio calendula	Kinglets	207	Apr (past peak)
23	Golden-crowned Kinglet	Regulus satrapa	Kinglets	195	Apr (past peak)
24	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	186	Aug (past peak)
25	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	162	Jun (past peak)
26	Hermit Thrush	Catharus guttatus	Thrushes	155	Apr (past peak)
27	Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	148	Apr (past peak)
28	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	147	Apr (past peak)
29	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	146	Aug (past peak)
30	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	141	Apr (past peak)
31	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	139	May (past peak)
32	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	138	Aug (past peak)
33	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	126	May (past peak)
34	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	125	Apr (past peak)
35	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	121	Apr (past peak)
36	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	120	Jan (past peak)
37	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	117	Sep (past peak)
38	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	113	Apr (past peak)
39	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	111	Apr (past peak)
40	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	109	May (past peak)
41	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	108	May (past peak)
42	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	Woodpeckers	103	Apr (past peak)
43	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	99	Apr (past peak)
44	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	98	Jul (past peak)
45	Rusty Blackbird	Euphagus carolinus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	91	Oct (peak)
46	American Pipit	Anthus rubescens	Wagtails and Pipits	88	Oct (peak)
47	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	85	May (past peak)
48	Palm Warbler	Setophaga palmarum	New World Warblers	83	May (past peak)
49	Swamp Sparrow	Melospiza georgiana	New World Sparrows	76	May (past peak)
50	Eastern Phoebe	Sayornis phoebe	Tyrant Flycatchers	76	Apr (past peak)

Birds Seen in Michigan in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in Michigan in October