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

60 birds were recorded seen in Minnesota in October in our iNaturalist sample; 1 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

Dark-eyed Junco744 obs.

Mallard601 obs.

Canada Goose598 obs.

White-throated Sparrow530 obs.

Bald Eagle518 obs.

Downy Woodpecker485 obs.

Wild Turkey435 obs.

American Robin424 obs.

Yellow-rumped Warbler422 obs.

Ring-billed Gull405 obs.

Blue Jay369 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee353 obs.

All birds seen in Minnesota in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	744	Apr (past peak)
2	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	601	Apr (past peak)
3	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	598	Apr (past peak)
4	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	530	Apr (past peak)
5	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	518	Apr (past peak)
6	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	485	Apr (past peak)
7	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	435	Apr (past peak)
8	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	424	Apr (past peak)
9	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	422	Apr (past peak)
10	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	405	Sep (past peak)
11	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	369	May (past peak)
12	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	353	Apr (past peak)
13	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	336	Apr (past peak)
14	Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	330	Apr (past peak)
15	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	302	Apr (past peak)
16	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	298	Aug (past peak)
17	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	281	Apr (past peak)
18	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	268	Apr (past peak)
19	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	262	Apr (past peak)
20	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	258	Apr (past peak)
21	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	258	May (past peak)
22	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	234	Apr (past peak)
23	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	212	Feb (past peak)
24	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	205	May (past peak)
25	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	200	Apr (past peak)
26	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	190	Apr (past peak)
27	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Corthylio calendula	Kinglets	183	Apr (past peak)
28	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	178	May (past peak)
29	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	169	Apr (past peak)
30	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	163	Apr (past peak)
31	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	162	Apr (past peak)
32	Hermit Thrush	Catharus guttatus	Thrushes	159	Apr (past peak)
33	Fox Sparrow	Passerella iliaca	New World Sparrows	155	Apr (past peak)
34	Harris's Sparrow	Zonotrichia querula	New World Sparrows	151	May (past peak)
35	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	146	May (past peak)
36	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	143	Apr (past peak)
37	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	138	Apr (past peak)
38	Golden-crowned Kinglet	Regulus satrapa	Kinglets	135	Apr (past peak)
39	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	134	Apr (past peak)
40	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	128	May (past peak)
41	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	127	Apr (past peak)
42	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	124	Apr (past peak)
43	Green-winged Teal	Anas crecca	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	118	Apr (past peak)
44	Rusty Blackbird	Euphagus carolinus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	116	Oct (peak)
45	Orange-crowned Warbler	Leiothlypis celata	New World Warblers	115	May (past peak)
46	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	108	May (past peak)
47	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	101	Feb (past peak)
48	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	97	Sep (past peak)
49	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	96	Apr (past peak)
50	Nashville Warbler	Leiothlypis ruficapilla	New World Warblers	96	May (past peak)

Birds Seen in Minnesota in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in Minnesota in October