Birds in North Dakota in December: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in North Dakota in December in our iNaturalist sample; 4 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

Ring-necked Pheasant31 obs.

Bald Eagle27 obs.

Downy Woodpecker21 obs.

Wild Turkey15 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco15 obs.

House Finch15 obs.

Rough-legged Hawk14 obs.

Cedar Waxwing14 obs.

Great Horned Owl14 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee14 obs.

Blue Jay13 obs.

House Sparrow13 obs.

All birds seen in North Dakota in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	31	Apr (past peak)
2	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	27	Mar (past peak)
3	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	21	Dec (peak)
4	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	15	Apr (past peak)
5	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	15	Apr (past peak)
6	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	15	Apr (past peak)
7	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	14	Dec (peak)
8	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	14	Jun (past peak)
9	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	14	May (past peak)
10	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	14	Oct (past peak)
11	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	13	Dec (peak)
12	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	13	Jun (past peak)
13	Redpoll	Acanthis flammea	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	13	Jan (past peak)
14	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	11	Jul (past peak)
15	Snowy Owl	Bubo scandiacus	Typical Owls	11	Nov (past peak)
16	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	9	May (past peak)
17	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	9	Jun (past peak)
18	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	8	Apr (past peak)
19	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	8	Jul (past peak)
20	Northern Shrike	Lanius borealis	Shrikes	8	Mar (past peak)
21	Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	7	Jan (past peak)
22	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	7	Jun (past peak)
23	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	6	Jan (past peak)
24	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	Apr (past peak)
25	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	6	Mar (past peak)
26	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	Apr (past peak)
27	Glaucous Gull	Larus hyperboreus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	5	Dec (peak)
28	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	5	Apr (past peak)
29	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	5	Apr (past peak)
30	Pine Siskin	Spinus pinus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	5	May (past peak)
31	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	5	Oct (past peak)
32	Eurasian Collared-Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	Pigeons and Doves	4	May (past peak)
33	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	4	Apr (past peak)
34	Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	4	Nov (past peak)
35	Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	4	Apr (past peak)
36	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	4	May (past peak)
37	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	4	Jan (past peak)
38	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	4	Oct (past peak)
39	Purple Finch	Haemorhous purpureus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	4	Jan (past peak)
40	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	3	May (past peak)
41	Townsend's Solitaire	Myadestes townsendi	Thrushes	3	Jan (past peak)
42	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	3	Apr (past peak)
43	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	3	Sep (past peak)
44	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	2	Jun (past peak)
45	Iceland Gull	Larus glaucoides	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	2	Jan (past peak)
46	Black-legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	2	Nov (past peak)
47	Merlin	Falco columbarius	Falcons and Caracaras	2	Oct (past peak)
48	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	2	Sep (past peak)
49	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2	Apr (past peak)
50	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	2	Jan (past peak)

Birds Seen in North Dakota in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in North Dakota in December