60 birds were recorded seen in North Dakota in January in our iNaturalist sample; 10 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top birds in January
White-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
Downy Woodpecker
Dark-eyed Junco
Redpoll
Bald Eagle
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Ring-necked Pheasant
House Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Wild Turkey
All birds seen in North Dakota in January
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis | Nuthatches | 21 | Jul (rising) |
| 2 | Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus | Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice | 21 | Oct (rising) |
| 3 | Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Woodpeckers | 20 | Dec (rising) |
| 4 | Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis | New World Sparrows | 18 | Apr (rising) |
| 5 | Redpoll | Acanthis flammea | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 16 | Jan (peak) |
| 6 | Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 14 | Mar (rising) |
| 7 | Pine Siskin | Spinus pinus | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 13 | May (rising) |
| 8 | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 13 | Jul (rising) |
| 9 | Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies | 12 | Apr (rising) |
| 10 | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Old World Sparrows | 12 | Jun (rising) |
| 11 | Lapland Longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | Longspurs and Snow Buntings | 11 | Jan (peak) |
| 12 | Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies | 10 | Apr (rising) |
| 13 | Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 10 | Jan (peak) |
| 14 | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 10 | Apr (rising) |
| 15 | House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 10 | Apr (rising) |
| 16 | American Tree Sparrow | Spizelloides arborea | New World Sparrows | 10 | Apr (rising) |
| 17 | Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 9 | Apr (rising) |
| 18 | Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiacus | Typical Owls | 9 | Nov (rising) |
| 19 | Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 7 | Jan (peak) |
| 20 | Rough-legged Hawk | Buteo lagopus | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 7 | Dec (rising) |
| 21 | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 7 | May (rising) |
| 22 | Common Merganser | Mergus merganser | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 7 | Apr (rising) |
| 23 | American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | Crows, Jays, and Magpies | 7 | Apr (rising) |
| 24 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Crows, Jays, and Magpies | 7 | Dec (rising) |
| 25 | Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | Nuthatches | 7 | May (rising) |
| 26 | Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | Typical Owls | 7 | May (rising) |
| 27 | Eurasian Collared-Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | Pigeons and Doves | 6 | May (rising) |
| 28 | Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | Longspurs and Snow Buntings | 6 | Jan (peak) |
| 29 | American Herring Gull | Larus smithsonianus | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers | 6 | Oct (rising) |
| 30 | American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | Falcons and Caracaras | 5 | Apr (rising) |
| 31 | Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris | Larks | 5 | Mar (rising) |
| 32 | Pileated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus | Woodpeckers | 5 | Jan (peak) |
| 33 | Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | Typical Owls | 5 | Apr (rising) |
| 34 | Purple Finch | Haemorhous purpureus | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 5 | Jan (peak) |
| 35 | Hairy Woodpecker | Leuconotopicus villosus | Woodpeckers | 5 | Jun (rising) |
| 36 | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 4 | Jun (rising) |
| 37 | Townsend's Solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | Thrushes | 4 | Jan (peak) |
| 38 | Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | Woodpeckers | 4 | Apr (rising) |
| 39 | Iceland Gull | Larus glaucoides | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers | 3 | Jan (peak) |
| 40 | Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | Cardinals and Allies | 3 | May (rising) |
| 41 | American Robin | Turdus migratorius | Thrushes | 3 | Apr (rising) |
| 42 | European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Starlings | 3 | May (rising) |
| 43 | Black-billed Magpie | Pica hudsonia | Crows, Jays, and Magpies | 3 | Jun (rising) |
| 44 | Northern Shrike | Lanius borealis | Shrikes | 3 | Mar (rising) |
| 45 | Glaucous Gull | Larus hyperboreus | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers | 2 | Dec (rising) |
| 46 | Prairie Falcon | Falco mexicanus | Falcons and Caracaras | 2 | Jan (peak) |
| 47 | Merlin | Falco columbarius | Falcons and Caracaras | 2 | Oct (rising) |
| 48 | Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 2 | Apr (rising) |
| 49 | Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 2 | Jun (rising) |
| 50 | Greater White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 2 | Apr (rising) |