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

60 birds were recorded seen in North Dakota in October 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 October

Dark-eyed Junco35 obs.

Harris's Sparrow24 obs.

Wild Turkey23 obs.

White-throated Sparrow22 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee22 obs.

Ring-necked Pheasant19 obs.

American Robin17 obs.

Merlin16 obs.

Bald Eagle16 obs.

Mallard16 obs.

Greater Yellowlegs15 obs.

Ring-billed Gull15 obs.

All birds seen in North Dakota in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	35	Apr (past peak)
2	Harris's Sparrow	Zonotrichia querula	New World Sparrows	24	May (past peak)
3	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	23	Apr (past peak)
4	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	22	May (past peak)
5	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	22	Oct (peak)
6	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	19	Apr (past peak)
7	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	17	Apr (past peak)
8	Merlin	Falco columbarius	Falcons and Caracaras	16	Oct (peak)
9	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	16	Mar (past peak)
10	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	16	May (past peak)
11	Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	Sandpipers and Allies	15	Apr (past peak)
12	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	15	Jul (past peak)
13	American Pipit	Anthus rubescens	Wagtails and Pipits	14	Oct (peak)
14	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	14	Apr (past peak)
15	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	14	Dec (rising)
16	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	14	Jun (past peak)
17	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	13	May (past peak)
18	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	12	Sep (past peak)
19	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	12	Apr (past peak)
20	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	11	Apr (past peak)
21	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	10	Dec (rising)
22	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	10	May (past peak)
23	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	10	Jun (past peak)
24	Western Grebe	Aechmophorus occidentalis	Grebes	9	Jun (past peak)
25	Tundra Swan	Cygnus columbianus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	9	Apr (past peak)
26	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	9	Jun (past peak)
27	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	9	Jun (past peak)
28	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	9	Apr (past peak)
29	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	9	Apr (past peak)
30	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	9	Oct (peak)
31	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	8	Jun (past peak)
32	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	8	Jun (past peak)
33	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	New World Sparrows	8	May (past peak)
34	Rusty Blackbird	Euphagus carolinus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	8	Apr (past peak)
35	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	8	Jul (past peak)
36	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	8	Jul (past peak)
37	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	8	May (past peak)
38	Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	7	Apr (past peak)
39	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	7	May (past peak)
40	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	6	Aug (past peak)
41	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	6	Jun (past peak)
42	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	May (past peak)
43	Vesper Sparrow	Pooecetes gramineus	New World Sparrows	6	Jun (past peak)
44	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	6	Jun (past peak)
45	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	6	Apr (past peak)
46	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	6	Apr (past peak)
47	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	May (past peak)
48	American Golden-Plover	Pluvialis dominica	Plovers and Lapwings	5	May (past peak)
49	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	5	Aug (past peak)
50	Green-winged Teal	Anas crecca	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	5	Jun (past peak)

Birds Seen in North Dakota in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in North Dakota in October