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

60 birds were recorded seen in Washington 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

Mallard1,422 obs.

Great Blue Heron1,211 obs.

American Crow1,079 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco903 obs.

Song Sparrow799 obs.

American Wigeon730 obs.

Northern Flicker715 obs.

Canada Goose703 obs.

American Robin670 obs.

Steller's Jay642 obs.

Bald Eagle615 obs.

Double-crested Cormorant547 obs.

All birds seen in Washington in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	1,422	Apr (past peak)
2	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	1,211	May (past peak)
3	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	1,079	Apr (past peak)
4	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	903	May (past peak)
5	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	799	Apr (past peak)
6	American Wigeon	Mareca americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	730	Mar (past peak)
7	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	715	Jun (past peak)
8	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	703	Apr (past peak)
9	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	670	Apr (past peak)
10	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	642	May (past peak)
11	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	615	Apr (past peak)
12	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	547	Jan (past peak)
13	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	466	Mar (past peak)
14	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	446	Apr (past peak)
15	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	417	Jul (past peak)
16	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	417	May (past peak)
17	Anna's Hummingbird	Calypte anna	Hummingbirds	401	Apr (past peak)
18	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	397	Aug (past peak)
19	Golden-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	New World Sparrows	379	Apr (past peak)
20	Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	372	Jun (past peak)
21	Short-billed Gull	Larus brachyrhynchus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	369	Oct (peak)
22	Spotted Towhee	Pipilo maculatus	New World Sparrows	364	Apr (past peak)
23	Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	360	Aug (past peak)
24	Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	358	Jan (past peak)
25	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	342	May (past peak)
26	Horned Grebe	Podiceps auritus	Grebes	329	Jan (past peak)
27	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	321	May (past peak)
28	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	312	Mar (past peak)
29	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	310	Apr (past peak)
30	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	308	Apr (past peak)
31	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	307	Aug (past peak)
32	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	305	Sep (past peak)
33	California Gull	Larus californicus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	305	Aug (past peak)
34	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	291	Apr (past peak)
35	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	287	Mar (past peak)
36	Varied Thrush	Ixoreus naevius	Thrushes	277	Jan (past peak)
37	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	263	Mar (past peak)
38	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	262	Aug (past peak)
39	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	260	Apr (past peak)
40	Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Poecile rufescens	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	249	Apr (past peak)
41	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	248	Jan (past peak)
42	Pelagic Cormorant	Urile pelagicus	Cormorants and Shags	239	Jul (past peak)
43	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	236	May (past peak)
44	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	234	Mar (past peak)
45	Golden-crowned Kinglet	Regulus satrapa	Kinglets	229	Jan (past peak)
46	Heermann's Gull	Larus heermanni	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	225	Sep (past peak)
47	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	225	Jun (past peak)
48	Cackling Goose	Branta hutchinsii	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	225	Nov (rising)
49	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	215	Jan (past peak)
50	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Corthylio calendula	Kinglets	214	Jan (past peak)

Birds Seen in Washington in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in Washington in October