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

60 birds were recorded seen in Washington in September 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 September

Great Blue Heron1,494 obs.

Mallard1,248 obs.

American Crow1,065 obs.

Song Sparrow836 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco803 obs.

Steller's Jay778 obs.

Northern Flicker745 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow557 obs.

Canada Goose556 obs.

Anna's Hummingbird530 obs.

Sooty Grouse523 obs.

American Robin510 obs.

All birds seen in Washington in September

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	1,494	May (past peak)
2	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	1,248	Apr (past peak)
3	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	1,065	Apr (past peak)
4	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	836	Apr (past peak)
5	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	803	May (past peak)
6	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	778	May (past peak)
7	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	745	Jun (past peak)
8	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	557	Apr (past peak)
9	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	556	Apr (past peak)
10	Anna's Hummingbird	Calypte anna	Hummingbirds	530	Apr (past peak)
11	Sooty Grouse	Dendragapus fuliginosus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	523	Aug (past peak)
12	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	510	Apr (past peak)
13	Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	508	Jun (past peak)
14	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	489	Mar (past peak)
15	Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	484	Aug (past peak)
16	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	473	Aug (past peak)
17	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	456	Apr (past peak)
18	California Gull	Larus californicus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	448	Aug (past peak)
19	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	446	Apr (past peak)
20	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	439	Jul (past peak)
21	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	428	Aug (past peak)
22	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	388	Jan (past peak)
23	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	387	Aug (past peak)
24	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	385	May (past peak)
25	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	384	Aug (past peak)
26	Heermann's Gull	Larus heermanni	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	381	Sep (peak)
27	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	375	Sep (peak)
28	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	374	May (past peak)
29	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	357	May (past peak)
30	Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	Sandpipers and Allies	347	Sep (peak)
31	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	326	May (past peak)
32	Common Murre	Uria aalge	Auks, Murres, and Puffins	310	Sep (peak)
33	Western Sandpiper	Calidris mauri	Sandpipers and Allies	289	Aug (past peak)
34	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	286	Apr (past peak)
35	Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis	Pelicans	282	Aug (past peak)
36	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	278	May (past peak)
37	California Scrub-Jay	Aphelocoma californica	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	271	May (past peak)
38	Spotted Towhee	Pipilo maculatus	New World Sparrows	269	Apr (past peak)
39	Pelagic Cormorant	Urile pelagicus	Cormorants and Shags	269	Jul (past peak)
40	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	267	Jun (past peak)
41	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	260	May (past peak)
42	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	255	Mar (past peak)
43	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	254	Jun (past peak)
44	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	253	Apr (past peak)
45	Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Poecile rufescens	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	252	Apr (past peak)
46	American Wigeon	Mareca americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	242	Mar (past peak)
47	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	241	May (past peak)
48	Caspian Tern	Hydroprogne caspia	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	234	May (past peak)
49	Golden-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	New World Sparrows	223	Apr (past peak)
50	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	223	Apr (past peak)

Birds Seen in Washington in September

Top birds in September

All birds seen in Washington in September