Iowa logged 44,445 confirmed bird sightings across 361 species on iNaturalist in five years, and 67 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings. The live list near Des Moines covers 25 miles around the city. The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee reviews rare bird records here.
Every bird posted within 25 miles of Des Moines in the last seven days, with the ones that are rare there, out of season or uncommon first and the reason for each.
Reading this week's bird sightings within 25 miles of Des Moines from iNaturalist.
Somewhere else in Iowa? Enter your ZIP for the circle around it.
Counted from iNaturalist’s research grade bird records in Iowa from October 9, 2021 to October 1, 2026, read October 9, 2026.
Every bird reported anywhere in Iowa in the last seven days, checked against the state’s own five year record: Rare here means 3 or fewer confirmed sightings in the whole state.
Reading this week's bird sightings across Iowa from iNaturalist.
361 bird species have confirmed iNaturalist records in Iowa over five years, and 67 of them were confirmed 3 times or fewer. A sighting of one of those is the kind a state records committee reviews before it joins the official list. The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee names 6 birds on its own page, below.
The committee reviews rare bird records in Iowa.
“The species in the review list always require documentation, reviewed by the seven member Records Committee, to archive the details of birds rare in Iowa.”
Iowa Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee, read October 9, 2026.
The committee’s review list page pictures six under the heading Some Iowa Rare Birds: Black-headed Grosbeak, Roseate Spoonbill, Brown Booby, Mexican Violetear, Western Tanager and Heermann’s Gull.
Sightings and records from iNaturalist, read live for this week. The lists are built from counts per species, and each bird links to its species page. For your own spot, enter a ZIP on the rare bird alert.