The last seven days on iNaturalist, checked against five years

Rare Birds in Maine This Week

Q: What rare birds are in Maine this week?

The lists above, read live from iNaturalist: first the birds within 25 miles of Portland, then the whole state. Each species is checked against five years of confirmed sightings, and the most unusual come first.

Q: How many bird species are seen in Maine?

386 bird species in 83,559 confirmed iNaturalist sightings between 2021-10-09 and 2026-10-01. 56 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings in the state, so a new one of them is news.

Q: What counts as rare in Maine?

Near Portland or your own ZIP, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings within 25 miles in five years, or one that is seen there but almost never in these weeks of the year. On the statewide list, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings anywhere in Maine.

Q: Who confirms rare bird records in Maine?

The Maine Bird Records Committee. From its page: “The committee reviews reports of birds, acts as a repository for the documentation of those reports, and maintains an Official List of bird species recorded for Maine.”

Q: How do I see rare birds near me in Maine?

Enter your ZIP on the rare bird alert for a list around your own spot, and check it each week in spring and fall migration, when most strays turn up. Each bird links to its iNaturalist species page with photographs and a range map.

Q: Are needs ID sightings included?

Yes, for this week only, because confirmation takes days and a rare bird may be gone by then. The five year record the week is checked against counts research grade sightings only.

Maine logged 83,559 confirmed bird sightings across 386 species on iNaturalist in five years, and 56 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings. The live list near Portland covers 25 miles around the city. The Maine Bird Records Committee reviews rare bird records here.

Near Portland

Rare birds near Portland this week

Every bird posted within 25 miles of Portland 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 Portland from iNaturalist.

Somewhere else in Maine? Enter your ZIP for the circle around it.

Maine birds on the record

iNaturalist, research grade

83,559

Confirmed bird sightings

research grade iNaturalist records, five years

386

Bird species on record

seen and confirmed in Maine

Species seen 3 times or fewer

15 percent of the state list, the birds that make news

25 mi

Live circle

around Portland, or any ZIP you enter

Counted from iNaturalist’s research grade bird records in Maine from October 9, 2021 to October 1, 2026, read October 9, 2026.

Across Maine

The whole state this week

Every bird reported anywhere in Maine 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 Maine from iNaturalist.

What turns up here

Who confirms a rare bird in Maine

386 bird species have confirmed iNaturalist records in Maine over five years, and 56 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 Maine Bird Records Committee names one bird on its own page, below.

Maine Bird Records Committee

The committee reviews rare bird records in Maine.

“The committee reviews reports of birds, acts as a repository for the documentation of those reports, and maintains an Official List of bird species recorded for Maine.”

Maine Bird Records Committee, read October 9, 2026.

Birds the committee names

The committee’s highlighted rarity is a Great Knot in breeding plumage, a first for the state, accepted in its sixth report.

“A stunning first record for Maine”

Great Knot

Nine birders and photographers on a wooden boardwalk over a marsh, with long lenses, a spotting scope and binoculars all pointed to the left, under spring trees — Birders and photographers setting up on an overlook. Word of an unusual bird travels this way: one person posts a photograph, and the people nearby go and look. “Birdwatchers stop to set up equipment at overlook”, Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Maine rare bird questions

What rare birds are in Maine this week?

How many bird species are seen in Maine?

What counts as rare in Maine?

Who confirms rare bird records in Maine?

Which rare birds has the Maine committee named?

How do I see rare birds near me in Maine?

Are needs ID sightings included?

More for Maine birders

Rare birds near any ZIPEnter a ZIP for this week’s unusual birds around it.Maine fall migrationWhen the big flights pass over.Maine hummingbird migrationWhen they arrive and when they leave.Maine snowy owlsWhere the winter irruptions reach.Maine winter birdsWhat comes to the feeder when it snows.Maine duck migrationWhen the ducks come through.

Rare birds in other states

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.