The last seven days on iNaturalist, checked against five years

Rare Birds in Maryland This Week

Q: What rare birds are in Maryland this week?

The lists above, read live from iNaturalist: first the birds within 25 miles of Baltimore, 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 Maryland?

426 bird species in 296,858 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 Maryland?

Near Baltimore 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 Maryland.

Q: Who confirms rare bird records in Maryland?

The Maryland/District of Columbia Records Committee. From its page: “The Committee evaluates reports of sightings to convert them into documented records that can be used reliably for scientific studies of bird distribution and patterns of avian vagrancy.”

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

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.

Maryland logged 296,858 confirmed bird sightings across 426 species on iNaturalist in five years, and 56 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings. The live list near Baltimore covers 25 miles around the city. The Maryland/District of Columbia Records Committee reviews rare bird records here.

Near Baltimore

Rare birds near Baltimore this week

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

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

Maryland birds on the record

iNaturalist, research grade

296,858

Confirmed bird sightings

research grade iNaturalist records, five years

426

Bird species on record

seen and confirmed in Maryland

Species seen 3 times or fewer

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

25 mi

Live circle

around Baltimore, or any ZIP you enter

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

Across Maryland

The whole state this week

Every bird reported anywhere in Maryland 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 Maryland from iNaturalist.

What turns up here

Who confirms a rare bird in Maryland

426 bird species have confirmed iNaturalist records in Maryland 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.

Maryland/District of Columbia Records Committee

The committee reviews rare bird records in Maryland.

“The Committee evaluates reports of sightings to convert them into documented records that can be used reliably for scientific studies of bird distribution and patterns of avian vagrancy.”

Maryland/District of Columbia Records Committee, read October 9, 2026.

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

Maryland rare bird questions

What rare birds are in Maryland this week?

How many bird species are seen in Maryland?

What counts as rare in Maryland?

Who confirms rare bird records in Maryland?

How do I see rare birds near me in Maryland?

Are needs ID sightings included?

More for Maryland birders

Rare birds near any ZIPEnter a ZIP for this week’s unusual birds around it.Maryland fall migrationWhen the big flights pass over.Maryland hummingbird migrationWhen they arrive and when they leave.Maryland eagle watchingWhere bald eagles gather in winter.Maryland snowy owlsWhere the winter irruptions reach.Maryland winter birdsWhat comes to the feeder when it snows.

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.