The last seven days on iNaturalist, checked against five years

Rare Birds in Missouri This Week

Q: What rare birds are in Missouri this week?

The lists above, read live from iNaturalist: first the birds within 25 miles of St. Louis, 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 Missouri?

370 bird species in 92,771 confirmed iNaturalist sightings between 2021-10-09 and 2026-10-01. 37 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 Missouri?

Near St. Louis 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 Missouri.

Q: Who confirms rare bird records in Missouri?

The Missouri Bird Records Committee. From its page: “In our state, this group is the Missouri Bird Records Committee (MBRC); it is a standing committee of the Missouri Birding Society.”

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

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.

Missouri logged 92,771 confirmed bird sightings across 370 species on iNaturalist in five years, and 37 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings. The live list near St. Louis covers 25 miles around the city. The Missouri Bird Records Committee reviews rare bird records here.

Near St. Louis

Rare birds near St. Louis this week

Every bird posted within 25 miles of St. Louis 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 St. Louis from iNaturalist.

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

Missouri birds on the record

iNaturalist, research grade

92,771

Confirmed bird sightings

research grade iNaturalist records, five years

370

Bird species on record

seen and confirmed in Missouri

Species seen 3 times or fewer

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

25 mi

Live circle

around St. Louis, or any ZIP you enter

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

Across Missouri

The whole state this week

Every bird reported anywhere in Missouri 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 Missouri from iNaturalist.

What turns up here

Who confirms a rare bird in Missouri

370 bird species have confirmed iNaturalist records in Missouri over five years, and 37 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.

Missouri Bird Records Committee

The committee reviews rare bird records in Missouri.

“In our state, this group is the Missouri Bird Records Committee (MBRC); it is a standing committee of the Missouri Birding Society.”

Missouri Bird 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

Missouri rare bird questions

What rare birds are in Missouri this week?

How many bird species are seen in Missouri?

What counts as rare in Missouri?

Who confirms rare bird records in Missouri?

How do I see rare birds near me in Missouri?

Are needs ID sightings included?

More for Missouri birders

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