Rarity Database

The Rarest of Utah Birds

The following list contains about 170 (one-hundred and seventy) species of birds that need documentation in Utah. These birds range from accidental and occasional vagrants, to annual or semi-annual rare migrants or visitors, to poorly known resident breeders and migrants, as well as a variety of other statuses that make them noteworthy.

You won't find a status of ACCEPTED or REJECTED here. This database is just a list of reports and the documentation supporting them. We leave it up to the individual to make their own decisions based on the data provided, and have included the ability to comment on each report for discussion, clarification, to answer questions, etc.

Status Key

  • Accidental: Occurs at random--unpredictable; usually fewer than 10 reports
  • Occasional: Possibly annual--reports show pattern of detection; 10-20 reports
  • Irregular: Present Some years, absent others--food and weather related; 10+ reports
  • Rare Migrant: 1 to 2 reports most years during spring and/or fall migration; 20+ reports
  • Rare Breeder: Known or believed to breed in Utah, but detections are infrequent
  • Historical: Historically encountered more frequently in Utah, now rarely reported
  • Poorly Known: Status unclear--rarely detected due to range and habitat limitations

Submit Report

Do you have a sighting not on this list? Have you recently seen something rare and want it to be inlcuded in the database? Although we monitor a number of lists and eBird, some reports just slip through the cracks. Fill out a simple form with a few details about your sighting and it will be included with the rest.

Submit Report

Submit Report

Search for a Species

Waterfowl

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 4 Accidental view reports
Brant 9 Accidental view reports
American Black Duck 14 Accidental view reports
Garganey 2 Accidental view reports
Tufted Duck 1 Accidental view reports
Harlequin Duck 13 Accidental view reports
Black Scoter 20+ Rare Winter Visitor view reports

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Upland Gamebirds

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Scaled Quail 3 Poorly Known view reports

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Diving Birds

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Yellow-billed Loon 12 Accidental view reports
Red-throated Loon 16 Occasional view reports
Red-necked Grebe 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Brown Pelican 11 Accidental view reports
Neotropic Cormorant 20+ Rare view reports
Magnificent Frigatebird 1 Accidental view reports

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Wading Birds

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Least Bittern 15 Occasional view reports
Little Blue Heron 17 Occasional view reports
Tricolored Heron 4 Accidental view reports
Reddish Egret 4 Accidental view reports
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Accidental view reports
White Ibis 4 Accidental view reports
Glossy Ibis 20+ Rare Passage Migrant & Breeder? view reports
Roseate Spoonbill 3 Accidental view reports
Wood Stork 8 Accidental view reports
Greater Flamingo 3 All Considered Escapees view reports
Chilean Flamingo 8 Same Escaped Individual view reports

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Diurnal Raptors

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
California Condor 20+ Reintroduced Resident view reports
White-tailed Kite 14 Occasional view reports
Mississippi Kite 1 Accidental view reports
Gray Hawk 2 Accidental view reports
Harris's Hawk 4 Accidental view reports
White-tailed Hawk 1 Accidental view reports
Zone-tailed Hawk 20+ Rare/Poorly Known view reports
Crested Caracara 2 Accidental view reports
Gyrfalcon 12 Accidental view reports

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Rails and Cranes

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Purple Gallinule 3 Accidental view reports
Whooping Crane 3 Individuals from Reintroduction Effort view reports

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Shorebirds

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Pacific Golden-Plover 6 Accidental. view reports
Mountain Plover 17 Historical/Currently Accidental view reports
Wandering Tattler 5 Accidental view reports
Upland Sandpiper 12 Accidental view reports
Hudsonian Godwit 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Bar-tailed Godwit 3 Accidental view reports
White-rumped Sandpiper 14 Occasional view reports
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 1 Accidental view reports
Purple Sandpiper 1 Accidental view reports
Curlew Sandpiper 5 Accidental view reports
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 5 Accidental view reports
Ruff 6 Accidental. view reports
American Woodcock 1 Accidental view reports
Red Phalarope 20+ Rare Fall Migrant view reports

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Gulls, Terns, & Jaegers (and Ancient Murrelet)

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Black-legged Kittiwake 5 Accidental view reports
Little Gull 3 Accidental view reports
Laughing Gull 1 Accidental view reports
Heermann's Gull 4 Accidental view reports
Black-tailed Gull 1 Accidental view reports
Iceland Gull 16 Occasional view reports
Lesser-Black-backed Gull 20+ Rare Winter Visitor view reports
Slaty-backed Gull 1 Accidental view reports
Yellow-footed Gull 3 Accidental view reports
Western Gull 14 Occasional view reports
Great Black-backed Gull 1 Accidental view reports
Least Tern 20+ Rare Spring Migrant view reports
Pomarine Jaeger 9 Occasional view reports
Parasitic Jaeger 20+ Rare Fall Migrant view reports
Long-tailed Jaeger 13 Occasional. view reports
Ancient Murrelet 4 Accidental view reports

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Doves & Pigeons

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Common Ground-Dove 7 Accidental view reports
Ruddy Ground-Dove 3 Accidental view reports

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Cuckoos

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 10 Poorly Known view reports
Black-billed Cuckoo 5 Accidental view reports

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Owls

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Snowy Owl 13 Occasional Winter Visitor view reports
Elf Owl 8 Poorly Known view reports
Great Gray Owl 9 Poorly Known view reports
Boreal Owl 14 Poorly Known view reports

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Nightjars

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Whip-poor-will 6 Accidental view reports

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Swifts

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Chimney Swift 3 Accidental view reports
Vaux's Swift 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Black Swift 20+ Rare Breeder view reports

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Hummingbirds

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Broad-billed Hummingbird 8 Accidental view reports
Blue-throated Hummingbird 4 Accidental view reports
Magnificent Hummingbird 9 Accidental view reports
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4 Accidental view reports

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Woodpeckers

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Red-headed Woodpecker 9 Accidental view reports
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 20+ Rare Winter Visitor view reports
Red-breasted Sapsucker 20+ Rare Winter Visitor view reports
Gilded Flicker 6 Poorly Known view reports
Pileated Woodpecker 9 Accidental view reports

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Flycatchers

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Accidental view reports
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 4 Accidental view reports
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 4 Accidental view reports
Least Flycatcher 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Eastern Phoebe 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Accidental view reports
Thick-billed Kingbird 1 Accidental view reports
Tropical Kingbird 1 Accidental view reports
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 16 Occasional view reports

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Vireos

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
White-eyed Vireo 5 Accidental view reports
Yellow-throated Vireo 7 Accidental view reports
Blue-headed Vireo 11 Occasional view reports
Philadelphia Vireo 15 Occasional view reports

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Corvids

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Chihuahuan Raven 3 Accidental/Poorly Known view reports

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Thrushes, Mimids, & Pipits

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Eastern Bluebird 7 Accidental view reports
Veery 20+ Historical/Currently Accidental view reports
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1 Accidental view reports
Wood Thrush 5 Accidental view reports
Rufous-backed Robin 1 Accidental view reports
Brown Thrasher 4 Accidental view reports
Curve-billed Thrasher 2 Accidental view reports
LeConte's Thrasher 12 Poorly Known view reports
Spague's Pipit 4 Accidental/Poorly Known view reports

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Warblers

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Olive Warbler 2 Accidental view reports
Tennessee Warbler 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Blue-winged Warbler 2 Accidental view reports
Golden-winged Warbler 3 Accidental view reports
Northern Parula 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Chestnut-sided Warbler 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Magnolia Warbler 16 Occasional view reports
Cape May Warbler 4 Accidental view reports
Black-throated Blue Warbler 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Hermit Warbler 20+ Rare Passage Migrant/Poorly Known view reports
Blackburnian Warbler 5 Accidental view reports
Yellow-throated Warbler 8 Accidental view reports
Pine Warbler 3 Accidental view reports
Prairie Warbler 5 Accidental view reports
Palm Warbler 19 Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Bay-breasted Warbler 4 Accidental view reports
Blackpoll Warbler 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Prothonotary Warbler 16 Occasional view reports
Worm-eating Warbler 6 Accidental view reports
Ovenbird 20+ Rare Passage Migrant view reports
Louisiana Waterthrush 4 Accidental view reports
Kentucky Warbler 4 Accidental view reports
Connecticut Warbler 3 Accidental view reports
Mourning Warbler 2 Accidental view reports
Hooded Warbler 14 Occasional view reports
Canada Warbler 4 Accidental view reports
Painted Redstart 20+ Rare Breeder view reports

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Tanagers & Their Allies

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Scarlet Tanager 14 Occasional view reports
Flame-colored Tanager 1 Accidental view reports
Northern Cardinal 3 Accidental view reports
Pyrrhuloxia 1 Accidental view reports
Varied Bunting 1 Accidental view reports
Painted Bunting 9 Accidental view reports
Dickcissel 11 Accidental view reports

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Sparrows (Emberizine)

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Canyon Towhee 2 Accidental/Poorly Known view reports
Cassin's Sparrow 4 Accidental view reports
Field Sparrow 2 Accidental view reports
Baird's Sparrow 6 Accidental view reports
LeConte's Sparrow 5 Accidental view reports
Clay-colored Sparrow 20+ Accidental view reports
McCown's Longspur 20+ Irregular view reports
Chestnut-collared Longspur 8 Accidental view reports

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Blackbirds & Orioles

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Eastern Meadowlark 1 Accidental/Poorly Known view reports
Rusty Blackbird 14 Occasional view reports
Bronzed Cowbird 7 Accidental view reports
Orchard Oriole 3 Accidental view reports
Streaked-backed Oriole 1 Accidental view reports
Baltimore Oriole 6 Accidental view reports

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Finches

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Brambling 2 Accidental view reports
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch 1 Accidental/Poorly Known view reports
Purple Finch 5 Accidental view reports
Common Redpoll 20+ Irregular view reports
Hoary Redpoll 2 Accidental view reports
Lawrence's Goldfinch 9 Accidental view reports

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Escapees, Etc.

Species # of reports Status in Utah  
Mute Swan 20+ Escapees and Released view reports
Mandarin Duck 20+ Escapees and Released view reports
Northern Bobwhite 5 Escapees and Released view reports
Eurasian Goldfinch 5 Escapees and Released view reports

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