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By October, the fall migration is well underway, with many species moving to their wintering sites. Most raptors will be gone by October but other birds will be migrating during this month. It is useful to look in the woods during October to see which passerines may be moving through on their southward migration.
Kinglets, sparrows, and some of the dabbling ducks migrate in October. Several sparrows like the White-Crowned Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco, migrate in October to warmer southern states. These birds are also omnivorous, and will eat plant matter and insects.
Continue to read below to learn more detailed information on the kinds of birds in North America that migrate in October, including some information on the habits, biology, and range of the species.
TIP: If you want to check out the best pair of binoculars for bird watching, we recommend a pair of waterproof and fog-proof 8 x 42 binoculars like the Celestron – Outland X 8×42 Binoculars (Amazon link).
What birds migrate in October?
An assortment of species is seen migrating in October. It is a time for some of the short-distance movements that occur; sparrows, in particular are moving to the warmer southern states at this time. Sparrows, juncos, kinglets, and a couple of the ducks can be observed during migration in October. Dunlins and Forster’s Terns are two species that also migrate in October.
The birds migrating in fall respond to the changes in conditions that act as a cue for the movement of individuals to more favorable places further south.
My Favourite Equipment for Bird Watching
Bird watching is one of the least expensive hobbies out there, but you still need some equipment to get the most out of it.
The essential equipment to start bird watching is a pair of binoculars. My preference is 8 X 42 binoculars. The number 8 is how much the magnification is, while 42 is the field of view in millimeters of the lenses.
A pair of waterproof and fog-proof 8 x 42 binoculars like the Celestron – Outland X 8×42 Binoculars on Amazon is an excellent choice for both beginners and experts.
In time, you can choose more expensive models and also opt to buy a spotting scope like the Celestron Ultima 80 on Amazon.
These are a lot more expensive compared with binoculars though, so if you are only a beginner, start with binoculars first. A spotting scope is only helpful for birds far away, such as out on a pond or seashore.
There are a few rules or guidelines you should abide by as an ethical birder. These are listed below.
- Do not enter private lands without prior permission from landowners.
- Follow all the rules in refuges and reserves, including cleaning up any garbage from your campsite.
- Do not disturb birds on nests.
- Do not use apps and play songs to call up birds when they are hungry, tired, and breeding during spring and summer.
Sparrows
October is the month to spot a number of sparrow species as they start to arrive in southern parts of the country. Several species of sparrow overwinter in places like Texas. Fall and winter is generally the best time of year to visit parks in Texas to look for sparrows. Species you can find include White-crowned Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Harris’s Sparrows, and Fox Sparrows.
TIP: Knowing how to spot the birds in your yard is key to enjoying visits from your winged friends as much as possible! The best sources are trusted books, I recommend using the following (Amazon links):
– National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
– National Audubon Society Birds of North America
You can also see a number of sparrows in Ohio in October, such as Song Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, and Tree Sparrows.
White-crowned Sparrow
These sparrows breed in Canada and parts of the Pacific Northwest. They migrate south in the fall and can be spotted in many south and central and eastern U.S. states. Some birds even move as far as Mexico, where they spend the winter. The White-crowned Sparrow has distinctive head markings and is easy to recognize.
White-throated Sparrow
The White-throated Sparrow has a distinctive song, and is a bird you usually find on the ground scratching in leaf litter looking for seeds, bugs and other inverts to eat. This bird, unlike the White-crowned Sparrow doesn’t occur in the Pacific Northwest but does also breed in Canada.
In summer, it is also found in areas around the Great Lakes. It is a bird seen in fall, moving down into warmer southern and eastern parts of the U.S. These sparrows overwinter in most of the states along the eastern seaboard and in areas like Texas, Georgia, Florida, and the other southeastern states. This sparrow is often thought of as a forest bird, liking quite dense bush. You can however, see it in wooded gardens, and it does sometimes visit seed feeders.
Fox Sparrow
This species is large compared to the other sparrows. The bird also has very rusty-colored markings, hence its name Fox Sparrow. They behave similarly to the White-throated Sparrows, and can be seen foraging in leaf litter on the ground. They will eat seeds, grains, and take insects that they find.
Fox Sparrows spend the summer in Canada, Alaska, and parts of the western United States like Washington state, Oregon, and northern California. They do migrate partially to southern and eastern states (in areas south of the Great Lakes), where they spend the winter.
TOP TIP: Are wild birds friendly? Find out by reading this interesting article! Do birds recognize each other? This article has the answer.
Swamp Sparrow
These sparrows, as the name suggests, occur near swampy areas, moist grasses and marshes. The Swamp Sparrows spend Summer in the states near the Great Lakes and in eastern and central Canada. In winter they reside in states further south, going as far as south Texas and Mexico. The birds can switch diets when insects and inverts are not readily available. In fact, most of their diet in winter is made up of plant material.
Harris’s Sparrow
This sparrow is classified as a medium-distance migrant. They, unlike some of the sparrows already discussed, occur in the center of the country. Their summer range is the central northern reaches of Canada. They can be found in migration in the plain states from North Dakota southwards.
They overwinter south from about Nebraska to central Texas. They are, like many sparrows, quite omnivorous, feeding on an assortment of food including inverts and grains. The sparrow is also quite interesting because it nests on the ground in the Canadian tundra, but it constructs the nest under a tree.
TIP: Bird feeders and baths are great for attracting birds to your backyard. But what about bird houses? They will help you not only track but also keep them in your yard! Check out my picks on different bird houses below (Amazon links):
– Cedar Viewing House
– Wood Bird House with Pole
– Hanging Bird House
Dark-eyed Junco
The Dark-eyed Junco is in the New World Sparrow family, the Passerellidae. Juncos are attractive birds that have dark upperparts and white underparts. They are one of the most common of the sparrows in North America. They breed in Canada and are non-resident migrants that visit the United States each year.
Their distribution is wide, in winter you can find these little birds in almost every state, although they are only found in the northernmost parts of California and Florida.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
This tiny bird breed in the spruce-fir forests of the mountains of the Western United States and in Canada. Migration brings them down into other southern central states such as Oklahoma and Texas, and southeastern states like Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Some individuals also migrate as far as Mexico, where they will remain until spring. The birds like forests with dense stands of trees and they build their nests high up in the trees.
The birds forage in the trees for small insects like aphids and also inverts, like spiders. They are not really seed-eating birds, but will take small amounts of berries and seeds. This kinglet is likely the most common of the kinglet species in North America.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
These birds are energetic and actively forage for insects. They are very small, just a bit bigger than a hummingbird. This species of kinglet also breeds in the Pacific Northwest, the Appalachian Mountains and in Canada and overwinters in most of the states in the United States.
Dunlin
The Dunlin are shorebirds that are fairly easy to identify in Summer when they are breeding because they have a black patch of feathers on their belly. During migration they take on dull coloration and lose the diagnostic black patch, making identification much more difficult.
The Dunlin feed on a variety of crustaceans, worms, and insects. The birds can be seen walking along and probing the mud of wetlands to extract prey items. These shorebirds nest in the Arctic and migrate to the United States and Mexican coastline, where they overwinter.
TIP: Are you looking for high-quality food for wild birds on your backyard? I recommend using Wagner’s products with the highest quality grains used in blending and made in the USA (Amazon links):
– Deluxe Treat Blend Wild Bird Food
– Eastern Regional Wild Bird Food
– Western Regional Wild Bird Food
– Midwest Regional Wild Bird Food
– Southern Regional Wild Bird Food
Conclusion
October is the best time to begin searching for migrating sparrows. You can also find juncos and kinglets on the move at this time. Fall in the southern states like Texas is a great time for looking for both the Dark-eyed Junco and various sparrow species, like the White-throated Sparrow and Fox Sparrow. You should also keep an eye open for kinglets, which although small, will stand out for their frenetic activity in the trees.