Reference
How many bird species are in Indiana?
Indiana has 420 bird species on its official list (Indiana Bird Records Committee, no date on the list), the 42nd highest count of the 46 states with a verified count. A species joins it on physical evidence or a convincing written description; species whose wild origin is in doubt are listed separately.
Updated
Indiana bird list at a glance
| Official count | 420 species |
|---|---|
| List’s date | Not given on the list (we read it on October 2, 2026) |
| Kept by | Indiana Bird Records Committee (Indiana Audubon Society) |
| Among US states | 42nd highest of the 47 US lists (50 states and DC) with a verified count |
| Official list | Official IBRC Bird Checklist (Indiana Audubon birds page) |
What does Indiana’s count include?
- Species accepted on physical evidence, such as a photo or a specimen, or on a convincing written description.
- Not counted: species of doubtful origin, on a separate list.
Why might you see a different number?
A state’s count is every species ever accepted on its official list, so a figure from another year, or one that counts something else, won’t match.
Every state’s list follows its own rules: see why the counts differ from state to state.
How do you count your own Indiana list?
Your state list is every species you’ve seen in the state. If you log your sightings in eBird, it lets you filter your life list by place, a state included (eBird’s My eBird help page, updated March 28, 2025), and the data download you can ask for gives the state of every sighting: our guide shows how to download your own eBird data. On paper, count the species you’ve seen in Indiana; what is a life list? explains how birders keep their lists.
If you’d like your whole life list in print, Birdfolio turns it into a hardcover book, each species beside a classic painting.
Indiana’s state bird
Northern Cardinal
Indiana’s state bird is the Northern Cardinal (officially, the “Red Bird or Cardinal”), the state bird since 1933. Indiana Code 1-2-8-1 (Acts 1933).
Audubon painted it too: plate 159 of The Birds of America.
Source: Indiana State Bird (Indiana Historical Bureau, IN.gov), read October 3, 2026. See the state birds of all 50 states, each with its painting.
Birding festivals in Indiana
Our birding festivals calendar lists 3 in Indiana, with dates from each festival’s own website:
- Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival, Linton: February 19–20, 2027
- Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, Porter: May 13–16, 2027
- Hummingbird Migration Celebration, Connersville: dates not announced yet (2026 festival: August 1, 2026)
In winter you can also join a Christmas Bird Count near you; our guide explains how.
More about bird counts
- How many bird species are in each state: all 50 states, DC and Canada, each from its official list.
- Bird lists of nearby states: Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.
- State birds of all 50 states, each with its classic painting.
- How many bird species are in the US and Canada, and how birders count them.
- Bird splits and lumps: when one species becomes two, state lists change too.