Reference
How many bird species are in Michigan?
Michigan has 466 bird species on its official list (Michigan Bird Records Committee, July 7, 2025), the 21st highest count of the 46 states with a verified count. It includes 1 extinct species, 1 that is probably extinct and 2 no longer found in Michigan, along with regular birds and rare visitors.
Updated
Michigan bird list at a glance
| Official count | 466 species |
|---|---|
| List’s date | July 7, 2025 |
| Kept by | Michigan Bird Records Committee |
| Among US states | 21st highest of the 47 US lists (50 states and DC) with a verified count |
| Official list | Michigan Checklist (MBRC) |
What does Michigan’s count include?
- Regular species and rare visitors alike.
- 1 extinct species, 1 probably extinct, and 2 no longer found in Michigan.
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 Michigan 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 Michigan; 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.
Birding festivals in Michigan
Our birding festivals calendar lists one festival in Michigan, with dates from its own website:
- Tawas Point Bird Migration Days, Tawas Point State Park: dates not announced yet (2026 festival: May 15–16, 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, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
- 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.