| Species | Photo | Date Sighted | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-bellied Whistling-Duck |  |
1 May 2009 | Carroll County | |
| Fulvous Whistling-Duck |  |
17 July 1994 | Goose Lake, Clinton County | First state record |
| Mottled Duck |  |
7 July 2006 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | First state record |
| Mottled Ducks |  |
4 August 2009 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Second state record |
| Mottled Duck |  |
14 May 2014 | Dunbar Slough, Greene County | Fifth state record |
| Harlequin Duck |  |
3 January 2015 | Des Moines, Polk County | |
| Long-tailed Duck |  |
17 January 2010 | Pool 19, Lee County | |
| Snowy Plover |  |
3 May 1996 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Fifth state record |
| Snowy Plover |  |
3 July 2020 | Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County | One of three present and trying to breed |
| Bar-tailed Godwit |  |
6 August 2017 | Runnells Wildlife Area, Marion County | First state record |
| Bar-tailed Godwit |  |
6 August 2017 | Runnells Wildlife Area, Marion County | First state record |
| Western Sandpiper |  |
14 August 2009 | Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County | A rare migrant in the state |
| Western Sandpiper |  |
29 April 2011 | Riverton Wildlife Area, Fremont County | First photographic evidence for a spring migrant in Iowa |
| Red Phalarope |  |
2 October 1988 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | First state record |
| Red Phalarope |  |
18 September 2007 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | |
| Red Phalarope |  |
7 June 2020 | Eagle Lake, Hancock County | First summer record for Iowa |
| Pomarine Jaeger |  |
30 September 1988 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | First state record |
| Pomarine Jaeger |  |
11 November 1996 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Second state record |
| Parasitic Jaeger |  |
28 August 2018 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Earliest fall record |
| Ivory Gull |  |
28 December 1990 | Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County | Second state record |
| Little Gull |  |
14 October 2017 | Runnells Wildlife Area, Polk County | |
| Laughing Gull |  |
25 July 2006 | Below Red Rock Reservoir dam, Marion County | Casual visitor |
| Laughing Gull |  |
6 September 2010 | Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County | |
| Black-tailed Gull |  |
18 November 2007 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | First state record |
| Short-billed Gull |  |
18 November 2007 | Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County | |
| California Gull |  |
18 January 2021 | Fort Madison, Lee County | First Iowa winter record |
| Iceland Gull |  |
3 February 2007 | Below Lock and Dam 19, Keokuk, Lee County | |
| Arctic Tern |  |
18 August 1999 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | First state record |
| Royal Tern |  |
20 August 2005 | Rathbun Reservoir, Appanoose County | First state record |
| Yellow-billed Loon |  |
28 November 2007 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Third state record |
| Wood Stork |  |
4 October 2007 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Second state record |
| Magnificent Frigatebird |  |
2 September 2007 | Spirit Lake, Dickinson County | Sixth state record |
| Neotropic Cormorant |  |
3 May 2008 | West of Riverton, Fremont County | Fourth state record |
| Neotropic Cormorant (with Double-crested Cormorant) |
 |
5 July 2009 | Elm L., Wright County | Fifth state record |
| Brown Booby |  |
3 September 2015 | Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County | First state record |
| Brown Pelican |  |
22 October 2005 | Below Red Rock Reservoir dam, Marlon County | |
| Brown Pelican |  |
18 December 2007 | Fort Madison, Lee County | Only winter record for Iowa |
| Glossy Ibis |  |
29 June 2008 | East of Chelsea, Tama County | |
| Roseate Spoonbill |  |
30 July 2014 | M. U. Payne Wildlife Area, Fremont County | Fourth state record |
| White-tailed Kite |  |
19 May 2019 | Madison County | Third state record |
| Swallow-tailed Kite | 
|
25 August 2012 | Otter Creek Marsh, Tama County | |
| Northern Hawk Owl |  |
26 February 2005 | Worth County | Second state record |
| Gyrfalcon |  |
22 December 2000 | Eastern Boone County | |
| Fork-tailed Flycatcher |  |
26 April 2009 | Near Dysart, Tama County | Second state record |
| Fish Crow |  |
20 May 2014 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Fourth state record, but the first to be documented with a photograph and recordings. |
| Rock Wren |  |
26 October 2019 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | |
| Curve-billed Thrasher | 
|
5 February 2012 | Lucas County | |
| Sage Thrasaher |  |
4 May 2020 | Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County | Fourth state record |
| White-winged Crossbills |  |
15 February 2009 | Hampton, Franklin County | |
| Smith's Longspur |  |
11 April 2007 | Near Jewell, Hamilton County | |
| Bullock's Oriole |  |
8 September 2008 | South of Nevada, Story County | |
| Swainson's Warbler |  |
20 May 2021 | Ames, Story County | First state record |
| Prairie Warbler |  |
6 September 2008 | Brushy Creek Recreation Area, Webster County | A very rare record of a migrant. |
| Painted Bunting |  |
12 May 2011 | Dunbar Slough, Greene County |