American Oystercatchers reach Connecticut in the second week of March, are common by mid March, peak in early August (8.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.
When to look
First arrivalsMar 8-14the second week of March
Common byMar 15-21mid March
PeakAug 1-7early August
Most gone bySep 22-30late September
Best: early August. First arrivals the second week of March; most are gone by late September. Peak: on about 8.5% of Connecticut checklists.
Jannot usually seen
Febnot usually seen
Marcommon
Aprcommon
Maycommon
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Sepcommon
Octuncommon
Novrare
Decnot usually seen
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.
Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Connecticut that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
0%few checklistsno data
Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.
Cedar PointFairfield County, best late May · 80 checklists that week, 1,206 in all91%
Morse ParkNew Haven County, best mid June · 91 checklists that week, 3,681 in all91%
Beard Cove (historical)New Haven County, best the second week of June · 225 checklists that week, 8,925 in all86%
Greenwich Point ParkFairfield County, best the second week of April · 67 checklists that week, 2,871 in all77%
Ocean Beach ParkNew London County, best mid March · 22 checklists that week, 569 in all75%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In Connecticut, the American Oystercatcher is most often listed on checklists started between 5 and 7 pm (3.4% of those checklists).
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.Week-by-week table
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
February
0%
0%
0.1%
0.1%
March
0.3%
1.4%
3.1%
4.7%
April
4.8%
4.2%
4.0%
2.9%
May
3.2%
3.3%
4.2%
6.5%
June
7.4%
6.0%
5.8%
6.1%
July
6.0%
7.1%
7.5%
9.0%
August
8.3%
8.0%
6.9%
6.1%
September
5.9%
4.3%
3.5%
2.9%
October
2.3%
1.7%
1.5%
1.0%
November
0.8%
0.7%
0.3%
0.2%
December
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
Neighboring states
Rhode Island: arrives the second week of March, in the same week than Connecticut
Massachusetts: arrives late March, 2 weeks later than Connecticut
New Jersey: arrives late February, 2 weeks earlier than Connecticut
New York: arrives mid March, 1 week later than Connecticut
Common questions
When do American Oystercatchers arrive in Connecticut?
American Oystercatchers reach Connecticut in the second week of March, are common by mid March, peak in early August (8.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.
When do American Oystercatchers leave Connecticut?
Most American Oystercatchers have left Connecticut by late September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late October.
When is the best time to see a American Oystercatcher in Connecticut?
The American Oystercatcher is reported most often in early August, on about 8.5% of Connecticut checklists.
Where in Connecticut are American Oystercatchers seen most often?
By county, New Haven County, Fairfield County, and New London County have the highest peak reporting rates for the American Oystercatcher (counties with at least 200 checklists).
