Black-bellied Plovers reach Delaware in mid March, are common by the second week of April, peak in mid May (13% of checklists), and most are gone by late November.
When to look
First arrivalsMar 15-21mid March
Common byApr 8-14the second week of April
PeakMay 15-21mid May
Most gone byNov 22-30late November
Best: mid May. First arrivals mid March; most are gone by late November. Peak: on about 13% of Delaware checklists.
Janrare
Febrare
Marrare
Aprcommon
Maypeak season
Juncommon
Juluncommon
Augcommon
Sepcommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Decuncommon
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 Delaware 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.
Kent CountyBest mid May · 1446 checklists that week, 36,693 in all23%
Sussex CountyBest mid May · 2927 checklists that week, 91,027 in all18%
New Castle CountyBest late May · 2154 checklists that week, 72,140 in all0.8%
Best spots
Share of checklists at the peak
Caleb PondSussex County, best late April · 46 checklists that week, 1,655 in all65%
Raymond PoolKent County, best late September · 86 checklists that week, 3,097 in all59%
Shell Beach Pond (northeast)Sussex County, best the second week of May · 47 checklists that week, 1,671 in all57%
Shearness PoolKent County, best the second week of October · 76 checklists that week, 2,800 in all56%
Mispillion LightSussex County, best the second week of October · 29 checklists that week, 2,628 in all55%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In Delaware, the Black-bellied Plover is most often listed on checklists started between 1 and 3 pm (5.6% 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
1.3%
1.3%
1.3%
1.3%
February
0.8%
0.4%
0.7%
0.7%
March
1.0%
0.5%
1.1%
1.4%
April
2.7%
4.2%
4.7%
6.6%
May
8.3%
11%
16%
13%
June
4.4%
3.0%
3.3%
2.4%
July
2.4%
2.1%
2.4%
2.8%
August
4.8%
9.0%
11%
7.9%
September
7.5%
5.3%
4.2%
5.9%
October
5.9%
7.5%
5.9%
6.9%
November
6.9%
8.6%
4.5%
3.9%
December
2.3%
1.1%
2.1%
1.8%
Neighboring states
Maryland: arrives late July, 17 weeks later than Delaware
New Jersey: arrives late July, 17 weeks later than Delaware
Virginia: arrives late July, 17 weeks later than Delaware
New York: arrives late July, 17 weeks later than Delaware
Common questions
When do Black-bellied Plovers arrive in Delaware?
Black-bellied Plovers reach Delaware in mid March, are common by the second week of April, peak in mid May (13% of checklists), and most are gone by late November.
When do Black-bellied Plovers leave Delaware?
Most Black-bellied Plovers have left Delaware by late November, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late January.
When is the best time to see a Black-bellied Plover in Delaware?
The Black-bellied Plover is reported most often in mid May, on about 13% of Delaware checklists.
Where in Delaware are Black-bellied Plovers seen most often?
By county, Kent County, Sussex County, and New Castle County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Black-bellied Plover (counties with at least 200 checklists).
