WhenToBird

Cyanocitta cristata · Corvidae

When Do Blue Jays Arrive in Tennessee?

Adult Blue Jay
Photo: Texas Bird Family, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Blue Jay is in Tennessee all year. It turns up on about 73% of checklists at its peak (the second week of October) and on 43% in its quietest week (mid February).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekOct 8-14the second week of October
Quietest weekFeb 15-21mid February

Best: the second week of October. Here all year. Peak: on about 73% of Tennessee checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%20%40%60%80%Jan 1-7: 44% of 16696 checklistsJan 8-14: 43% of 13056 checklistsJan 15-21: 43% of 13646 checklistsJan 22-31: 43% of 18071 checklistsFeb 1-7: 44% of 13342 checklistsFeb 8-14: 43% of 14316 checklistsFeb 15-21: 42% of 20395 checklistsFeb 22-28: 43% of 13129 checklistsMar 1-7: 44% of 12701 checklistsMar 8-14: 44% of 12789 checklistsMar 15-21: 45% of 13599 checklistsMar 22-31: 48% of 20293 checklistsApr 1-7: 50% of 15779 checklistsApr 8-14: 52% of 16646 checklistsApr 15-21: 55% of 18625 checklistsApr 22-30: 54% of 26689 checklistsMay 1-7: 51% of 21054 checklistsMay 8-14: 49% of 19954 checklistsMay 15-21: 47% of 14494 checklistsMay 22-31: 46% of 17790 checklistsJun 1-7: 44% of 11344 checklistsJun 8-14: 42% of 11049 checklistsJun 15-21: 45% of 9625 checklistsJun 22-30: 44% of 11522 checklistsJul 1-7: 45% of 9208 checklistsJul 8-14: 43% of 8814 checklistsJul 15-21: 43% of 8887 checklistsJul 22-31: 43% of 12739 checklistsAug 1-7: 43% of 9632 checklistsAug 8-14: 44% of 9514 checklistsAug 15-21: 44% of 9619 checklistsAug 22-31: 47% of 14227 checklistsSep 1-7: 54% of 11988 checklistsSep 8-14: 62% of 11660 checklistsSep 15-21: 68% of 11774 checklistsSep 22-30: 70% of 15658 checklistsOct 1-7: 74% of 12641 checklistsOct 8-14: 72% of 12389 checklistsOct 15-21: 71% of 10249 checklistsOct 22-31: 66% of 14085 checklistsNov 1-7: 59% of 10700 checklistsNov 8-14: 51% of 10709 checklistsNov 15-21: 49% of 9955 checklistsNov 22-30: 48% of 13423 checklistsDec 1-7: 46% of 10106 checklistsDec 8-14: 47% of 10478 checklistsDec 15-21: 47% of 12177 checklistsDec 22-31: 48% of 17397 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
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 Tennessee 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
Second week of November

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.

Embed this map on your site

Where in Tennessee

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Houston CountyBest early October · 21 checklists that week, 1,234 in all97%
  2. Claiborne CountyBest mid October · 10 checklists that week, 635 in all91%
  3. Union CountyBest mid October · 58 checklists that week, 2,525 in all91%
  4. Chester CountyBest early December · 10 checklists that week, 302 in all90%
  5. Roane CountyBest the second week of October · 136 checklists that week, 6,746 in all90%
  6. Grainger CountyBest the second week of October · 15 checklists that week, 3,030 in all89%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Stones River National BattlefieldRutherford County, best late August · 39 checklists that week, 737 in all99%
  2. Halls Greenway ParkKnox County, best early October · 24 checklists that week, 715 in all99%
  3. Marcella Vivrette Smith ParkWilliamson County, best early October · 26 checklists that week, 998 in all99%
  4. Natchez Trace ParkwayWilliamson County, best late September · 27 checklists that week, 445 in all98%
  5. Percy Priest Wildlife Management AreaRutherford County, best late October · 28 checklists that week, 846 in all98%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Tennessee, the Blue Jay is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (65% of those checklists).

0%20%40%60%80%12 am: too few checklists (224) to judge1 am: too few checklists (253) to judge2 am: too few checklists (245) to judge3 am: too few checklists (267) to judge4 am: too few checklists (582) to judge5 am: too few checklists (5688) to judge6 am: 62% of 36828 checklists7 am: 66% of 72816 checklists8 am: 63% of 76910 checklists9 am: 57% of 69071 checklists10 am: 51% of 60943 checklists11 am: 48% of 52311 checklists12 pm: 45% of 46524 checklists1 pm: 42% of 41133 checklists2 pm: 40% of 40305 checklists3 pm: 38% of 41013 checklists4 pm: 36% of 40029 checklists5 pm: 39% of 29775 checklists6 pm: 39% of 20977 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (12529) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (4456) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1056) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (445) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (252) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
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
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January44%43%43%43%
February44%43%42%43%
March44%44%45%48%
April50%52%55%54%
May51%49%47%46%
June44%42%45%44%
July45%43%43%43%
August43%44%44%47%
September54%62%68%70%
October74%72%71%66%
November59%51%49%48%
December46%47%47%48%

Neighboring states

  • Kentucky: year-round, peaks early October
  • Georgia: year-round, peaks early October
  • Alabama: year-round, peaks early October
  • Indiana: year-round, peaks early October

Common questions

When do Blue Jays arrive in Tennessee?
The Blue Jay is in Tennessee all year. It turns up on about 73% of checklists at its peak (the second week of October) and on 43% in its quietest week (mid February).
When do Blue Jays leave Tennessee?
The Blue Jay does not leave Tennessee: it is reported all year, from 43% of checklists in mid February to 73% in the second week of October.
When is the best time to see a Blue Jay in Tennessee?
The Blue Jay is reported most often in the second week of October, on about 73% of Tennessee checklists.
Where in Tennessee are Blue Jays seen most often?
By county, Houston County, Claiborne County, and Union County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Blue Jay (counties with at least 200 checklists).