WhenToBird

Eastern Bluebird · Sialia sialis

When Do Bluebirds Arrive in Missouri?

Adult male Eastern Bluebird
Photo: Dan Vickers, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Eastern Bluebird is in Missouri all year. It turns up on about 30% of checklists at its peak (mid March) and on 20% in its quietest week (late August). They are the only regular bluebirds in Missouri.

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekMar 15-21mid March
Quietest weekAug 22-31late August

Best: mid March. Here all year. Peak: on about 30% of Missouri checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

Bluebirds in Missouri, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Eastern Bluebirdall year–Mar 15-21–30%
0%10%20%30%40%Eastern BluebirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Eastern Bluebird
Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Missouri 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.

Where in Missouri

Best counties for Eastern Bluebird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Daviess CountyBest early July · 22 checklists that week, 1,354 in all82%
  2. Cass CountyBest the second week of July · 138 checklists that week, 7,791 in all73%
  3. Gasconade CountyBest late October · 17 checklists that week, 478 in all70%
  4. Crawford CountyBest the second week of March · 13 checklists that week, 1,081 in all69%
  5. Ste. Genevieve CountyBest mid March · 26 checklists that week, 1,675 in all67%
  6. Webster CountyBest late October · 14 checklists that week, 750 in all67%

Common questions

When do bluebirds arrive in Missouri?
The Eastern Bluebird is in Missouri all year. It turns up on about 30% of checklists at its peak (mid March) and on 20% in its quietest week (late August). They are the only regular bluebirds in Missouri.
When do bluebirds leave Missouri?
The Eastern Bluebird does not leave Missouri: it is reported all year, from 20% of checklists in late August to 30% in mid March.
When is the best time to see bluebirds in Missouri?
The Eastern Bluebird is reported most often in mid March, on about 30% of Missouri checklists.