WhenToBird

Aythya valisineria · Anatidae

When Do Canvasbacks Arrive in Indiana?

Adult male Canvasback
Photo: datadan, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Canvasbacks are winter birds in Indiana: they arrive in the second week of November, peak in early March (3.8% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.

When to look

First arrivalsNov 8-14the second week of November
Common byNov 8-14the second week of November
PeakMar 1-7early March
Most gone byMar 22-31late March

Best: early March. First arrivals the second week of November; most are gone by late March. Peak: on about 3.8% of Indiana checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Maynot usually seen
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Deccommon

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

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 2.1% of 18123 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.7% of 12006 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.1% of 12403 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.0% of 16181 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.6% of 12546 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.9% of 14250 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.0% of 18077 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.9% of 13590 checklistsMar 1-7: 4.1% of 14545 checklistsMar 8-14: 3.4% of 14594 checklistsMar 15-21: 2.0% of 13894 checklistsMar 22-31: 1.3% of 22400 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.5% of 18069 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.3% of 19579 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.2% of 19518 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.1% of 30544 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.1% of 28430 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 30624 checklistsMay 15-21: 0% of 22920 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 21234 checklistsJun 1-7: 0% of 12279 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 10904 checklistsJun 15-21: 0% of 9488 checklistsJun 22-30: 0% of 11362 checklistsJul 1-7: 0% of 9947 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 9585 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 8929 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 12639 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 9528 checklistsAug 8-14: 0% of 9451 checklistsAug 15-21: 0% of 9442 checklistsAug 22-31: 0% of 14969 checklistsSep 1-7: 0% of 12628 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.1% of 11793 checklistsSep 15-21: 0% of 11396 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 14203 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 11365 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.1% of 12092 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.3% of 10440 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.6% of 13883 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.9% of 10476 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.5% of 9776 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.7% of 9035 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.6% of 12547 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.1% of 9078 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.4% of 8732 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.5% of 11024 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.0% of 15432 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 Indiana 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.

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Where in Indiana

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Howard CountyBest early March · 10 checklists that week, 788 in all17%
  2. Vermillion CountyBest the second week of December · 12 checklists that week, 772 in all16%
  3. Franklin CountyBest mid February · 78 checklists that week, 3,657 in all14%
  4. Miami CountyBest mid March · 14 checklists that week, 1,203 in all14%
  5. Pike CountyBest mid January · 56 checklists that week, 2,105 in all14%
  6. Posey CountyBest early February · 32 checklists that week, 2,179 in all13%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Boner LakeElkhart County, best mid March · 28 checklists that week, 181 in all100%
  2. Fidler Pond ParkElkhart County, best the second week of January · 91 checklists that week, 3,156 in all53%
  3. Monroe Recreation Area (Stephens Creek)Monroe County, best mid February · 30 checklists that week, 1,682 in all50%
  4. Goose Pond (historical)Greene County, best the second week of March · 35 checklists that week, 1,225 in all49%
  5. Ashland ParkClark County, best late December · 21 checklists that week, 536 in all44%
  6. Goose Pond (historical) (southwest)Greene County, best early March · 55 checklists that week, 902 in all42%

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

Best time of day

In Indiana, the Canvasback is most often listed on checklists started between 3 and 5 pm (1.4% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%1.5%12 am: too few checklists (240) to judge1 am: too few checklists (231) to judge2 am: too few checklists (222) to judge3 am: too few checklists (202) to judge4 am: too few checklists (674) to judge5 am: too few checklists (4329) to judge6 am: 0.4% of 20589 checklists7 am: 0.5% of 58470 checklists8 am: 0.7% of 86931 checklists9 am: 0.8% of 78239 checklists10 am: 0.9% of 66080 checklists11 am: 1.0% of 54904 checklists12 pm: 1.1% of 47610 checklists1 pm: 1.2% of 44814 checklists2 pm: 1.4% of 43790 checklists3 pm: 1.4% of 42983 checklists4 pm: 1.4% of 45349 checklists5 pm: 1.0% of 35993 checklists6 pm: 0.4% of 26447 checklists7 pm: 0.2% of 17740 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (7603) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1721) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (517) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (272) 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
January2.1%1.7%2.1%2.0%
February2.6%2.9%2.0%3.9%
March4.1%3.4%2.0%1.3%
April0.5%0.3%0.2%0.1%
May0.1%0.1%0%0.1%
June0%0.1%0%0%
July0%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0%0%0%
September0%0.1%0%0.1%
October0.1%0.1%0.3%0.6%
November0.9%1.5%1.7%1.6%
December1.1%1.4%1.5%2.0%

Neighboring states

  • Illinois: arrives early November, 1 week earlier than Indiana
  • Kentucky: arrives early December, 3 weeks later than Indiana
  • Ohio: arrives late November, 2 weeks later than Indiana
  • Michigan: arrives late October, 2 weeks earlier than Indiana

Common questions

When do Canvasbacks arrive in Indiana?
Canvasbacks are winter birds in Indiana: they arrive in the second week of November, peak in early March (3.8% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.
When do Canvasbacks leave Indiana?
Most Canvasbacks have left Indiana by late March, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Canvasback in Indiana?
The Canvasback is reported most often in early March, on about 3.8% of Indiana checklists.
Where in Indiana are Canvasbacks seen most often?
By county, Howard County, Vermillion County, and Franklin County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Canvasback (counties with at least 200 checklists).