WhenToBird

Aythya valisineria · Anatidae

When Do Canvasbacks Arrive in Michigan?

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

Canvasbacks are winter birds in Michigan: the first arrive in late October, they are common by the second week of November, peak in the second week of March (4.3% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 22-31late October
Common byNov 8-14the second week of November
PeakMar 8-14the second week of March
Most gone byApr 8-14the second week of April

Best: the second week of March. First arrivals late October; most are gone by the second week of April. Peak: on about 4.3% of Michigan checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Mayrare
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decuncommon

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

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 2.1% of 38160 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.2% of 24696 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.5% of 23771 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.6% of 31347 checklistsFeb 1-7: 3.3% of 23225 checklistsFeb 8-14: 3.1% of 27398 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.4% of 36606 checklistsFeb 22-28: 4.1% of 27127 checklistsMar 1-7: 4.1% of 29700 checklistsMar 8-14: 4.4% of 31587 checklistsMar 15-21: 4.4% of 32118 checklistsMar 22-31: 4.0% of 47777 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.0% of 38557 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.8% of 42207 checklistsApr 15-21: 1.2% of 42759 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.5% of 64458 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.3% of 60998 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.2% of 72091 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 59058 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 64724 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 35990 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 32595 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.1% of 30017 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 33988 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.1% of 28708 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 25175 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 24084 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 33522 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 25098 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 24353 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.1% of 25059 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.1% of 37489 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.1% of 28410 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.1% of 27887 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 26614 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 32557 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 25844 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.2% of 27741 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.8% of 24693 checklistsOct 22-31: 1.1% of 32460 checklistsNov 1-7: 1.3% of 23660 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.3% of 21542 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.4% of 19922 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.1% of 25069 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.2% of 18272 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.1% of 18961 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.0% of 24171 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.5% of 30908 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 Michigan 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 Michigan

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Branch CountyBest mid March · 35 checklists that week, 2,279 in all28%
  2. Macomb CountyBest early March · 1343 checklists that week, 61,232 in all21%
  3. St. Clair CountyBest early February · 539 checklists that week, 24,098 in all19%
  4. Monroe CountyBest the second week of March · 453 checklists that week, 22,078 in all19%
  5. Huron CountyBest late March · 107 checklists that week, 4,733 in all17%
  6. Wayne CountyBest early February · 1358 checklists that week, 68,343 in all13%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Campau BayMacomb County, best early February · 159 checklists that week, 3,326 in all88%
  2. Dingell ParkWayne County, best late January · 47 checklists that week, 326 in all78%
  3. Watkins LakeJackson County, best the second week of April · 64 checklists that week, 2,334 in all70%
  4. Elizabeth ParkWayne County, best early February · 38 checklists that week, 771 in all64%

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

Best time of day

In Michigan, the Canvasback is most often listed on checklists started between 1 and 3 pm (1.8% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%1.5%2%12 am: too few checklists (712) to judge1 am: too few checklists (592) to judge2 am: too few checklists (532) to judge3 am: too few checklists (516) to judge4 am: too few checklists (1592) to judge5 am: too few checklists (6849) to judge6 am: 0.4% of 39298 checklists7 am: 0.6% of 120344 checklists8 am: 0.8% of 180109 checklists9 am: 1.1% of 171966 checklists10 am: 1.3% of 156332 checklists11 am: 1.5% of 134964 checklists12 pm: 1.5% of 120967 checklists1 pm: 1.9% of 113852 checklists2 pm: 1.6% of 110773 checklists3 pm: 1.6% of 105530 checklists4 pm: 1.5% of 100958 checklists5 pm: 1.1% of 80085 checklists6 pm: 0.7% of 62883 checklists7 pm: 0.5% of 44912 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (21062) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (5920) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1629) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (775) 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%2.2%2.5%2.6%
February3.3%3.1%2.4%4.1%
March4.1%4.4%4.4%4.0%
April3.0%1.8%1.2%0.5%
May0.3%0.2%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
July0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
September0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
October0.1%0.2%0.8%1.1%
November1.3%1.3%1.4%1.1%
December1.2%1.1%1.0%1.5%

Neighboring states

  • Ohio: arrives late November, 4 weeks later than Michigan
  • Indiana: arrives the second week of November, 2 weeks later than Michigan
  • Illinois: arrives early November, 1 week later than Michigan
  • Wisconsin: arrives late February, 16 weeks later than Michigan

Common questions

When do Canvasbacks arrive in Michigan?
Canvasbacks are winter birds in Michigan: the first arrive in late October, they are common by the second week of November, peak in the second week of March (4.3% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.
When do Canvasbacks leave Michigan?
Most Canvasbacks have left Michigan by the second week of April, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid April.
When is the best time to see a Canvasback in Michigan?
The Canvasback is reported most often in the second week of March, on about 4.3% of Michigan checklists.
Where in Michigan are Canvasbacks seen most often?
By county, Branch County, Macomb County, and St. Clair County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Canvasback (counties with at least 200 checklists).