WhenToBird

Hydroprogne caspia · Laridae

Caspian Tern: When and Where to See It

Adult Caspian Tern
Photo: Daughter Dad, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Caspian Tern reaches Michigan first, around the second week of April, and Georgia last, around the second week of August.

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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0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 0.4% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.5% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.5% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.5% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.5% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.4% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.3% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.4% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.4% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.4% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.5% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.7% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 1.2% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.9% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 2.7% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 3.0% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 2.8% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 2.5% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 2.5% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 2.1% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 1.8% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 1.8% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 1.9% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 2.1% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.6% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 3.0% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 3.3% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 3.8% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 4.2% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 4.5% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 4.6% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 4.3% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 3.6% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 3.0% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.3% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 1.7% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.4% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 1.1% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.9% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.8% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.6% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.7% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.5% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.5% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.5% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.5% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.4% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.5% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
CaliforniaSummer visitorMar 1-7Aug 8-14Sep 15-2112%
AlabamaSummer visitorMar 1-7Apr 8-14Nov 22-306.2%
MississippiSummer visitorMar 15-21Sep 1-7Nov 1-76.3%
IllinoisSummer visitorMar 22-31Jul 22-31Aug 22-3116%
IndianaSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 8-14Sep 15-215.6%
DelawareSummer visitorApr 1-7Aug 15-21Oct 8-1413%
WashingtonSummer visitorApr 1-7Aug 22-31Sep 22-3014%
OhioSummer visitorApr 1-7Aug 15-21Sep 15-219.1%
VermontSummer visitorApr 1-7Aug 8-14Sep 8-148.8%
UtahSummer visitorApr 1-7May 1-7Oct 1-76.6%
MichiganSummer visitorApr 8-14Aug 8-14Sep 8-146.2%
New YorkSummer visitorApr 8-14Aug 8-14Sep 15-217.2%
WisconsinSummer visitorApr 8-14May 1-7Sep 1-75.2%
NevadaSummer visitorApr 8-14Sep 1-7Sep 15-213.1%
OregonSummer visitorApr 8-14Aug 15-21Sep 15-214.2%
IdahoSummer visitorApr 15-21Aug 22-31Sep 15-212.5%
MontanaSummer visitorApr 15-21Aug 22-31Sep 8-142.1%
South DakotaSummer visitorApr 15-21Apr 22-30Sep 8-141.4%
WyomingSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7Sep 15-211.3%
MinnesotaSummer visitorApr 22-30May 8-14Jun 8-142.3%
North DakotaSummer visitorApr 22-30Jul 15-21Sep 15-211.2%
Rhode IslandSummer visitorJun 8-14Sep 8-14Oct 8-141.8%
South CarolinaSummer visitorJul 1-7Sep 15-21Nov 8-144.5%
VirginiaSummer visitorJul 8-14Sep 1-7Oct 22-314.8%
MissouriSummer visitorJul 8-14Sep 1-7Oct 1-71.7%
PennsylvaniaSummer visitorJul 8-14Aug 15-21Oct 8-142.3%
District of ColumbiaSummer visitorJul 15-21Sep 1-7Oct 15-217.0%
MarylandSummer visitorJul 15-21Aug 15-21Oct 22-314.8%
New JerseySummer visitorJul 15-21Aug 22-31Oct 15-214.4%
KentuckySummer visitorJul 15-21Aug 22-31Oct 1-72.0%
TennesseeSummer visitorJul 15-21Sep 1-7Oct 1-72.1%
IowaSummer visitorJul 22-31Sep 1-7Oct 1-74.9%
KansasPasses throughAug 1-7Sep 8-14Sep 22-302.0%
TexasWinter visitorJun 15-21Nov 8-14May 1-73.5%
North CarolinaWinter visitorJul 22-31Oct 8-14Nov 1-73.8%
LouisianaWinter visitorAug 1-7Oct 22-31Jun 15-214.2%
GeorgiaWinter visitorAug 8-14Oct 8-14Nov 15-211.4%
FloridaWinter visitorAug 22-31Jan 15-21Aug 8-142.6%

Winter visitor in: Texas, Florida

Summer visitor in: Alabama, Utah, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, California, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Delaware, Washington, Ohio, Vermont