WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Colorado?

Adult Gray Catbird
Photo: Melanie Gaddy, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Gray Catbirds reach Colorado in early May, are common by the second week of May, peak in late May (12% of checklists), and most are gone by mid September.

When to look

First arrivalsMay 1-7early May
Common byMay 8-14the second week of May
PeakMay 22-31late May
Most gone bySep 15-21mid September

Best: late May. First arrivals early May; most are gone by mid September. Peak: on about 12% of Colorado checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprrare
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octrare
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Catbirds in Colorado, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdMay 1-7May 8-14May 22-31Sep 15-2112%
0%5%10%15%Gray CatbirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Gray Catbird
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 Colorado 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 Colorado

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Cheyenne CountyBest late May · 92 checklists that week, 1,388 in all32%
  2. Moffat CountyBest early September · 135 checklists that week, 5,700 in all25%
  3. La Plata CountyBest late August · 749 checklists that week, 21,744 in all24%
  4. Douglas CountyBest late May · 2132 checklists that week, 60,057 in all23%
  5. Chaffee CountyBest late May · 649 checklists that week, 14,510 in all23%
  6. Yuma CountyBest the second week of September · 73 checklists that week, 3,844 in all21%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Colorado?
Gray Catbirds reach Colorado in early May, are common by the second week of May, peak in late May (12% of checklists), and most are gone by mid September.
When do catbirds leave Colorado?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Colorado by mid September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of October.
When is the best time to see catbirds in Colorado?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in late May, on about 12% of Colorado checklists.