WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Connecticut?

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

Gray Catbirds reach Connecticut in mid April, are common by early May, peak in mid May (64% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of October.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 15-21mid April
Common byMay 1-7early May
PeakMay 15-21mid May
Most gone byOct 8-14the second week of October

Best: mid May. First arrivals mid April; most are gone by the second week of October. Peak: on about 64% of Connecticut checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novrare
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Catbirds in Connecticut, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdApr 15-21May 1-7May 15-21Oct 8-1464%
0%20%40%60%80%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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Litchfield CountyBest the second week of July · 1243 checklists that week, 69,766 in all70%
  2. New London CountyBest mid May · 1754 checklists that week, 65,205 in all69%
  3. Windham CountyBest late June · 469 checklists that week, 19,034 in all67%
  4. New Haven CountyBest mid May · 4626 checklists that week, 139,721 in all64%
  5. Tolland CountyBest mid May · 1241 checklists that week, 39,004 in all64%
  6. Fairfield CountyBest mid May · 4369 checklists that week, 139,848 in all63%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Connecticut?
Gray Catbirds reach Connecticut in mid April, are common by early May, peak in mid May (64% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of October.
When do catbirds leave Connecticut?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Connecticut by the second week of October, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late October.
When is the best time to see catbirds in Connecticut?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in mid May, on about 64% of Connecticut checklists.