WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Illinois?

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

Gray Catbirds reach Illinois in mid April, are common by late April, peak in mid May (45% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 15-21mid April
Common byApr 22-30late April
PeakMay 15-21mid May
Most gone byOct 1-7early October

Best: mid May. First arrivals mid April; most are gone by early October. Peak: on about 45% of Illinois checklists.

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

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

Catbirds in Illinois, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdApr 15-21Apr 22-30May 15-21Oct 1-745%
0%20%40%60%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 Illinois 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 Illinois

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Putnam CountyBest early August · 81 checklists that week, 3,333 in all81%
  2. Henderson CountyBest late June · 10 checklists that week, 800 in all72%
  3. Stark CountyBest late July · 14 checklists that week, 574 in all69%
  4. Boone CountyBest the second week of September · 42 checklists that week, 3,174 in all67%
  5. Bureau CountyBest late May · 321 checklists that week, 10,244 in all67%
  6. Warren CountyBest mid June · 13 checklists that week, 658 in all66%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Illinois?
Gray Catbirds reach Illinois in mid April, are common by late April, peak in mid May (45% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.
When do catbirds leave Illinois?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Illinois by early October, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid October.
When is the best time to see catbirds in Illinois?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in mid May, on about 45% of Illinois checklists.