WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Indiana?

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

Gray Catbirds reach Indiana in mid April, are common by late April, peak in mid May (47% 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 47% of Indiana checklists.

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

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

Catbirds in Indiana, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdApr 15-21Apr 22-30May 15-21Oct 1-747%
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 Indiana 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 Indiana

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Blackford CountyBest early September · 28 checklists that week, 962 in all78%
  2. Wells CountyBest mid May · 78 checklists that week, 3,465 in all78%
  3. Whitley CountyBest mid May · 123 checklists that week, 4,695 in all73%
  4. Kosciusko CountyBest late May · 344 checklists that week, 8,359 in all72%
  5. Grant CountyBest late May · 152 checklists that week, 5,262 in all70%
  6. Fayette CountyBest the second week of September · 15 checklists that week, 1,864 in all65%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Indiana?
Gray Catbirds reach Indiana in mid April, are common by late April, peak in mid May (47% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.
When do catbirds leave Indiana?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Indiana 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 Indiana?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in mid May, on about 47% of Indiana checklists.