WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Maine?

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

Gray Catbirds reach Maine in late April, are common by early May, peak in mid May (41% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.

When to look

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

Best: mid May. First arrivals late April; most are gone by early October. Peak: on about 41% of Maine 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. Seppeak season
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Catbirds in Maine, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdApr 22-30May 1-7May 15-21Oct 1-741%
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 Maine 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 Maine

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Cumberland CountyBest mid May · 7127 checklists that week, 169,501 in all57%
  2. York CountyBest mid May · 3746 checklists that week, 101,844 in all53%
  3. Lincoln CountyBest mid May · 2206 checklists that week, 59,429 in all51%
  4. Androscoggin CountyBest late May · 769 checklists that week, 16,955 in all48%
  5. Kennebec CountyBest mid May · 1704 checklists that week, 48,185 in all47%
  6. Waldo CountyBest late May · 1343 checklists that week, 33,433 in all45%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Maine?
Gray Catbirds reach Maine in late April, are common by early May, peak in mid May (41% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.
When do catbirds leave Maine?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Maine 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 Maine?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in mid May, on about 41% of Maine checklists.