WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Oklahoma?

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

Gray Catbirds arrive in Oklahoma in mid April, peak in the second week of May (8.9% of checklists), and most are gone by mid October.

When to look

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

Best: the second week of May. First arrivals mid April; most are gone by mid October. Peak: on about 8.9% of Oklahoma checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Jununcommon
  7. Juluncommon
  8. Auguncommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Catbirds in Oklahoma, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdApr 15-21Apr 15-21May 8-14Oct 15-218.9%
0%5%10%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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Stephens CountyBest mid September · 14 checklists that week, 945 in all35%
  2. Washington CountyBest the second week of May · 187 checklists that week, 2,263 in all26%
  3. Cherokee CountyBest the second week of May · 81 checklists that week, 2,266 in all23%
  4. Okmulgee CountyBest mid September · 13 checklists that week, 728 in all23%
  5. Sequoyah CountyBest the second week of May · 51 checklists that week, 1,522 in all20%
  6. Adair CountyBest mid July · 15 checklists that week, 616 in all17%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Oklahoma?
Gray Catbirds arrive in Oklahoma in mid April, peak in the second week of May (8.9% of checklists), and most are gone by mid October.
When do catbirds leave Oklahoma?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Oklahoma by mid October, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see catbirds in Oklahoma?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in the second week of May, on about 8.9% of Oklahoma checklists.