WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Pennsylvania?

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

Gray Catbirds reach Pennsylvania in mid April, are common by late April, peak in mid May (64% 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 64% of Pennsylvania 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. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novrare
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Catbirds in Pennsylvania, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdApr 15-21Apr 22-30May 15-21Oct 1-764%
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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Chester CountyBest mid May · 3770 checklists that week, 144,121 in all83%
  2. Delaware CountyBest the second week of May · 2519 checklists that week, 76,406 in all82%
  3. Bucks CountyBest the second week of May · 3395 checklists that week, 95,030 in all81%
  4. Philadelphia CountyBest the second week of May · 4389 checklists that week, 96,503 in all80%
  5. Lehigh CountyBest early July · 662 checklists that week, 41,072 in all77%
  6. Montgomery CountyBest mid May · 5007 checklists that week, 184,237 in all77%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Pennsylvania?
Gray Catbirds reach Pennsylvania in mid April, are common by late April, peak in mid May (64% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.
When do catbirds leave Pennsylvania?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Pennsylvania by early 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 Pennsylvania?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in mid May, on about 64% of Pennsylvania checklists.