WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Utah?

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

Gray Catbirds arrive in Utah in mid May, peak in late June (4.0% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of September.

When to look

First arrivalsMay 15-21mid May
Common byMay 15-21mid May
PeakJun 22-30late June
Most gone bySep 8-14the second week of September

Best: late June. First arrivals mid May; most are gone by the second week of September. Peak: on about 4.0% of Utah checklists.

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

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

Catbirds in Utah, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdMay 15-21May 15-21Jun 22-30Sep 8-144.0%
0%2%4%6%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 Utah 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 Utah

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Morgan CountyBest mid August · 56 checklists that week, 3,178 in all36%
  2. Cache CountyBest early September · 285 checklists that week, 21,769 in all18%
  3. Wasatch CountyBest late June · 361 checklists that week, 7,780 in all12%
  4. Box Elder CountyBest early September · 184 checklists that week, 9,867 in all12%
  5. Duchesne CountyBest late May · 124 checklists that week, 2,692 in all11%
  6. Uintah CountyBest late August · 162 checklists that week, 9,143 in all11%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Utah?
Gray Catbirds arrive in Utah in mid May, peak in late June (4.0% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of September.
When do catbirds leave Utah?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Utah by the second week of September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid September.
When is the best time to see catbirds in Utah?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in late June, on about 4.0% of Utah checklists.