WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Washington?

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

Gray Catbirds arrive in Washington in mid May, peak in the second week of June (3.6% 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 8-14the second week of June
Most gone bySep 8-14the second week of September

Best: the second week of June. First arrivals mid May; most are gone by the second week of September. Peak: on about 3.6% of Washington checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprnot usually seen
  5. Maycommon
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octnot usually seen
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Catbirds in Washington, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdMay 15-21May 15-21Jun 8-14Sep 8-143.6%
0%1%2%3%4%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 Washington 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 Washington

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Benton CountyBest late August · 463 checklists that week, 23,565 in all25%
  2. Pend Oreille CountyBest the second week of June · 191 checklists that week, 3,664 in all23%
  3. Stevens CountyBest late June · 369 checklists that week, 7,596 in all22%
  4. Columbia CountyBest the second week of July · 43 checklists that week, 1,894 in all22%
  5. Spokane CountyBest mid June · 985 checklists that week, 43,379 in all21%
  6. Ferry CountyBest the second week of June · 190 checklists that week, 5,106 in all19%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Washington?
Gray Catbirds arrive in Washington in mid May, peak in the second week of June (3.6% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of September.
When do catbirds leave Washington?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Washington by the second week of September, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see catbirds in Washington?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in the second week of June, on about 3.6% of Washington checklists.