WhenToBird

Gray Catbird · Dumetella carolinensis

When Do Catbirds Arrive in Wisconsin?

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

Gray Catbirds reach Wisconsin in late April, are common by early May, peak in mid May (44% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.

When to look

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

Best: mid May. First arrivals late April; most are gone by late September. Peak: on about 44% of Wisconsin checklists.

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

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

Catbirds in Wisconsin, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Gray CatbirdApr 22-30May 1-7May 15-21Sep 22-3044%
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

Best counties for Gray Catbird

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Lafayette CountyBest early September · 30 checklists that week, 1,911 in all78%
  2. Green CountyBest late August · 43 checklists that week, 4,387 in all74%
  3. Crawford CountyBest mid July · 58 checklists that week, 4,271 in all71%
  4. Dunn CountyBest the second week of September · 107 checklists that week, 8,247 in all69%
  5. La Crosse CountyBest mid May · 556 checklists that week, 15,788 in all68%
  6. Vernon CountyBest late May · 535 checklists that week, 13,255 in all66%

Common questions

When do catbirds arrive in Wisconsin?
Gray Catbirds reach Wisconsin in late April, are common by early May, peak in mid May (44% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.
When do catbirds leave Wisconsin?
Most Gray Catbirds have left Wisconsin by late September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of October.
When is the best time to see catbirds in Wisconsin?
The Gray Catbird is reported most often in mid May, on about 44% of Wisconsin checklists.