WhenToBird

Rallus crepitans · Rallidae

When Do Clapper Rails Arrive in New Jersey?

Adult Clapper Rail
Photo: Kathy Richardson, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Clapper Rails reach New Jersey in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in mid May (5.5% of checklists), and most are gone by mid October.

When to look

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

Best: mid May. First arrivals the second week of April; most are gone by mid October. Peak: on about 5.5% of New Jersey checklists.

  1. Janrare
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marrare
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decrare

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

0%2%4%6%8%Jan 1-7: 0.5% of 28167 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.3% of 20583 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.3% of 19739 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.3% of 24586 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.2% of 17226 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.2% of 19567 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.2% of 26553 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.2% of 19046 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.2% of 17969 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.3% of 18976 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.2% of 18581 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.3% of 27590 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.5% of 21202 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.7% of 23609 checklistsApr 15-21: 1.8% of 25056 checklistsApr 22-30: 3.5% of 36679 checklistsMay 1-7: 4.5% of 38378 checklistsMay 8-14: 5.2% of 44071 checklistsMay 15-21: 6.0% of 34076 checklistsMay 22-31: 5.2% of 32558 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.8% of 18049 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.1% of 15597 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.1% of 14894 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.1% of 17187 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.9% of 13406 checklistsJul 8-14: 3.3% of 12550 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.9% of 12358 checklistsJul 22-31: 3.1% of 18382 checklistsAug 1-7: 3.0% of 13689 checklistsAug 8-14: 3.7% of 14006 checklistsAug 15-21: 3.7% of 14483 checklistsAug 22-31: 3.2% of 23182 checklistsSep 1-7: 2.2% of 17984 checklistsSep 8-14: 2.6% of 18320 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.2% of 20491 checklistsSep 22-30: 2.4% of 26176 checklistsOct 1-7: 2.4% of 24112 checklistsOct 8-14: 2.0% of 24603 checklistsOct 15-21: 1.8% of 24549 checklistsOct 22-31: 1.4% of 26206 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.8% of 17469 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.6% of 15102 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.4% of 14958 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.4% of 19447 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.3% of 14017 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.2% of 14625 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.5% of 16937 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.6% of 26651 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in New Jersey 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in New Jersey

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Cumberland CountyBest early May · 791 checklists that week, 13,927 in all33%
  2. Atlantic CountyBest late May · 900 checklists that week, 28,208 in all17%
  3. Cape May CountyBest early June · 2758 checklists that week, 189,832 in all12%
  4. Hudson CountyBest the second week of July · 264 checklists that week, 21,191 in all11%
  5. Ocean CountyBest late May · 2579 checklists that week, 87,340 in all8.7%
  6. Salem CountyBest early May · 248 checklists that week, 9,658 in all3.7%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Maurice River Township Conservation AreaCumberland County, best early May · 31 checklists that week, 578 in all88%
  2. Dennis Creek Wildlife Management AreaCape May County, best mid May · 134 checklists that week, 1,924 in all87%
  3. Glades Wildlife RefugeCumberland County, best mid April · 29 checklists that week, 588 in all80%
  4. Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management AreaOcean County, best the second week of May · 43 checklists that week, 1,138 in all80%
  5. Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area (Sassafras Island)Cape May County, best the second week of May · 34 checklists that week, 149 in all79%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In New Jersey, the Clapper Rail is most often listed on checklists started between 5 and 7 pm (3.3% of those checklists).

0%1%2%3%4%12 am: too few checklists (746) to judge1 am: too few checklists (640) to judge2 am: too few checklists (606) to judge3 am: too few checklists (755) to judge4 am: too few checklists (1681) to judge5 am: too few checklists (11258) to judge6 am: 2.8% of 50447 checklists7 am: 1.8% of 118312 checklists8 am: 1.7% of 123273 checklists9 am: 1.6% of 107783 checklists10 am: 1.7% of 97537 checklists11 am: 1.6% of 82427 checklists12 pm: 1.6% of 72581 checklists1 pm: 1.8% of 71478 checklists2 pm: 2.0% of 69994 checklists3 pm: 1.9% of 66822 checklists4 pm: 2.6% of 55950 checklists5 pm: 3.1% of 41360 checklists6 pm: 3.6% of 28122 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (14727) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (4257) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1273) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (920) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (693) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January0.5%0.3%0.3%0.3%
February0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%
March0.2%0.3%0.2%0.3%
April0.5%0.7%1.8%3.5%
May4.5%5.2%6.0%5.2%
June3.8%3.1%3.1%3.1%
July2.9%3.3%2.9%3.1%
August3.0%3.7%3.7%3.2%
September2.2%2.6%2.2%2.4%
October2.4%2.0%1.8%1.4%
November0.8%0.6%0.4%0.4%
December0.3%0.2%0.5%0.6%

Neighboring states

  • Delaware: arrives early April, 1 week earlier than New Jersey
  • Connecticut: arrives late April, 2 weeks later than New Jersey
  • New York: arrives early May, 3 weeks later than New Jersey
  • Rhode Island: arrives early May, 3 weeks later than New Jersey

Common questions

When do Clapper Rails arrive in New Jersey?
Clapper Rails reach New Jersey in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in mid May (5.5% of checklists), and most are gone by mid October.
When do Clapper Rails leave New Jersey?
Most Clapper Rails have left New Jersey by mid October, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late October.
When is the best time to see a Clapper Rail in New Jersey?
The Clapper Rail is reported most often in mid May, on about 5.5% of New Jersey checklists.
Where in New Jersey are Clapper Rails seen most often?
By county, Cumberland County, Atlantic County, and Cape May County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Clapper Rail (counties with at least 200 checklists).