WhenToBird

Geothlypis trichas · Parulidae

When Do Common Yellowthroats Arrive in Texas?

Adult male Common Yellowthroat
Photo: cbugni, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Common Yellowthroats reach Texas in early September, are common by mid September, peak in late April (14% of checklists), and most are gone by late May.

When to look

First arrivalsSep 1-7early September
Common bySep 15-21mid September
PeakApr 22-30late April
Most gone byMay 22-31late May

Best: late April. First arrivals early September; most are gone by late May. Peak: on about 14% of Texas checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Jununcommon
  7. Julrare
  8. Augrare
  9. Sepuncommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Deccommon

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

0%5%10%15%Jan 1-7: 5.6% of 66038 checklistsJan 8-14: 5.4% of 52445 checklistsJan 15-21: 5.3% of 52985 checklistsJan 22-31: 5.3% of 71020 checklistsFeb 1-7: 4.9% of 52306 checklistsFeb 8-14: 4.5% of 55887 checklistsFeb 15-21: 3.2% of 69016 checklistsFeb 22-28: 4.8% of 52998 checklistsMar 1-7: 4.3% of 50836 checklistsMar 8-14: 4.5% of 51749 checklistsMar 15-21: 4.8% of 53731 checklistsMar 22-31: 4.9% of 82049 checklistsApr 1-7: 6.1% of 65854 checklistsApr 8-14: 8.0% of 78434 checklistsApr 15-21: 13% of 92302 checklistsApr 22-30: 14% of 122878 checklistsMay 1-7: 14% of 74592 checklistsMay 8-14: 11% of 61008 checklistsMay 15-21: 6.5% of 43365 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.0% of 52736 checklistsJun 1-7: 2.0% of 31643 checklistsJun 8-14: 1.6% of 30131 checklistsJun 15-21: 1.7% of 26802 checklistsJun 22-30: 1.7% of 32822 checklistsJul 1-7: 1.7% of 27213 checklistsJul 8-14: 1.5% of 24555 checklistsJul 15-21: 1.9% of 24146 checklistsJul 22-31: 1.4% of 34536 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.5% of 25764 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.9% of 26347 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.9% of 28431 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.8% of 42838 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.1% of 35070 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.5% of 33893 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.2% of 32572 checklistsSep 22-30: 5.4% of 43771 checklistsOct 1-7: 7.1% of 34143 checklistsOct 8-14: 7.7% of 37563 checklistsOct 15-21: 7.6% of 36263 checklistsOct 22-31: 6.5% of 49170 checklistsNov 1-7: 6.8% of 43301 checklistsNov 8-14: 6.8% of 48744 checklistsNov 15-21: 5.7% of 42213 checklistsNov 22-30: 5.2% of 54455 checklistsDec 1-7: 5.9% of 40166 checklistsDec 8-14: 5.7% of 41035 checklistsDec 15-21: 6.3% of 46983 checklistsDec 22-31: 5.6% of 73015 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 Texas 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 Texas

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Jefferson CountyBest late April · 3142 checklists that week, 23,503 in all44%
  2. McMullen CountyBest mid December · 199 checklists that week, 3,965 in all44%
  3. DeWitt CountyBest the second week of May · 94 checklists that week, 4,050 in all41%
  4. Webb CountyBest the second week of July · 37 checklists that week, 6,644 in all40%
  5. Midland CountyBest mid June · 137 checklists that week, 10,487 in all34%
  6. Red River CountyBest the second week of May · 43 checklists that week, 1,179 in all33%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Sabine WoodsJefferson County, best late July · 20 checklists that week, 6,088 in all90%
  2. I-20 Wildlife Preserve and Jenna Welch Nature Study CenterMidland County, best the second week of July · 37 checklists that week, 2,359 in all88%
  3. Blucher ParkNueces County, best early May · 272 checklists that week, 3,725 in all72%
  4. George Mitchell Nature PreserveHarris County, best the second week of October · 49 checklists that week, 1,641 in all69%
  5. Leon Creek Greenway NorthBexar County, best the second week of May · 59 checklists that week, 952 in all67%
  6. Rio Bosque Wetlands ParkEl Paso County, best mid June · 22 checklists that week, 1,141 in all66%

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

Best time of day

In Texas, the Common Yellowthroat is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (8.7% of those checklists).

0%5%10%12 am: too few checklists (898) to judge1 am: too few checklists (756) to judge2 am: too few checklists (663) to judge3 am: too few checklists (741) to judge4 am: too few checklists (1537) to judge5 am: too few checklists (6113) to judge6 am: 8.4% of 74687 checklists7 am: 8.8% of 285131 checklists8 am: 7.8% of 329960 checklists9 am: 6.1% of 267889 checklists10 am: 5.4% of 218205 checklists11 am: 5.0% of 178879 checklists12 pm: 4.9% of 153722 checklists1 pm: 5.2% of 144662 checklists2 pm: 5.4% of 138578 checklists3 pm: 5.0% of 136878 checklists4 pm: 4.7% of 137550 checklists5 pm: 4.3% of 113599 checklists6 pm: 3.5% of 81743 checklists7 pm: 2.0% of 53396 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (17221) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (4048) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1965) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (990) 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
January5.6%5.4%5.3%5.3%
February4.9%4.5%3.2%4.8%
March4.3%4.5%4.8%4.9%
April6.1%8.0%13%14%
May14%11%6.5%3.0%
June2.0%1.6%1.7%1.7%
July1.7%1.5%1.9%1.4%
August1.5%0.9%0.9%0.8%
September1.1%1.5%2.2%5.4%
October7.1%7.7%7.6%6.5%
November6.8%6.8%5.7%5.2%
December5.9%5.7%6.3%5.6%

Neighboring states

  • Louisiana: arrives mid September, 2 weeks later than Texas
  • Oklahoma: arrives early April, 20 weeks earlier than Texas
  • Arkansas: arrives late March, 21 weeks earlier than Texas
  • Mississippi: arrives mid September, 2 weeks later than Texas

Common questions

When do Common Yellowthroats arrive in Texas?
Common Yellowthroats reach Texas in early September, are common by mid September, peak in late April (14% of checklists), and most are gone by late May.
When do Common Yellowthroats leave Texas?
Most Common Yellowthroats have left Texas by late May, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of August.
When is the best time to see a Common Yellowthroat in Texas?
The Common Yellowthroat is reported most often in late April, on about 14% of Texas checklists.
Where in Texas are Common Yellowthroats seen most often?
By county, Jefferson County, McMullen County, and DeWitt County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Common Yellowthroat (counties with at least 200 checklists).