When do grackles and blackbirds leave Alabama?

The Red-winged Blackbird does not leave Alabama: it is reported all year, from 8.7% of checklists in the second week of September to 33% in the second week of April.

When is the best time to see grackles and blackbirds in Alabama?

The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in the second week of April, on about 33% of Alabama checklists.

Which grackles and blackbirds are in Alabama?

Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, and Rusty Blackbird are reported regularly; the Red-winged Blackbird is the most common.

6 blackbird species in Alabama

When Do Grackles and blackbirds Arrive in Alabama?

Photo: infiniteuniverse, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Common Grackles are the grackles and blackbirds you are most likely to see in Alabama. The Red-winged Blackbird is in Alabama all year. It turns up on about 33% of checklists at its peak (the second week of April) and on 8.7% in its quietest week (the second week of September).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 8-14the second week of April

Quietest weekSep 8-14the second week of September

Best: the second week of April. Here all year. Peak: on about 33% of Alabama checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augcommon
Sepuncommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon

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

Grackles and blackbirds in Alabama, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Red-winged Blackbird	all year	–	Apr 8-14	–	33%
Brown-headed Cowbird	Mar 1-7	Mar 1-7	May 1-7	Jul 1-7	26%
Common Grackle	Mar 1-7	Mar 1-7	Apr 22-30	Jul 1-7	25%
Eastern Meadowlark	Apr 22-30	Apr 22-30	May 15-21	Jul 22-31	8.7%
Bobolink	Apr 15-21	Apr 15-21	May 1-7	May 8-14	2.9%
Rusty Blackbird	Nov 15-21	Nov 15-21	Jan 15-21	Mar 8-14	2.4%

Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Eastern Meadowlark

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 Alabama 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 Alabama

Best counties for Red-winged Blackbird

Share of checklists at the peak

Geneva CountyBest mid June · 59 checklists that week, 3,203 in all91%
Barbour CountyBest mid July · 27 checklists that week, 2,947 in all74%
Perry CountyBest early March · 35 checklists that week, 1,066 in all72%
Crenshaw CountyBest early March · 11 checklists that week, 374 in all67%
Hale CountyBest mid April · 21 checklists that week, 2,977 in all67%
Limestone CountyBest early May · 180 checklists that week, 6,886 in all64%

Common questions

When do grackles and blackbirds arrive in Alabama?: The Red-winged Blackbird is in Alabama all year. It turns up on about 33% of checklists at its peak (the second week of April) and on 8.7% in its quietest week (the second week of September).
When do grackles and blackbirds leave Alabama?: The Red-winged Blackbird does not leave Alabama: it is reported all year, from 8.7% of checklists in the second week of September to 33% in the second week of April.
When is the best time to see grackles and blackbirds in Alabama?: The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in the second week of April, on about 33% of Alabama checklists.
Which grackles and blackbirds are in Alabama?: Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, and Rusty Blackbird are reported regularly; the Red-winged Blackbird is the most common.