When do grackles and blackbirds leave New Jersey?

Red-winged Blackbirds never fully leave New Jersey: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by early August, but some are still reported in every week, about 10% of checklists at the low.

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

The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in late April, on about 58% of New Jersey checklists.

Which grackles and blackbirds are in New Jersey?

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

6 blackbird species in New Jersey

When Do Grackles and blackbirds Arrive in New Jersey?

Photo: infiniteuniverse, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brown-headed Cowbirds are the grackles and blackbirds you are most likely to see in New Jersey. Red-winged Blackbirds are in New Jersey all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from early March, peak in late April (58% of checklists), and fall back by early August. In the quietest week (early January) they are still on about 10% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildMar 1-7early March

PeakApr 22-30late April

Fall back byAug 1-7early August

FewestJan 1-7early January

Best: late April. Here all year; numbers build from early March and fall back by early August. Peak: on about 58% of New Jersey checklists.

Januncommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augcommon
Sepuncommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Decuncommon

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

Grackles and blackbirds in New Jersey, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Red-winged Blackbird	Mar 1-7	Mar 1-7	Apr 22-30	Aug 1-7	58%
Common Grackle	Mar 1-7	Mar 1-7	Jun 1-7	Jul 22-31	48%
Brown-headed Cowbird	Mar 22-31	Mar 22-31	Apr 22-30	Jul 1-7	35%
Bobolink	May 1-7	Aug 15-21	Sep 1-7	Oct 1-7	8.7%
Rusty Blackbird	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Nov 8-14	Apr 22-30	3.6%
Eastern Meadowlark	Oct 1-7	Oct 1-7	Oct 15-21	Aug 1-7	3.3%

Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bobolink

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 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.

Where in New Jersey

Best counties for Red-winged Blackbird

Share of checklists at the peak

Salem CountyBest the second week of June · 122 checklists that week, 9,658 in all72%
Cumberland CountyBest early June · 199 checklists that week, 13,927 in all68%
Bergen CountyBest late April · 2547 checklists that week, 73,457 in all66%
Sussex CountyBest mid April · 811 checklists that week, 30,305 in all65%
Monmouth CountyBest late May · 2266 checklists that week, 79,748 in all63%
Somerset CountyBest early May · 1995 checklists that week, 58,057 in all63%

Common questions

When do grackles and blackbirds arrive in New Jersey?: Red-winged Blackbirds are in New Jersey all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from early March, peak in late April (58% of checklists), and fall back by early August. In the quietest week (early January) they are still on about 10% of checklists.
When do grackles and blackbirds leave New Jersey?: Red-winged Blackbirds never fully leave New Jersey: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by early August, but some are still reported in every week, about 10% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see grackles and blackbirds in New Jersey?: The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in late April, on about 58% of New Jersey checklists.
Which grackles and blackbirds are in New Jersey?: Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Bobolink, Rusty Blackbird, and Eastern Meadowlark are reported regularly; the Red-winged Blackbird is the most common.