When do grackles and blackbirds leave Texas?

Red-winged Blackbirds never fully leave Texas: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late May, but some are still reported in every week, about 7.3% of checklists at the low.

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

The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in mid March, on about 30% of Texas checklists.

Which grackles and blackbirds are in Texas?

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

6 blackbird species in Texas

When Do Grackles and blackbirds Arrive in Texas?

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 Texas. Red-winged Blackbirds are in Texas all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of November, peak in mid March (30% of checklists), and fall back by late May. In the quietest week (the second week of September) they are still on about 7.3% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildNov 8-14the second week of November

PeakMar 15-21mid March

Fall back byMay 22-31late May

FewestSep 8-14the second week of September

Best: mid March. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of November and fall back by late May. Peak: on about 30% of Texas checklists.

Jancommon
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Juncommon
Julcommon
Auguncommon
Sepuncommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon

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

Grackles and blackbirds in Texas, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Red-winged Blackbird	Nov 8-14	Nov 8-14	Mar 15-21	May 22-31	30%
Brown-headed Cowbird	Mar 8-14	Mar 8-14	May 8-14	Jul 8-14	20%
Common Grackle	Mar 8-14	Mar 8-14	May 8-14	Jul 8-14	8.8%
Eastern Meadowlark	Sep 22-30	Oct 8-14	Nov 8-14	Jul 15-21	6.6%
Western Meadowlark	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Nov 1-7	Mar 22-31	3.0%
Yellow-headed Blackbird	Dec 22-31	Dec 22-31	Apr 22-30	May 22-31	2.1%

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 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.

Where in Texas

Best counties for Red-winged Blackbird

Share of checklists at the peak

Swisher CountyBest late March · 17 checklists that week, 817 in all86%
Hansford CountyBest the second week of May · 11 checklists that week, 519 in all73%
Hartley CountyBest mid May · 11 checklists that week, 460 in all72%
Gray CountyBest early March · 10 checklists that week, 578 in all72%
Castro CountyBest late April · 22 checklists that week, 371 in all71%
Karnes CountyBest the second week of May · 42 checklists that week, 1,746 in all70%

Common questions

When do grackles and blackbirds arrive in Texas?: Red-winged Blackbirds are in Texas all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of November, peak in mid March (30% of checklists), and fall back by late May. In the quietest week (the second week of September) they are still on about 7.3% of checklists.
When do grackles and blackbirds leave Texas?: Red-winged Blackbirds never fully leave Texas: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late May, but some are still reported in every week, about 7.3% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see grackles and blackbirds in Texas?: The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in mid March, on about 30% of Texas checklists.
Which grackles and blackbirds are in Texas?: Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Eastern Meadowlark, Western Meadowlark, and Yellow-headed Blackbird are reported regularly; the Red-winged Blackbird is the most common.