When do grackles and blackbirds leave Washington?

Red-winged Blackbirds never fully leave Washington: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late June, 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 Washington?

The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in early May, on about 37% of Washington checklists.

Which grackles and blackbirds are in Washington?

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

4 blackbird species in Washington

When Do Grackles and blackbirds Arrive in Washington?

Photo: infiniteuniverse, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Western Meadowlarks are the grackles and blackbirds you are most likely to see in Washington. Red-winged Blackbirds are in Washington all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from mid February, peak in early May (37% of checklists), and fall back by late June. In the quietest week (mid August) they are still on about 10% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildFeb 15-21mid February

PeakMay 1-7early May

Fall back byJun 22-30late June

FewestAug 15-21mid August

Best: early May. Here all year; numbers build from mid February and fall back by late June. Peak: on about 37% of Washington checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julcommon
Auguncommon
Sepcommon
Octcommon
Novuncommon
Decuncommon

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

Grackles and blackbirds in Washington, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Red-winged Blackbird	Feb 15-21	Feb 15-21	May 1-7	Jun 22-30	37%
Brown-headed Cowbird	Apr 8-14	Apr 15-21	May 15-21	Jul 15-21	25%
Western Meadowlark	Aug 22-31	Sep 1-7	May 15-21	Jul 15-21	6.8%
Yellow-headed Blackbird	Apr 1-7	Apr 8-14	May 15-21	Jul 1-7	4.2%

Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird

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 Washington 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 Washington

Best counties for Red-winged Blackbird

Share of checklists at the peak

Adams CountyBest late April · 172 checklists that week, 4,574 in all69%
Walla Walla CountyBest early May · 867 checklists that week, 35,829 in all64%
Lincoln CountyBest the second week of May · 278 checklists that week, 6,135 in all61%
Grant CountyBest the second week of May · 1143 checklists that week, 19,963 in all58%
Whitman CountyBest mid May · 503 checklists that week, 18,652 in all56%
Cowlitz CountyBest mid April · 336 checklists that week, 15,273 in all55%

Common questions

When do grackles and blackbirds arrive in Washington?: Red-winged Blackbirds are in Washington all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from mid February, peak in early May (37% of checklists), and fall back by late June. In the quietest week (mid August) they are still on about 10% of checklists.
When do grackles and blackbirds leave Washington?: Red-winged Blackbirds never fully leave Washington: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late June, 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 Washington?: The Red-winged Blackbird is reported most often in early May, on about 37% of Washington checklists.
Which grackles and blackbirds are in Washington?: Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Western Meadowlark, and Yellow-headed Blackbird are reported regularly; the Red-winged Blackbird is the most common.