WhenToBird

2 grosbeak species in Florida

When Do Grosbeaks Arrive in Florida?

Adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Photo: Nancy Overholtz, CC BY-SA 4.0 via iNaturalist

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Blue Grosbeaks are the grosbeaks you are most likely to see in Florida. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks mostly pass through Florida: they arrive in mid September, peak in mid October (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by mid May.

When to look

First arrivalsSep 15-21mid September
Common bySep 15-21mid September
PeakOct 15-21mid October
Most gone byMay 15-21mid May

Best: mid October. First arrivals mid September; most are gone by mid May. Peak: on about 4.2% of Florida checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marrare
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maycommon
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Seprare
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Grosbeaks in Florida, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Rose-breasted GrosbeakSep 15-21Sep 15-21Oct 15-21May 15-214.2%
Blue GrosbeakApr 8-14Apr 8-14Apr 22-30Oct 22-313.0%
0%2%4%6%Rose-breasted GrosbeakBlue GrosbeakJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Blue Grosbeak
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 Florida 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 Florida

Best counties for Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Gadsden CountyBest mid October · 76 checklists that week, 3,574 in all23%
  2. Santa Rosa CountyBest late April · 523 checklists that week, 15,001 in all19%
  3. Jackson CountyBest the second week of October · 24 checklists that week, 1,959 in all17%
  4. Escambia CountyBest late April · 845 checklists that week, 25,457 in all13%
  5. Franklin CountyBest late April · 945 checklists that week, 20,336 in all12%
  6. Lafayette CountyBest late October · 24 checklists that week, 1,203 in all11%

Common questions

When do grosbeaks arrive in Florida?
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks mostly pass through Florida: they arrive in mid September, peak in mid October (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by mid May.
When do grosbeaks leave Florida?
Most Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have left Florida by mid May, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see grosbeaks in Florida?
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is reported most often in mid October, on about 4.2% of Florida checklists.
Which grosbeaks are in Florida?
Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Blue Grosbeak are reported regularly; the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is the most common.