WhenToBird

2 grosbeak species in North Dakota

When Do Grosbeaks Arrive in North Dakota?

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

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Black-headed Grosbeaks are the grosbeaks you are most likely to see in North Dakota. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks arrive in North Dakota in early May, peak in mid May (17% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of September.

When to look

First arrivalsMay 1-7early May
Common byMay 1-7early May
PeakMay 15-21mid May
Most gone bySep 8-14the second week of September

Best: mid May. First arrivals early May; most are gone by the second week of September. Peak: on about 17% of North Dakota checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprnot usually seen
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Juluncommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octnot usually seen
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Grosbeaks in North Dakota, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Rose-breasted GrosbeakMay 1-7May 1-7May 15-21Sep 8-1417%
Black-headed GrosbeakMay 1-7May 8-14May 22-31Aug 8-144.7%
0%10%20%30%Rose-breasted GrosbeakBlack-headed GrosbeakJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Black-headed 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota

Best counties for Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Walsh CountyBest mid May · 13 checklists that week, 441 in all40%
  2. Ransom CountyBest late May · 121 checklists that week, 1,920 in all38%
  3. Richland CountyBest late May · 121 checklists that week, 1,563 in all35%
  4. Cass CountyBest mid May · 950 checklists that week, 21,161 in all33%
  5. Traill CountyBest late May · 86 checklists that week, 764 in all33%
  6. Benson CountyBest mid May · 56 checklists that week, 986 in all29%

Common questions

When do grosbeaks arrive in North Dakota?
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks arrive in North Dakota in early May, peak in mid May (17% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of September.
When do grosbeaks leave North Dakota?
Most Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have left North Dakota by the second week of September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid September.
When is the best time to see grosbeaks in North Dakota?
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is reported most often in mid May, on about 17% of North Dakota checklists.
Which grosbeaks are in North Dakota?
Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Black-headed Grosbeak are reported regularly; the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is the most common.