WhenToBird

Catharus guttatus · Turdidae

When Do Hermit Thrushes Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult Hermit Thrush
Photo: Amber M. King, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Hermit Thrushes reach Massachusetts in late September, are common by early October, peak in mid April (9.4% of checklists), and most are gone by early August.

When to look

First arrivalsSep 22-30late September
Common byOct 1-7early October
PeakApr 15-21mid April
Most gone byAug 1-7early August

Best: mid April. First arrivals late September; most are gone by early August. Peak: on about 9.4% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Jununcommon
  7. Juluncommon
  8. Auguncommon
  9. Sepuncommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decuncommon

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

0%5%10%15%Jan 1-7: 1.9% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.5% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.7% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.6% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.6% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.6% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.2% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 1.3% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.1% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.1% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.0% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 1.0% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 2.4% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 7.3% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 11% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 9.5% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 6.8% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 5.4% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 4.1% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.3% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.3% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.6% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.8% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.4% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 3.4% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.9% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.9% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.4% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.8% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.3% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.7% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.6% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.7% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.8% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.0% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 1.1% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 2.3% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 4.0% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 6.4% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 7.1% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 4.8% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 3.9% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 3.5% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 3.2% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.6% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.5% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 3.4% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.9% of 44323 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Massachusetts 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Massachusetts

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Suffolk CountyBest mid April · 3066 checklists that week, 112,443 in all18%
  2. Essex CountyBest mid April · 5606 checklists that week, 213,973 in all15%
  3. Franklin CountyBest late June · 643 checklists that week, 41,382 in all14%
  4. Hampden CountyBest mid April · 1026 checklists that week, 35,410 in all11%
  5. Middlesex CountyBest mid April · 8408 checklists that week, 307,511 in all9.7%
  6. Worcester CountyBest late June · 2269 checklists that week, 128,594 in all9.3%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Round PondPlymouth County, best mid June · 24 checklists that week, 417 in all76%
  2. Norman B Leventhal ParkSuffolk County, best the second week of November · 22 checklists that week, 544 in all72%
  3. Marblehead Neck Wildlife SanctuaryEssex County, best mid April · 232 checklists that week, 4,966 in all72%
  4. Federated Womens Club State ForestWorcester County, best late April · 21 checklists that week, 180 in all67%
  5. Urban ArboretumSuffolk County, best the second week of November · 86 checklists that week, 3,013 in all62%
  6. High Ledges Wildlife SanctuaryFranklin County, best late May · 20 checklists that week, 274 in all60%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Hermit Thrush is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (4.7% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%12 am: too few checklists (630) to judge1 am: too few checklists (657) to judge2 am: too few checklists (645) to judge3 am: too few checklists (850) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3787) to judge5 am: too few checklists (29743) to judge6 am: 5.2% of 108601 checklists7 am: 4.4% of 186104 checklists8 am: 4.1% of 185905 checklists9 am: 3.6% of 166049 checklists10 am: 3.1% of 150508 checklists11 am: 2.8% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 2.7% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 2.6% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 2.5% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 2.3% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 2.4% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 2.5% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 2.4% of 41435 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (21041) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (5240) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1722) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1094) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (704) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January1.9%1.5%1.7%1.6%
February1.6%1.6%1.2%1.3%
March1.1%1.1%1.0%1.0%
April2.4%7.3%11%9.5%
May6.8%5.4%4.1%3.3%
June3.3%3.6%3.8%3.4%
July3.4%2.9%2.9%2.4%
August1.8%1.3%0.7%0.6%
September0.7%0.8%1.0%1.1%
October2.3%4.0%6.4%7.1%
November4.8%3.9%3.5%3.2%
December2.6%2.5%3.4%2.9%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives early October, 1 week later than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives early April, 23 weeks earlier than Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: arrives late September, in the same week than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives early April, 23 weeks earlier than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Hermit Thrushes arrive in Massachusetts?
Hermit Thrushes reach Massachusetts in late September, are common by early October, peak in mid April (9.4% of checklists), and most are gone by early August.
When do Hermit Thrushes leave Massachusetts?
Most Hermit Thrushes have left Massachusetts by early August, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of August.
When is the best time to see a Hermit Thrush in Massachusetts?
The Hermit Thrush is reported most often in mid April, on about 9.4% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Hermit Thrushes seen most often?
By county, Suffolk County, Essex County, and Franklin County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Hermit Thrush (counties with at least 200 checklists).