WhenToBird

Cistothorus palustris · Troglodytidae

When Do Marsh Wrens Arrive in Michigan?

Adult Marsh Wren
Photo: Kathy Richardson, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Marsh Wrens arrive in Michigan in early May, peak in the second week of July (4.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.

When to look

First arrivalsMay 1-7early May
Common byMay 1-7early May
PeakJul 8-14the second week of July
Most gone bySep 22-30late September

Best: the second week of July. First arrivals early May; most are gone by late September. Peak: on about 4.5% of Michigan checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepuncommon
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 0.1% of 38160 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.1% of 24696 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.1% of 23771 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.1% of 31347 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.1% of 23225 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.1% of 27398 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0% of 36606 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.1% of 27127 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.1% of 29700 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.1% of 31587 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.1% of 32118 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.1% of 47777 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.1% of 38557 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.1% of 42207 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.2% of 42759 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.9% of 64458 checklistsMay 1-7: 1.6% of 60998 checklistsMay 8-14: 2.4% of 72091 checklistsMay 15-21: 3.3% of 59058 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.6% of 64724 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.5% of 35990 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.3% of 32595 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.7% of 30017 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.8% of 33988 checklistsJul 1-7: 4.4% of 28708 checklistsJul 8-14: 4.4% of 25175 checklistsJul 15-21: 4.5% of 24084 checklistsJul 22-31: 3.9% of 33522 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.9% of 25098 checklistsAug 8-14: 2.0% of 24353 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.6% of 25059 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.5% of 37489 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.5% of 28410 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.7% of 27887 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.7% of 26614 checklistsSep 22-30: 1.7% of 32557 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.6% of 25844 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.9% of 27741 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.5% of 24693 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.2% of 32460 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.1% of 23660 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.1% of 21542 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.1% of 19922 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.1% of 25069 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.1% of 18272 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.1% of 18961 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.1% of 24171 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.1% of 30908 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 Michigan 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 Michigan

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Monroe CountyBest the second week of July · 369 checklists that week, 22,078 in all38%
  2. Bay CountyBest late May · 788 checklists that week, 16,522 in all33%
  3. Tuscola CountyBest the second week of June · 89 checklists that week, 5,683 in all24%
  4. Arenac CountyBest the second week of July · 91 checklists that week, 4,464 in all23%
  5. Clinton CountyBest late September · 193 checklists that week, 10,597 in all21%
  6. Manistee CountyBest late July · 459 checklists that week, 16,394 in all17%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Conner PitOttawa County, best early July · 25 checklists that week, 350 in all86%
  2. Muskegon Nature PreserveMuskegon County, best late June · 31 checklists that week, 1,351 in all83%
  3. Corey MarshClinton County, best late June · 38 checklists that week, 2,164 in all78%
  4. Nayanquing Point State Wildlife AreaBay County, best the second week of July · 47 checklists that week, 3,152 in all76%
  5. Munuscong State Wildlife Management Area (Little Munuscong River)Chippewa County, best mid June · 20 checklists that week, 264 in all73%
  6. Wetzel Recreation AreaMacomb County, best late June · 32 checklists that week, 1,155 in all72%

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

Best time of day

In Michigan, the Marsh Wren is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (2.6% of those checklists).

0%1%2%3%4%12 am: too few checklists (712) to judge1 am: too few checklists (592) to judge2 am: too few checklists (532) to judge3 am: too few checklists (516) to judge4 am: too few checklists (1592) to judge5 am: too few checklists (6849) to judge6 am: 3.8% of 39298 checklists7 am: 2.3% of 120344 checklists8 am: 1.6% of 180109 checklists9 am: 1.4% of 171966 checklists10 am: 1.2% of 156332 checklists11 am: 1.1% of 134964 checklists12 pm: 1.0% of 120967 checklists1 pm: 1.1% of 113852 checklists2 pm: 1.0% of 110773 checklists3 pm: 0.9% of 105530 checklists4 pm: 0.9% of 100958 checklists5 pm: 1.2% of 80085 checklists6 pm: 1.5% of 62883 checklists7 pm: 1.9% of 44912 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (21062) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (5920) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1629) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (775) 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
January0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
February0.1%0.1%0%0.1%
March0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
April0.1%0.1%0.2%0.9%
May1.6%2.4%3.3%3.6%
June3.5%3.3%3.7%3.8%
July4.4%4.4%4.5%3.9%
August2.9%2.0%1.6%1.5%
September1.5%1.7%1.7%1.7%
October1.6%0.9%0.5%0.2%
November0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
December0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%

Neighboring states

  • Ohio: arrives late April, 1 week earlier than Michigan
  • Indiana: arrives late April, 1 week earlier than Michigan
  • Illinois: arrives late April, 1 week earlier than Michigan
  • Wisconsin: arrives late April, 1 week earlier than Michigan

Common questions

When do Marsh Wrens arrive in Michigan?
Marsh Wrens arrive in Michigan in early May, peak in the second week of July (4.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.
When do Marsh Wrens leave Michigan?
Most Marsh Wrens have left Michigan by late September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of October.
When is the best time to see a Marsh Wren in Michigan?
The Marsh Wren is reported most often in the second week of July, on about 4.5% of Michigan checklists.
Where in Michigan are Marsh Wrens seen most often?
By county, Monroe County, Bay County, and Tuscola County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Marsh Wren (counties with at least 200 checklists).