WhenToBird

Contopus cooperi · Tyrannidae

When Do Olive-sided Flycatchers Arrive in Michigan?

Adult Olive-sided Flycatcher
Photo: Brooke J., CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Olive-sided Flycatchers mostly pass through Michigan: they arrive in the second week of August, peak in early September (1.8% of checklists), and most are gone by mid September.

When to look

First arrivalsAug 8-14the second week of August
Common byAug 8-14the second week of August
PeakSep 1-7early September
Most gone bySep 15-21mid September

Best: early September. First arrivals the second week of August; most are gone by mid September. Peak: on about 1.8% of Michigan checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprnot usually seen
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julrare
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octnot usually seen
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

0%1%2%3%Jan 1-7: 0% of 38160 checklistsJan 8-14: 0% of 24696 checklistsJan 15-21: 0% of 23771 checklistsJan 22-31: 0% of 31347 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0% of 23225 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0% of 27398 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0% of 36606 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0% of 27127 checklistsMar 1-7: 0% of 29700 checklistsMar 8-14: 0% of 31587 checklistsMar 15-21: 0% of 32118 checklistsMar 22-31: 0% of 47777 checklistsApr 1-7: 0% of 38557 checklistsApr 8-14: 0% of 42207 checklistsApr 15-21: 0% of 42759 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.1% of 64458 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.1% of 60998 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.2% of 72091 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.8% of 59058 checklistsMay 22-31: 1.3% of 64724 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.6% of 35990 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.2% of 32595 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.2% of 30017 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 33988 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.1% of 28708 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 25175 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 24084 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 33522 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.2% of 25098 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.6% of 24353 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.2% of 25059 checklistsAug 22-31: 2.1% of 37489 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.9% of 28410 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.4% of 27887 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.5% of 26614 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 32557 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 25844 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.1% of 27741 checklistsOct 15-21: 0% of 24693 checklistsOct 22-31: 0% of 32460 checklistsNov 1-7: 0% of 23660 checklistsNov 8-14: 0% of 21542 checklistsNov 15-21: 0% of 19922 checklistsNov 22-30: 0% of 25069 checklistsDec 1-7: 0% of 18272 checklistsDec 8-14: 0% of 18961 checklistsDec 15-21: 0% of 24171 checklistsDec 22-31: 0% 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. Clinton CountyBest early September · 241 checklists that week, 10,597 in all4.9%
  2. Gladwin CountyBest early September · 16 checklists that week, 3,292 in all4.9%
  3. Macomb CountyBest early September · 1027 checklists that week, 61,232 in all4.4%
  4. Washtenaw CountyBest early September · 2409 checklists that week, 145,231 in all4.2%
  5. Livingston CountyBest late August · 653 checklists that week, 31,033 in all3.9%
  6. Montcalm CountyBest early September · 96 checklists that week, 4,510 in all3.8%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Hiawatha National ForestChippewa County, best late May · 27 checklists that week, 178 in all31%
  2. Bear Creek Nature ParkOakland County, best early September · 20 checklists that week, 443 in all25%
  3. Matthaei Botanical GardensWashtenaw County, best mid August · 95 checklists that week, 3,412 in all22%
  4. Arboretum Nature AreaWashtenaw County, best late August · 317 checklists that week, 6,118 in all17%
  5. For-Mar Nature Preserve and ArboretumGenesee County, best late August · 41 checklists that week, 810 in all17%
  6. Goose MarshChippewa County, best late May · 63 checklists that week, 258 in all16%

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

Best time of day

In Michigan, the Olive-sided Flycatcher is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (0.5% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%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: 0.5% of 39298 checklists7 am: 0.5% of 120344 checklists8 am: 0.4% of 180109 checklists9 am: 0.3% of 171966 checklists10 am: 0.2% of 156332 checklists11 am: 0.2% of 134964 checklists12 pm: 0.2% of 120967 checklists1 pm: 0.2% of 113852 checklists2 pm: 0.2% of 110773 checklists3 pm: 0.2% of 105530 checklists4 pm: 0.2% of 100958 checklists5 pm: 0.2% of 80085 checklists6 pm: 0.3% of 62883 checklists7 pm: 0.2% 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%0%0%0%
February0%0%0%0%
March0%0%0%0%
April0%0%0%0.1%
May0.1%0.2%0.8%1.3%
June0.6%0.2%0.2%0.1%
July0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.2%0.6%1.2%2.1%
September1.9%1.4%0.5%0.1%
October0.1%0.1%0%0%
November0%0%0%0%
December0%0%0%0%

Neighboring states

  • Indiana: arrives the second week of August, in the same week than Michigan
  • Illinois: arrives the second week of May, 12 weeks earlier than Michigan
  • Wisconsin: arrives the second week of May, 12 weeks earlier than Michigan
  • Iowa: arrives the second week of August, in the same week than Michigan

Common questions

When do Olive-sided Flycatchers arrive in Michigan?
Olive-sided Flycatchers mostly pass through Michigan: they arrive in the second week of August, peak in early September (1.8% of checklists), and most are gone by mid September.
When do Olive-sided Flycatchers leave Michigan?
Most Olive-sided Flycatchers have left Michigan by mid September, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Olive-sided Flycatcher in Michigan?
The Olive-sided Flycatcher is reported most often in early September, on about 1.8% of Michigan checklists.
Where in Michigan are Olive-sided Flycatchers seen most often?
By county, Clinton County, Gladwin County, and Macomb County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Olive-sided Flycatcher (counties with at least 200 checklists).