WhenToBird

Pandion haliaetus · Pandionidae

Osprey: When and Where to See It

Adult female Osprey
Photo: Bill Levine, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Osprey reaches Virginia first, around late February, and Alaska last, around late April.

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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0%5%10%15%Jan 1-7: 3.5% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 3.7% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 3.9% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 3.9% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 3.9% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 3.7% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 3.3% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 4.2% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 4.3% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 4.8% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 5.8% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 7.9% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 9.6% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 10% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 11% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 10% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 9.2% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 8.6% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 8.7% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 8.6% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 8.4% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 8.3% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 8.6% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 8.6% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 8.9% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 9.5% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 10% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 11% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 12% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 12% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 13% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 12% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 11% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 9.6% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 8.7% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 7.5% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 6.6% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 5.9% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 5.3% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 4.4% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 4.0% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 4.0% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 3.8% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 3.8% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 3.7% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 3.7% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 3.4% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 3.9% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
VirginiaSummer visitorFeb 22-28Aug 8-14Oct 1-721%
North CarolinaSummer visitorFeb 22-28Aug 8-14Oct 22-3115%
TennesseeSummer visitorFeb 22-28Aug 8-14Sep 22-3013%
District of ColumbiaSummer visitorMar 1-7Aug 1-7Aug 22-3131%
MarylandSummer visitorMar 1-7Aug 8-14Sep 15-2126%
AlabamaAll year, most in springMar 1-7Apr 8-14May 1-717%
DelawareSummer visitorMar 8-14Jul 22-31Sep 22-3043%
KentuckySummer visitorMar 8-14Aug 22-31Oct 1-78.7%
Rhode IslandSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 1-7Sep 15-2148%
ConnecticutSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 15-21Oct 1-729%
New JerseySummer visitorMar 15-21Sep 15-21Oct 15-2130%
MassachusettsSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 8-14Sep 15-2122%
New YorkSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 15-21Oct 1-721%
IdahoSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 15-21Sep 22-3016%
OregonSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 15-21Sep 15-2115%
OhioSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 15-21Oct 1-714%
ColoradoSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 15-21Oct 1-711%
PennsylvaniaSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 15-21Oct 1-79.7%
UtahSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 22-31Oct 1-77.6%
IndianaSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 15-21Oct 8-146.4%
West VirginiaSummer visitorMar 15-21Aug 8-14Oct 1-76.3%
New MexicoSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 8-14Jun 1-74.0%
WashingtonSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 15-21Sep 15-2117%
MontanaSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 22-30Sep 15-2115%
VermontSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 8-14Sep 8-1411%
New HampshireSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 22-30Sep 22-308.5%
IowaSummer visitorMar 22-31Sep 15-21Oct 15-216.3%
MichiganSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 8-14Sep 15-216.2%
WisconsinSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 15-21Sep 22-306.4%
IllinoisSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 8-14Oct 1-74.6%
MaineSummer visitorApr 1-7Aug 15-21Sep 22-3019%
WyomingSummer visitorApr 1-7Aug 8-14Sep 15-219.7%
MinnesotaSummer visitorApr 1-7Aug 15-21Sep 15-216.8%
South DakotaSummer visitorApr 1-7Sep 1-7Oct 8-146.5%
AlaskaSummer visitorApr 22-30Sep 8-14Oct 1-72.0%
NevadaSummer visitorJul 8-14Apr 15-21May 15-216.6%
MissouriSummer visitorJul 15-21Sep 15-21Nov 1-74.0%
North DakotaSummer visitorJul 22-31Sep 15-21Oct 8-141.8%
ArkansasSummer visitorAug 1-7Sep 22-30Nov 1-73.2%
OklahomaSummer visitorAug 15-21Sep 22-30Nov 8-148.3%
KansasSummer visitorAug 15-21Sep 22-30Nov 8-147.1%
ArizonaSummer visitorAug 15-21Sep 22-30Apr 22-304.8%
TexasWinter visitorJun 15-21Nov 8-14Apr 15-2112%
NebraskaWinter visitorAug 8-14Oct 1-7Nov 1-75.4%
LouisianaAll year, most in fallSep 8-14Oct 8-14Dec 22-3111%
FloridaYear-round–Mar 15-21–34%
MississippiYear-round–Mar 15-21–17%
South CarolinaYear-round–Mar 15-21–17%
CaliforniaYear-round–Aug 8-14–8.0%
GeorgiaYear-round–Mar 15-21–7.9%

Winter visitor in: Texas, Nebraska, Louisiana

Passes through: Alabama

Summer visitor in: Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, New Hampshire, Nevada, Missouri, North Dakota, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona