WhenToBird

Osprey · Pandion haliaetus

When Do Ospreys Arrive in Alaska?

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

Ospreys arrive in Alaska in late April, peak in the second week of September (2.0% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 22-30late April
Common byApr 22-30late April
PeakSep 8-14the second week of September
Most gone byOct 1-7early October

Best: the second week of September. First arrivals late April; most are gone by early October. Peak: on about 2.0% of Alaska checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Ospreys in Alaska, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
OspreyApr 22-30Apr 22-30Sep 8-14Oct 1-72.0%
0%1%2%3%OspreyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Osprey
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 Alaska 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 Alaska

Best counties for Osprey

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Lake and Peninsula BoroughBest early August · 42 checklists that week, 1,172 in all15%
  2. Northwest Arctic BoroughBest mid August · 51 checklists that week, 1,386 in all14%
  3. Southeast Fairbanks Census AreaBest the second week of September · 24 checklists that week, 3,009 in all9.7%
  4. Fairbanks North Star BoroughBest late July · 496 checklists that week, 23,771 in all9.4%
  5. Wrangell City and BoroughBest late September · 24 checklists that week, 2,509 in all6.7%
  6. Kusilvak Census AreaBest the second week of June · 19 checklists that week, 573 in all6.6%

Common questions

When do ospreys arrive in Alaska?
Ospreys arrive in Alaska in late April, peak in the second week of September (2.0% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.
When do ospreys leave Alaska?
Most Ospreys have left Alaska by early October, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see ospreys in Alaska?
The Osprey is reported most often in the second week of September, on about 2.0% of Alaska checklists.