When do ospreys leave California?

The Osprey does not leave California: it is reported all year, from 4.1% of checklists in the second week of February to 8.0% in the second week of August.

When is the best time to see ospreys in California?

The Osprey is reported most often in the second week of August, on about 8.0% of California checklists.

Osprey · Pandion haliaetus

When Do Ospreys Arrive in California?

Photo: Bill Levine, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Osprey is in California all year. It turns up on about 8.0% of checklists at its peak (the second week of August) and on 4.1% in its quietest week (the second week of February).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekAug 8-14the second week of August

Quietest weekFeb 8-14the second week of February

Best: the second week of August. Here all year. Peak: on about 8.0% of California checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
Marcommon
Aprcommon
Maycommon
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon

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

Ospreys in California, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Osprey	all year	–	Aug 8-14	–	8.0%

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 California 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 California

Best counties for Osprey

Share of checklists at the peak

Lake CountyBest the second week of August · 223 checklists that week, 12,989 in all39%
Del Norte CountyBest late April · 576 checklists that week, 16,363 in all28%
Mono CountyBest mid August · 851 checklists that week, 38,666 in all24%
Mendocino CountyBest mid August · 824 checklists that week, 47,934 in all21%
Sierra CountyBest late August · 106 checklists that week, 8,945 in all21%
Calaveras CountyBest early August · 127 checklists that week, 6,843 in all21%

Common questions

When do ospreys arrive in California?: The Osprey is in California all year. It turns up on about 8.0% of checklists at its peak (the second week of August) and on 4.1% in its quietest week (the second week of February).
When do ospreys leave California?: The Osprey does not leave California: it is reported all year, from 4.1% of checklists in the second week of February to 8.0% in the second week of August.
When is the best time to see ospreys in California?: The Osprey is reported most often in the second week of August, on about 8.0% of California checklists.