When do ospreys leave Louisiana?

Ospreys never fully leave Louisiana: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late December, but some are still reported in every week, about 3.4% of checklists at the low.

When is the best time to see ospreys in Louisiana?

The Osprey is reported most often in the second week of October, on about 11% of Louisiana checklists.

Osprey · Pandion haliaetus

When Do Ospreys Arrive in Louisiana?

Photo: Bill Levine, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Ospreys are in Louisiana all year, but most are here in fall: numbers build from the second week of September, peak in the second week of October (11% of checklists), and fall back by late December. In the quietest week (the second week of June) they are still on about 3.4% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildSep 8-14the second week of September

PeakOct 8-14the second week of October

Fall back byDec 22-31late December

FewestJun 8-14the second week of June

Best: the second week of October. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of September and fall back by late December. Peak: on about 11% of Louisiana checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprcommon
Maycommon
Jununcommon
Julcommon
Augcommon
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Deccommon

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

Ospreys in Louisiana, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Osprey	Sep 8-14	Sep 8-14	Oct 8-14	Dec 22-31	11%

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana

Best counties for Osprey

Share of checklists at the peak

Plaquemines ParishBest early November · 116 checklists that week, 3,374 in all54%
St. Bernard ParishBest the second week of November · 24 checklists that week, 1,331 in all34%
Jefferson ParishBest the second week of October · 618 checklists that week, 25,795 in all32%
Sabine ParishBest early April · 12 checklists that week, 541 in all30%
St. Martin ParishBest early July · 66 checklists that week, 4,923 in all29%
St. John the Baptist ParishBest early August · 18 checklists that week, 957 in all29%

Common questions

When do ospreys arrive in Louisiana?: Ospreys are in Louisiana all year, but most are here in fall: numbers build from the second week of September, peak in the second week of October (11% of checklists), and fall back by late December. In the quietest week (the second week of June) they are still on about 3.4% of checklists.
When do ospreys leave Louisiana?: Ospreys never fully leave Louisiana: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late December, but some are still reported in every week, about 3.4% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see ospreys in Louisiana?: The Osprey is reported most often in the second week of October, on about 11% of Louisiana checklists.