When do ospreys leave Mississippi?

The Osprey does not leave Mississippi: it is reported all year, from 10% of checklists in mid December to 17% in mid March.

When is the best time to see ospreys in Mississippi?

The Osprey is reported most often in mid March, on about 17% of Mississippi checklists.

Osprey · Pandion haliaetus

When Do Ospreys Arrive in Mississippi?

Photo: Bill Levine, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Osprey is in Mississippi all year. It turns up on about 17% of checklists at its peak (mid March) and on 10% in its quietest week (mid December).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekMar 15-21mid March

Quietest weekDec 15-21mid December

Best: mid March. Here all year. Peak: on about 17% of Mississippi checklists.

Jancommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Deccommon

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

Ospreys in Mississippi, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Osprey	all year	–	Mar 15-21	–	17%

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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi

Best counties for Osprey

Share of checklists at the peak

Itawamba CountyBest the second week of April · 15 checklists that week, 648 in all49%
Harrison CountyBest late August · 378 checklists that week, 22,824 in all44%
Panola CountyBest late August · 23 checklists that week, 1,311 in all40%
Jackson CountyBest early March · 754 checklists that week, 36,440 in all35%
Yazoo CountyBest early September · 14 checklists that week, 440 in all34%
Grenada CountyBest late May · 13 checklists that week, 393 in all33%

Common questions

When do ospreys arrive in Mississippi?: The Osprey is in Mississippi all year. It turns up on about 17% of checklists at its peak (mid March) and on 10% in its quietest week (mid December).
When do ospreys leave Mississippi?: The Osprey does not leave Mississippi: it is reported all year, from 10% of checklists in mid December to 17% in mid March.
When is the best time to see ospreys in Mississippi?: The Osprey is reported most often in mid March, on about 17% of Mississippi checklists.