WhenToBird

Osprey · Pandion haliaetus

When Do Ospreys Arrive in Utah?

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

Ospreys reach Utah in mid March, are common by late March, peak in late August (7.6% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 15-21mid March
Common byMar 22-31late March
PeakAug 22-31late August
Most gone byOct 1-7early October

Best: late August. First arrivals mid March; most are gone by early October. Peak: on about 7.6% of Utah checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novrare
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Ospreys in Utah, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
OspreyMar 15-21Mar 22-31Aug 22-31Oct 1-77.6%
0%5%10%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 Utah 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 Utah

Best counties for Osprey

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Wasatch CountyBest the second week of April · 173 checklists that week, 7,780 in all41%
  2. Daggett CountyBest the second week of May · 36 checklists that week, 1,885 in all27%
  3. Summit CountyBest mid April · 282 checklists that week, 13,829 in all23%
  4. Utah CountyBest late August · 1306 checklists that week, 70,971 in all20%
  5. Duchesne CountyBest the second week of September · 66 checklists that week, 2,692 in all20%
  6. Kane CountyBest mid August · 139 checklists that week, 6,105 in all18%

Common questions

When do ospreys arrive in Utah?
Ospreys reach Utah in mid March, are common by late March, peak in late August (7.6% of checklists), and most are gone by early October.
When do ospreys leave Utah?
Most Ospreys have left Utah by early October, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late October.
When is the best time to see ospreys in Utah?
The Osprey is reported most often in late August, on about 7.6% of Utah checklists.