WhenToBird

Podiceps grisegena · Podicipedidae

When Do Red-necked Grebes Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult Red-necked Grebe
Photo: datadan, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Red-necked Grebes are winter birds in Massachusetts: they arrive in late October, peak in late November (1.4% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 22-31late October
Common byOct 22-31late October
PeakNov 22-30late November
Most gone byApr 8-14the second week of April

Best: late November. First arrivals late October; most are gone by the second week of April. Peak: on about 1.4% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Mayrare
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

0%0.5%1%1.5%Jan 1-7: 1.5% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.2% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.4% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.4% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.3% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.2% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.1% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 1.2% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.0% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.2% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.0% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.7% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.7% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.6% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.6% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.3% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.2% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 0% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.1% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 0% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.1% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.1% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.1% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.1% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.2% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.4% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.9% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 1.2% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.4% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.3% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.5% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.4% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.2% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.1% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.4% of 44323 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Massachusetts 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Massachusetts

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Essex CountyBest early December · 3428 checklists that week, 213,973 in all4.8%
  2. Nantucket CountyBest mid November · 344 checklists that week, 23,895 in all3.3%
  3. Barnstable CountyBest early December · 3737 checklists that week, 215,188 in all2.5%
  4. Berkshire CountyBest the second week of November · 1587 checklists that week, 92,890 in all2.3%
  5. Plymouth CountyBest early November · 1565 checklists that week, 89,282 in all2.2%
  6. Franklin CountyBest the second week of April · 1342 checklists that week, 41,382 in all1.7%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Ladys CoveEssex County, best early December · 31 checklists that week, 1,920 in all76%
  2. Race RunBarnstable County, best late December · 77 checklists that week, 2,504 in all55%
  3. Little Good HarborEssex County, best early March · 72 checklists that week, 1,687 in all51%
  4. Parker River National Wildlife Refuge (Sandy Beach)Essex County, best the second week of December · 37 checklists that week, 3,234 in all43%
  5. Corporation BeachBarnstable County, best early December · 54 checklists that week, 1,870 in all43%
  6. Lake QuannapowittMiddlesex County, best late February · 23 checklists that week, 431 in all42%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Red-necked Grebe is most often listed on checklists started between 10 am and 12 pm (0.8% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%12 am: too few checklists (630) to judge1 am: too few checklists (657) to judge2 am: too few checklists (645) to judge3 am: too few checklists (850) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3787) to judge5 am: too few checklists (29743) to judge6 am: 0.5% of 108601 checklists7 am: 0.5% of 186104 checklists8 am: 0.6% of 185905 checklists9 am: 0.7% of 166049 checklists10 am: 0.8% of 150508 checklists11 am: 0.8% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 0.7% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 0.7% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 0.7% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 0.6% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 0.4% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 0.2% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 0.2% of 41435 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (21041) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (5240) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1722) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1094) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (704) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January1.5%1.2%1.4%1.4%
February1.3%1.2%1.1%1.2%
March1.0%1.2%1.0%0.7%
April0.7%0.6%0.6%0.3%
May0.2%0.1%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.1%0%0.1%
July0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0%0.1%0.1%
September0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
October0.1%0.2%0.4%0.9%
November1.2%1.4%1.3%1.5%
December1.4%1.2%1.1%1.4%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives early November, 1 week later than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives mid October, 1 week earlier than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives early October, 3 weeks earlier than Massachusetts
  • Maine: arrives mid September, 5 weeks earlier than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Red-necked Grebes arrive in Massachusetts?
Red-necked Grebes are winter birds in Massachusetts: they arrive in late October, peak in late November (1.4% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.
When do Red-necked Grebes leave Massachusetts?
Most Red-necked Grebes have left Massachusetts by the second week of April, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Red-necked Grebe in Massachusetts?
The Red-necked Grebe is reported most often in late November, on about 1.4% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Red-necked Grebes seen most often?
By county, Essex County, Nantucket County, and Barnstable County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Red-necked Grebe (counties with at least 200 checklists).