WhenToBird

American Robin · Turdus migratorius

When Do Robins Arrive in Minnesota?

Adult male American Robin
Photo: northerly, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

American Robins are in Minnesota all year, but most are here in summer: numbers build from mid March, peak in the second week of May (67% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of August. In the quietest week (the second week of February) they are still on about 8.2% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildMar 15-21mid March
PeakMay 8-14the second week of May
Fall back byAug 8-14the second week of August
FewestFeb 8-14the second week of February

Best: the second week of May. Here all year; numbers build from mid March and fall back by the second week of August. Peak: on about 67% of Minnesota checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decuncommon

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

Robins in Minnesota, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
American RobinMar 15-21Mar 15-21May 8-14Aug 8-1467%
0%20%40%60%80%American RobinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • American Robin
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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota

Best counties for American Robin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Nobles CountyBest mid June · 18 checklists that week, 1,250 in all85%
  2. Cottonwood CountyBest late June · 103 checklists that week, 4,171 in all84%
  3. Benton CountyBest late June · 114 checklists that week, 6,111 in all82%
  4. Ramsey CountyBest late May · 2893 checklists that week, 83,239 in all81%
  5. Le Sueur CountyBest mid June · 104 checklists that week, 5,034 in all80%
  6. McLeod CountyBest late June · 61 checklists that week, 3,198 in all80%

Common questions

When do robins arrive in Minnesota?
American Robins are in Minnesota all year, but most are here in summer: numbers build from mid March, peak in the second week of May (67% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of August. In the quietest week (the second week of February) they are still on about 8.2% of checklists.
When do robins leave Minnesota?
American Robins never fully leave Minnesota: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by the second week of August, but some are still reported in every week, about 8.2% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see robins in Minnesota?
The American Robin is reported most often in the second week of May, on about 67% of Minnesota checklists.