WhenToBird

Euphagus carolinus · Icteridae

When Do Rusty Blackbirds Arrive in Missouri?

Adult female Rusty Blackbird
Photo: Carol Ann Vermeer, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Rusty Blackbirds are winter birds in Missouri: the first arrive in early November, they are common by the second week of November, peak in the second week of March (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.

When to look

First arrivalsNov 1-7early November
Common byNov 8-14the second week of November
PeakMar 8-14the second week of March
Most gone byApr 8-14the second week of April

Best: the second week of March. First arrivals early November; most are gone by the second week of April. Peak: on about 4.2% of Missouri checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maynot usually seen
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octrare
  11. Novcommon
  12. Deccommon

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

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 2.2% of 12628 checklistsJan 8-14: 3.0% of 9076 checklistsJan 15-21: 3.7% of 8790 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.6% of 11986 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.8% of 8987 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.5% of 10394 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.9% of 15472 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.5% of 9917 checklistsMar 1-7: 4.2% of 9877 checklistsMar 8-14: 4.3% of 9570 checklistsMar 15-21: 4.1% of 10274 checklistsMar 22-31: 3.6% of 16156 checklistsApr 1-7: 2.6% of 12774 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.6% of 14048 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.8% of 14894 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.2% of 23288 checklistsMay 1-7: 0% of 22645 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 21384 checklistsMay 15-21: 0% of 13989 checklistsMay 22-31: 0% of 15784 checklistsJun 1-7: 0% of 9691 checklistsJun 8-14: 0% of 9036 checklistsJun 15-21: 0% of 7907 checklistsJun 22-30: 0% of 9831 checklistsJul 1-7: 0% of 8008 checklistsJul 8-14: 0% of 7202 checklistsJul 15-21: 0% of 7151 checklistsJul 22-31: 0% of 9833 checklistsAug 1-7: 0% of 7639 checklistsAug 8-14: 0% of 7507 checklistsAug 15-21: 0% of 7429 checklistsAug 22-31: 0% of 11182 checklistsSep 1-7: 0% of 9471 checklistsSep 8-14: 0% of 8501 checklistsSep 15-21: 0% of 8169 checklistsSep 22-30: 0% of 11572 checklistsOct 1-7: 0% of 9028 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.1% of 9413 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.2% of 8656 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.4% of 11625 checklistsNov 1-7: 1.1% of 8627 checklistsNov 8-14: 2.0% of 8284 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.9% of 8075 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.8% of 10430 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.8% of 7870 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.4% of 7567 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.2% of 9696 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.4% of 13142 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 Missouri 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 Missouri

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. St. Louis CityBest mid March · 511 checklists that week, 28,925 in all26%
  2. Oregon CountyBest early February · 10 checklists that week, 1,145 in all23%
  3. Ste. Genevieve CountyBest the second week of January · 29 checklists that week, 1,675 in all20%
  4. Ripley CountyBest early March · 21 checklists that week, 1,058 in all18%
  5. Pike CountyBest late March · 51 checklists that week, 1,685 in all17%
  6. Linn CountyBest the second week of March · 22 checklists that week, 1,029 in all14%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Forest ParkSt. Louis City, best mid March · 137 checklists that week, 6,058 in all47%
  2. Marais Temps Clair Conservation AreaSt. Charles County, best mid March · 24 checklists that week, 680 in all43%
  3. Clarence Cannon National Wildlife RefugePike County, best late March · 20 checklists that week, 708 in all40%
  4. Forest Park (De Baliviere)St. Louis City, best late November · 22 checklists that week, 484 in all39%

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

Best time of day

In Missouri, the Rusty Blackbird is most often listed on checklists started between 2 and 4 pm (1.6% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%1.5%2%12 am: too few checklists (205) to judge1 am: too few checklists (179) to judge2 am: too few checklists (204) to judge3 am: too few checklists (216) to judge4 am: too few checklists (630) to judge5 am: too few checklists (5072) to judge6 am: 0.7% of 27231 checklists7 am: 1.4% of 64162 checklists8 am: 1.4% of 67854 checklists9 am: 1.5% of 56515 checklists10 am: 1.5% of 47496 checklists11 am: 1.3% of 38845 checklists12 pm: 1.4% of 33383 checklists1 pm: 1.4% of 32503 checklists2 pm: 1.6% of 32615 checklists3 pm: 1.6% of 32514 checklists4 pm: 1.4% of 30274 checklists5 pm: 1.0% of 23446 checklists6 pm: 0.4% of 16374 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (10236) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (3133) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (722) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (405) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (261) 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
January2.2%3.0%3.7%2.6%
February2.8%2.5%2.9%3.5%
March4.2%4.3%4.1%3.6%
April2.6%1.6%0.8%0.2%
May0%0.1%0%0%
June0%0%0%0%
July0%0%0%0%
August0%0%0%0%
September0%0%0%0%
October0%0.1%0.2%0.4%
November1.1%2.0%2.9%2.8%
December2.8%2.4%2.2%2.4%

Neighboring states

  • Arkansas: arrives mid November, 2 weeks later than Missouri
  • Iowa: arrives late February, 15 weeks later than Missouri
  • Kansas: arrives early November, in the same week than Missouri
  • Illinois: arrives late February, 15 weeks later than Missouri

Common questions

When do Rusty Blackbirds arrive in Missouri?
Rusty Blackbirds are winter birds in Missouri: the first arrive in early November, they are common by the second week of November, peak in the second week of March (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.
When do Rusty Blackbirds leave Missouri?
Most Rusty Blackbirds have left Missouri by the second week of April, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Rusty Blackbird in Missouri?
The Rusty Blackbird is reported most often in the second week of March, on about 4.2% of Missouri checklists.
Where in Missouri are Rusty Blackbirds seen most often?
By county, St. Louis City, Oregon County, and Ste. Genevieve County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Rusty Blackbird (counties with at least 200 checklists).