WhenToBird

Passerculus sandwichensis · Passerellidae

When Do Savannah Sparrows Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult Savannah Sparrow
Photo: Irene, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Savannah Sparrows are winter birds in Massachusetts: the first arrive in early April, they are common by the second week of April, peak in the second week of October (15% of checklists), and most are gone by late November.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 1-7early April
Common byApr 8-14the second week of April
PeakOct 8-14the second week of October
Most gone byNov 22-30late November

Best: the second week of October. First arrivals early April; most are gone by late November. Peak: on about 15% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Janrare
  2. Febrare
  3. Marrare
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maycommon
  6. Jununcommon
  7. Juluncommon
  8. Augrare
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decrare

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

0%5%10%15%20%Jan 1-7: 1.6% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.8% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.5% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.6% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.3% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.1% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.8% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.8% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.7% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.6% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.8% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.8% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 1.3% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 4.2% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 8.0% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 10% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 9.3% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 8.7% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 5.3% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.1% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 2.9% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.1% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 2.9% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.0% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.9% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 3.3% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.8% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.7% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.5% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.6% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.8% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 2.6% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 4.8% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 7.5% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 12% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 15% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 15% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 14% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 11% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 5.8% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 3.9% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.6% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.1% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.1% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.9% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.9% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.0% 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. Worcester CountyBest the second week of October · 2238 checklists that week, 128,594 in all19%
  2. Bristol CountyBest mid October · 1117 checklists that week, 65,262 in all18%
  3. Middlesex CountyBest the second week of October · 5779 checklists that week, 307,511 in all17%
  4. Suffolk CountyBest the second week of October · 2066 checklists that week, 112,443 in all17%
  5. Hampshire CountyBest early October · 2939 checklists that week, 162,423 in all16%
  6. Franklin CountyBest the second week of October · 845 checklists that week, 41,382 in all16%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Forge PondPlymouth County, best early May · 21 checklists that week, 366 in all98%
  2. Riley PondWorcester County, best the second week of October · 34 checklists that week, 876 in all96%
  3. Wachusett Reservoir WatershedWorcester County, best the second week of October · 29 checklists that week, 675 in all94%
  4. Populatic PondNorfolk County, best the second week of June · 29 checklists that week, 628 in all94%
  5. Cow CommonMiddlesex County, best the second week of October · 43 checklists that week, 667 in all93%

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

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Savannah Sparrow is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (6.5% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%8%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: 7.1% of 108601 checklists7 am: 6.1% of 186104 checklists8 am: 5.5% of 185905 checklists9 am: 4.8% of 166049 checklists10 am: 4.1% of 150508 checklists11 am: 3.6% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 3.3% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 3.2% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 3.1% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 3.0% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 3.5% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 3.6% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 2.9% 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
January1.6%1.8%1.5%1.6%
February1.3%1.1%0.8%0.8%
March0.7%0.6%0.8%0.8%
April1.3%4.2%8.0%10%
May9.3%8.7%5.3%3.1%
June2.9%3.1%2.9%3.0%
July2.9%3.3%2.8%2.1%
August1.7%1.5%1.6%1.8%
September2.6%4.8%7.5%12%
October15%15%14%11%
November5.8%3.9%2.6%2.1%
December2.1%1.9%1.9%2.0%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives late August, 19 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives early April, in the same week than Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: arrives early September, 20 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives the second week of April, 1 week later than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Savannah Sparrows arrive in Massachusetts?
Savannah Sparrows are winter birds in Massachusetts: the first arrive in early April, they are common by the second week of April, peak in the second week of October (15% of checklists), and most are gone by late November.
When do Savannah Sparrows leave Massachusetts?
Most Savannah Sparrows have left Massachusetts by late November, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of February.
When is the best time to see a Savannah Sparrow in Massachusetts?
The Savannah Sparrow is reported most often in the second week of October, on about 15% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Savannah Sparrows seen most often?
By county, Worcester County, Bristol County, and Middlesex County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Savannah Sparrow (counties with at least 200 checklists).