WhenToBird

Catharus ustulatus · Turdidae

Swainson's Thrush: When and Where to See It

Adult Swainson's Thrush
Photo: Dani Alba, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Swainson's Thrush reaches Texas first, around early April, and Utah last, around late May.

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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0%5%10%15%Jan 1-7: 0.1% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.1% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.1% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.1% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.1% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.1% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.1% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.1% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.1% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.1% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.1% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.1% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.3% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 1.1% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 2.7% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 5.7% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 8.4% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 10% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 5.7% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.5% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.8% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 4.1% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 4.1% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 4.0% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 3.8% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 3.0% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 1.7% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.9% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.7% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.6% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.4% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 3.8% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 6.1% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 6.8% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 5.9% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 4.2% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 2.3% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 1.1% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.3% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.1% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.1% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.1% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.1% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.1% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.1% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.1% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.1% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
TexasPasses throughApr 1-7May 1-7May 15-2111%
LouisianaPasses throughApr 1-7Apr 22-30May 8-147.7%
ArkansasPasses throughApr 8-14May 1-7May 8-1416%
MississippiPasses throughApr 8-14May 1-7May 15-215.3%
MissouriPasses throughApr 15-21May 8-14May 15-2125%
KansasPasses throughApr 15-21May 8-14May 22-3123%
OklahomaPasses throughApr 15-21May 8-14May 22-3121%
KentuckyPasses throughApr 15-21May 8-14May 22-3119%
OhioPasses throughApr 15-21May 15-21Jun 1-715%
CaliforniaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 15-21Jul 15-218.6%
North DakotaPasses throughApr 22-30May 15-21Jun 1-725%
District of ColumbiaPasses throughApr 22-30May 15-21Jun 1-724%
IowaPasses throughApr 22-30May 8-14Jun 1-718%
NebraskaPasses throughApr 22-30May 8-14Jun 1-717%
South DakotaSummer visitorApr 22-30May 8-14Jul 15-2116%
MinnesotaPasses throughApr 22-30May 15-21Jun 1-712%
VirginiaPasses throughApr 22-30May 8-14Jun 1-77.6%
MarylandPasses throughApr 22-30May 15-21Jun 1-77.0%
New JerseyPasses throughApr 22-30May 15-21Jun 1-75.7%
New MexicoSummer visitorApr 22-30May 15-21Jun 1-71.2%
OregonSummer visitorMay 1-7Jul 1-7Sep 8-1424%
WyomingSummer visitorMay 1-7May 15-21Jul 22-319.1%
ColoradoPasses throughMay 1-7May 15-21Jun 1-76.3%
ArizonaPasses throughMay 1-7May 15-21Jun 1-73.0%
ConnecticutPasses throughMay 1-7May 15-21May 22-313.7%
MassachusettsPasses throughMay 1-7May 22-31Jun 8-143.7%
Rhode IslandPasses throughMay 1-7May 15-21Jun 1-71.9%
WashingtonSummer visitorMay 8-14Jun 22-30Jul 22-3129%
AlaskaPasses throughMay 8-14Jun 15-21Jul 15-2119%
MontanaSummer visitorMay 8-14Jul 8-14Aug 1-720%
MaineSummer visitorMay 8-14Jul 1-7Aug 1-77.9%
New HampshireSummer visitorMay 8-14Jun 22-30Jul 22-315.9%
NevadaSummer visitorMay 8-14May 15-21Jul 15-212.9%
IdahoPasses throughMay 15-21Jul 1-7Jul 22-3114%
VermontSummer visitorMay 15-21Jun 22-30Jul 22-313.2%
UtahPasses throughMay 22-31Jul 1-7Jul 15-215.0%
IllinoisSummer visitorAug 15-21Sep 8-14Oct 8-1428%
IndianaSummer visitorAug 15-21Sep 15-21Oct 1-725%
WisconsinPasses throughAug 15-21Sep 8-14Oct 8-1419%
MichiganPasses throughAug 22-31Sep 8-14Oct 8-1411%
West VirginiaPasses throughAug 22-31Sep 22-30Oct 22-3112%
TennesseePasses throughSep 1-7Sep 22-30Oct 15-2114%
GeorgiaPasses throughSep 1-7Sep 22-30Oct 15-2110%
North CarolinaPasses throughSep 1-7Sep 22-30Oct 22-3112%
AlabamaPasses throughSep 1-7Sep 22-30Oct 22-318.7%
New YorkSummer visitorSep 1-7Sep 15-21Oct 15-219.1%
PennsylvaniaPasses throughSep 1-7Sep 22-30Oct 15-216.1%
South CarolinaPasses throughSep 8-14Sep 22-30Oct 22-316.2%
DelawarePasses throughSep 8-14Sep 22-30Oct 15-213.7%
FloridaPasses throughSep 15-21Oct 1-7Oct 15-217.5%

Passes through: Wisconsin, Michigan, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Delaware, Florida

Summer visitor in: Illinois, Indiana, New York