WhenToBird

Rallus limicola · Rallidae

Virginia Rail: When and Where to See It

Adult Virginia Rail
Photo: sprcrkwild, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Virginia Rail reaches Oregon first, around mid February, and North Dakota last, around mid 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%0.5%1%1.5%Jan 1-7: 0.5% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.4% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.4% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.4% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.3% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.3% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.3% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.4% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.4% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.4% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.5% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.5% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.6% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.8% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.9% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 1.1% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 1.1% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 1.0% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 1.0% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.9% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.8% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.7% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.7% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.6% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.7% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.6% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.7% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.7% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.6% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.6% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.7% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.7% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.7% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.7% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.7% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.7% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.7% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.7% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.7% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.7% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.6% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.6% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.6% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.6% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.5% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.5% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.6% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.5% 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 %
OregonSummer visitorFeb 15-21May 8-14Dec 8-142.6%
WashingtonSummer visitorFeb 15-21Apr 22-30Jan 8-143.2%
IdahoSummer visitorFeb 15-21May 15-21Feb 1-71.5%
ColoradoSummer visitorMar 1-7May 1-7Jan 8-141.8%
DelawareSummer visitorMar 1-7May 1-7Jan 8-141.7%
New MexicoSummer visitorMar 8-14Sep 15-21Jan 15-211.4%
MontanaSummer visitorMar 15-21May 1-7Jan 8-141.1%
ConnecticutSummer visitorApr 1-7May 22-31Aug 8-141.4%
IllinoisSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Aug 8-141.2%
MassachusettsSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Aug 15-212.0%
MichiganSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Sep 1-72.1%
New YorkSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Sep 8-141.7%
OhioSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Aug 8-141.9%
IndianaPasses throughApr 8-14May 8-14May 22-311.3%
New HampshireSummer visitorApr 8-14May 8-14Aug 8-141.7%
VermontSummer visitorApr 8-14May 1-7Aug 8-141.9%
MaineSummer visitorApr 15-21May 15-21Aug 1-71.5%
MinnesotaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 8-14Sep 1-71.4%
WisconsinSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7Sep 1-71.5%
North DakotaSummer visitorMay 15-21Jun 1-7Aug 8-142.6%
NevadaSummer visitorJun 22-30Sep 1-7May 8-143.6%
UtahSummer visitorJul 15-21Sep 8-14Jan 8-142.8%
CaliforniaSummer visitorJul 15-21Sep 22-30May 1-72.2%
LouisianaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7Feb 1-71.7%
New JerseyWinter visitorMar 8-14Oct 15-21Jan 22-311.2%
ArizonaWinter visitorAug 22-31Oct 8-14Jun 1-71.4%

Winter visitor in: Louisiana, New Jersey, Arizona

Summer visitor in: New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, California