WhenToBird

Meleagris gallopavo · Phasianidae

When Do Wild Turkeys Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult male Wild Turkey
Photo: Dan Vickers, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Wild Turkeys reach Massachusetts in the second week of February, are common by mid March, peak in early May (9.9% of checklists), and most are gone by early November.

When to look

First arrivalsFeb 8-14the second week of February
Common byMar 15-21mid March
PeakMay 1-7early May
Most gone byNov 1-7early November

Best: early May. First arrivals the second week of February; most are gone by early November. Peak: on about 9.9% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decuncommon

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

0%5%10%15%Jan 1-7: 2.2% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.9% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.0% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.0% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.2% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.3% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.3% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.3% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.5% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.6% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 3.2% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 4.2% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 5.3% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 7.6% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 8.9% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 9.9% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 10% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 9.7% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 9.4% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 8.5% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 7.3% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 6.1% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 5.8% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 5.6% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 5.2% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 4.5% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 4.1% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 4.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 4.1% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 4.0% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 3.9% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 4.1% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 4.6% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 4.5% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 4.4% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 4.5% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 4.3% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 3.6% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 3.5% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.4% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 3.0% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 3.2% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.8% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 3.0% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.8% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.6% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.4% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.3% 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.

Embed this map on your site

Where in Massachusetts

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Plymouth CountyBest late April · 3274 checklists that week, 89,282 in all14%
  2. Middlesex CountyBest the second week of May · 14184 checklists that week, 307,511 in all14%
  3. Essex CountyBest late April · 7060 checklists that week, 213,973 in all12%
  4. Barnstable CountyBest late April · 6029 checklists that week, 215,188 in all12%
  5. Bristol CountyBest early May · 2041 checklists that week, 65,262 in all12%
  6. Norfolk CountyBest early May · 4058 checklists that week, 114,756 in all12%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Daniel Webster Wildlife SanctuaryPlymouth County, best late April · 176 checklists that week, 3,737 in all93%
  2. Castle Hill on the Crane EstateEssex County, best late April · 21 checklists that week, 535 in all71%
  3. Wellfleet Bay Wildlife SanctuaryBarnstable County, best early February · 39 checklists that week, 7,399 in all61%

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

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Wild Turkey is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (7.8% of those checklists).

0%5%10%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: 9.7% of 108601 checklists7 am: 6.7% of 186104 checklists8 am: 5.4% of 185905 checklists9 am: 4.4% of 166049 checklists10 am: 3.5% of 150508 checklists11 am: 3.0% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 3.2% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 3.3% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 3.6% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 3.8% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 4.3% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 4.7% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 4.9% 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
January2.2%1.9%2.0%2.0%
February2.2%2.3%2.3%2.3%
March2.5%2.6%3.2%4.2%
April5.3%7.6%8.9%9.9%
May10%9.7%9.4%8.5%
June7.3%6.1%5.8%5.6%
July5.2%4.5%4.1%4.1%
August4.1%4.0%3.9%4.1%
September4.6%4.5%4.4%4.5%
October4.3%3.6%3.5%3.4%
November3.0%3.2%2.8%3.0%
December2.8%2.6%2.4%2.3%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives the second week of February, in the same week than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives early April, 7 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: arrives the second week of February, in the same week than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives early April, 7 weeks later than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Wild Turkeys arrive in Massachusetts?
Wild Turkeys reach Massachusetts in the second week of February, are common by mid March, peak in early May (9.9% of checklists), and most are gone by early November.
When do Wild Turkeys leave Massachusetts?
Most Wild Turkeys have left Massachusetts by early November, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late December.
When is the best time to see a Wild Turkey in Massachusetts?
The Wild Turkey is reported most often in early May, on about 9.9% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Wild Turkeys seen most often?
By county, Plymouth County, Middlesex County, and Essex County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Wild Turkey (counties with at least 200 checklists).