WhenToBird

Sphyrapicus varius · Picidae

When Do Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Photo: Barry Cottam, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers arrive in Massachusetts in late March, peak in mid April (6.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late July.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 22-31late March
Common byMar 22-31late March
PeakApr 15-21mid April
Most gone byJul 22-31late July

Best: mid April. First arrivals late March; most are gone by late July. Peak: on about 6.5% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Auguncommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decuncommon

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

0%2%4%6%8%Jan 1-7: 1.1% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.2% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.3% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.3% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.2% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.1% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.9% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.8% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.9% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.8% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.9% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 1.0% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.0% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 6.7% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 7.4% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 5.8% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 5.1% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 4.5% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 4.0% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.5% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.3% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.0% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.2% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.2% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 3.3% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.4% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 1.7% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 1.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.1% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.0% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.8% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.0% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.3% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.3% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.8% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 3.2% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 6.1% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 4.8% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 3.0% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 2.3% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 2.3% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 2.1% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.3% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.1% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.0% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.9% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.1% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.9% 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. Franklin CountyBest late June · 643 checklists that week, 41,382 in all23%
  2. Berkshire CountyBest late April · 3552 checklists that week, 92,890 in all22%
  3. Hampshire CountyBest mid April · 4381 checklists that week, 162,423 in all18%
  4. Hampden CountyBest mid April · 1026 checklists that week, 35,410 in all9.7%
  5. Worcester CountyBest mid April · 3359 checklists that week, 128,594 in all9.4%
  6. Essex CountyBest early October · 3443 checklists that week, 213,973 in all6.5%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Broad Brook - Fitzgerald Lake Greenway (southeast)Hampshire County, best late April · 92 checklists that week, 981 in all82%
  2. Quabbin Reservoir WatershedHampshire County, best early May · 99 checklists that week, 1,878 in all79%
  3. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife SanctuaryWorcester County, best late April · 33 checklists that week, 997 in all76%
  4. Broad Brook - Fitzgerald Lake Greenway (east)Hampshire County, best mid April · 23 checklists that week, 296 in all75%
  5. Quabbin Reservoir Watershed (west)Hampshire County, best the second week of April · 42 checklists that week, 502 in all70%
  6. Broad Brook - Fitzgerald Lake Greenway (Laurel Park)Hampshire County, best mid April · 20 checklists that week, 235 in all69%

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

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (4.1% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%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: 4.2% of 108601 checklists7 am: 4.0% of 186104 checklists8 am: 3.6% of 185905 checklists9 am: 2.9% of 166049 checklists10 am: 2.6% of 150508 checklists11 am: 2.2% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 1.9% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 1.9% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 1.7% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 1.6% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 1.7% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 1.8% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 1.5% 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
January1.1%1.2%1.3%1.3%
February1.2%1.1%0.9%0.8%
March0.9%0.8%0.9%1.0%
April3.0%6.7%7.4%5.8%
May5.1%4.5%4.0%3.5%
June3.3%3.0%3.2%3.2%
July3.3%2.4%1.7%1.1%
August1.1%1.0%0.8%1.0%
September1.3%1.3%1.8%3.2%
October6.1%4.8%3.0%2.3%
November2.3%2.1%2.3%2.1%
December2.0%1.9%2.1%1.9%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives late September, 24 weeks earlier than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives late March, in the same week than Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: arrives early September, 21 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives late March, in the same week than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers arrive in Massachusetts?
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers arrive in Massachusetts in late March, peak in mid April (6.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late July.
When do Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers leave Massachusetts?
Most Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have left Massachusetts by late July, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early August.
When is the best time to see a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Massachusetts?
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is reported most often in mid April, on about 6.5% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers seen most often?
By county, Franklin County, Berkshire County, and Hampshire County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (counties with at least 200 checklists).