When do scissor-tailed flycatchers arrive in Arkansas?
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a summer breeder in Arkansas — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher timing in Arkansas
- Arrives
- Around April
- Leaves
- By August
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- May–July
- Present roughly
- April–August
In Arkansas, scissor-tailed flycatchers are present through the warm months, arriving around April and heading south again by August.
These windows are set by latitude: Arkansas sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when scissor-tailed flycatchers are expected in Arkansas. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before April is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early April — the first scissor-tailed flycatchers into Arkansas are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Once nesting begins around May, adults switch to protein-rich food for their young and visits to feeders become quick and purposeful. Expect the busiest activity at dawn.
What scissor-tailed flycatchers eat while they're here
- Grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and wasps
Oklahoma's state bird. Perches on wires along rural roads; males sky-dance on spring mornings.
Full Scissor-tailed Flycatcher diet guide → · Best feeder for scissor-tailed flycatchers →
Native plants that hold scissor-tailed flycatchers in Arkansas
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Arkansas-native plants are known to attract scissor-tailed flycatchers:
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do scissor-tailed flycatchers arrive in Arkansas?
scissor-tailed flycatchers typically arrive in Arkansas around April, with nesting underway by May. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do scissor-tailed flycatchers leave Arkansas?
Most scissor-tailed flycatchers have left Arkansas by August. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do scissor-tailed flycatchers stay in Arkansas all year?
No — in Arkansas the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a summer breeder, present roughly April–August. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before scissor-tailed flycatchers arrive in Arkansas?
Have feeders up and clean by early April — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and wasps.
Sources
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Arkansas
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.