When do catbirds arrive in Mississippi?
The Gray Catbird is a summer breeder in Mississippi — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Gray Catbird timing in Mississippi
- Arrives
- Around March
- Leaves
- By August
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- April–July
- Present roughly
- March–August
In Mississippi, catbirds are present through the warm months, arriving around March and heading south again by August.
These windows are set by latitude: Mississippi sits in the southern part of this species' range, so timing here runs earlier than the continental average — spring comes sooner, and the birds follow it. 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 catbirds are expected in Mississippi. 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 March is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early March — the first catbirds into Mississippi are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Once nesting begins around April, adults switch to protein-rich food for their young and visits to feeders become quick and purposeful. Expect the busiest activity at dawn.
What catbirds eat while they're here
- Ants, beetles and caterpillars
Catbirds rarely eat seed but visit oriole jelly feeders and fruiting shrubs; dense thickets bring them in.
Native plants that hold catbirds in Mississippi
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Mississippi-native plants are known to attract catbirds:
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do catbirds arrive in Mississippi?
catbirds typically arrive in Mississippi around March, with nesting underway by April. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do catbirds leave Mississippi?
Most catbirds have left Mississippi by August. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do catbirds stay in Mississippi all year?
No — in Mississippi the Gray Catbird is a summer breeder, present roughly March–August. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before catbirds arrive in Mississippi?
Have feeders up and clean by early March — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: ants, beetles and caterpillars.
Sources
- Gray Catbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Gray Catbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Gray Catbird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Mississippi
- 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.