When do great crested flycatchers arrive in Texas?
The Great Crested Flycatcher is a summer breeder in Texas — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Great Crested Flycatcher timing in Texas
- Arrives
- Around March
- Leaves
- By August
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- April–July
- Present roughly
- March–August
In Texas, great crested flycatchers are present through the warm months, arriving around March and heading south again by August.
These windows are set by latitude: Texas 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 great crested flycatchers are expected in Texas. 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. This species doesn't use feeders much, but water and cover matter — a clean birdbath and undisturbed shrubs make a yard far more attractive to a newly arrived bird.
Great crested flycatchers nest in cavities, so boxes need to be up and cleaned before arrival — a box mounted after they've claimed territories will usually sit empty until next year. Great Crested Flycatcher nest box dimensions and mounting →
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 great crested flycatchers eat while they're here
- Beetles, moths and katydids
The only eastern flycatcher that nests in cavities — often in boxes, famously lined with shed snakeskin.
Native plants that hold great crested flycatchers in Texas
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Texas-native plants are known to attract great crested flycatchers:
Acorns and a huge insect load for foraging and nestling food.
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.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do great crested flycatchers arrive in Texas?
great crested flycatchers typically arrive in Texas around March, with nesting underway by April. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do great crested flycatchers leave Texas?
Most great crested flycatchers have left Texas by August. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do great crested flycatchers stay in Texas all year?
No — in Texas the Great Crested Flycatcher is a summer breeder, present roughly March–August. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
Sources
- Great Crested Flycatcher — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Great Crested Flycatcher life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Great Crested Flycatcher — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Texas
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Texas Breeding Bird Atlas — Texas A&M
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.