Illustration
Ohiowinter wildlife
When does migrating and wintering wildlife peak in Ohio?
Migrating and wintering wildlife usually peaks from September to March.
Checked Sep 30.
Your guide to Ohio
Every place on this page
Plan from a town
Frost dates and what's in season nearby
Each place's usual timing in Ohio
In each source's own words: a usual peak where one is named, otherwise the place's season
- Cuyahoga Valley: Beavers out on the winter ice
Early February is often a great time to see beaver during the day
- Cuyahoga Valley: Warblers and songbirds in fall migration
during the third week [of September] ... in peak migration
- Ottawa Refuge
Most numerous: waterfowl numbers peak in October
- Cuyahoga Valley: Coyotes hunting the fields
December is a good time to watch coyotes
- Cuyahoga Valley: Wintering kinglets and nuthatches on the Tree Farm Trail
Throughout December
- Each place's usual timing from its own source: a peak only where the source names one (not a forecast)
Places by state
Ohio
- Ottawa RefugeStarts soon
Usually: waterfowl numbers peak in October
- Cuyahoga ValleyStarts in ~2 months
Usually September and March
Official reports
Dated and linked
- Sep 30Park ServiceLeash rules and short trail descriptions (Oak Hill, Tree Farm, Cross Country)Source (opens National Park Service, Cuyahoga Valley: Pets in a new tab)
- Sep 28Park ServiceMonth-by-month nature notes: July is the peak period for fireflies in the bottomland forests around the Beaver MarshSource (opens National Park Service, Cuyahoga Valley natural history topics in a new tab)
- Sep 28Park ServiceSeasons of wildlife and featured species: bird peak late April to mid-May, warblers at the boardwalk and Estuary Trail, waterfowl peaks in March and OctoberSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ottawa NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) in a new tab)
- National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.
Show all 7
- Sep 28Park ServiceVisitor center hours, fees, trails and seasons, Wildlife Drive schedule, tipsSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ottawa NWR: Visit Us in a new tab)
- Sep 26Park ServiceWildflowers from mid-April through mid-MaySource (opens National Park Service, Spring wildflowers in Cuyahoga Valley in a new tab)
- Sep 26Park ServiceBrandywine Falls parking usually full by 10 a.m. in nice weather and on weekends; peak season April to OctoberSource (opens National Park Service, Cuyahoga Valley parking in a new tab)
- Sep 26Park ServicePeak color usually in the third week of October; Oak Hill Trail, Brandywine Falls, Ledges Overlook; lots fill around midday on warm weekendsSource (opens National Park Service, Best fall colors in Cuyahoga Valley in a new tab)
- National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.
Questions people ask
Where can I see winter wildlife in Ohio?
We track 2 places: Cuyahoga Valley and Ottawa Refuge.
How do you track winter wildlife?
Each place moves through 4 stages: Birds arriving, Numbers building, Peak numbers and Birds departing. Every stage we show comes from a dated report with its source, and every forecast lists its sources.