When do hoary redpolls arrive in Ontario?
The Hoary Redpoll is a winter visitor in Ontario — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Hoary Redpoll timing in Ontario
- Arrives
- Around September
- Leaves
- By April
- Status here
- Winter visitor
- Present roughly
- September–April
In Ontario, hoary redpolls are a cold-season bird, arriving around September and heading back north to breed by April.
These windows are set by latitude: Ontario 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 hoary redpolls are expected in Ontario. 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 September is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early September — the first hoary redpolls into Ontario are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Through the winter, consistent food matters more than variety — birds map dependable stations into their daily routes and rely on them hardest during cold snaps.
What hoary redpolls eat while they're here
- Nyjer and weed seeds
The prize in any redpoll flock — scan large winter nyjer flocks for the palest, frostiest bird.
Full Hoary Redpoll diet guide → · Best feeder for hoary redpolls →
Native plants that hold hoary redpolls in Ontario
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Ontario-native plants are known to attract hoary redpolls:
Insects, seeds and cavities.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do hoary redpolls arrive in Ontario?
hoary redpolls typically arrive in Ontario around September. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do hoary redpolls leave Ontario?
Most hoary redpolls have left Ontario by April. They spend the breeding season farther north and return in the fall.
Do hoary redpolls stay in Ontario all year?
No — in Ontario the Hoary Redpoll is a winter visitor, present roughly September–April. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before hoary redpolls arrive in Ontario?
Have feeders up and clean by early September — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: birch and willow seeds; insects.
Sources
- Hoary Redpoll — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hoary Redpoll life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hoary Redpoll — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Ontario
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas — Birds Canada
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.