Backyard birds in Saanich, British Columbia
Which birds visit Saanich yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Saanich's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 48.550°, -123.369°
- Population
- 117,735
- June 21 daylight
- 16 h 8 min
- December 21 daylight
- 8 h 18 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:24 AM / 5:10 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- Canada 1a–9a
Nesting timing in Saanich
The state guides give nesting windows for British Columbia as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 49.4°N). Saanich is at 48.5°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Saanich goes from 8 h 18 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 16 h 8 min in June, a 7 h 51 min swing.
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window May–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Downy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window August–September
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window June–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- House Finch — state window May–August
- Purple Finch — state window June–July
- Mourning Dove — state window April–September
- American Robin — state window May–July
Birds you can expect in Saanich
Year-round residents (32)
Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Anna's Hummingbirds, Cassin's Finchs, Spotted Towhees, California Quail, Bewick's Wrens, Varied Thrushs, Eurasian Collared-Doves
Summer breeders (25)
American Goldfinchs, House Wrens, Mourning Doves, White-throated Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Rufous Hummingbirds, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, White-crowned Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles
Winter visitors (2)
Mild, wet coastal winters where Anna's Hummingbirds now overwinter; cold interior winters.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Saanich
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Saanich, sunrise is around 6:24 AM in mid-April, 5:10 AM at the June solstice and 9:02 AM in late December (local time, America/Vancouver). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Saanich yards
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.
Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.
Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.
Nearby cities in British Columbia
- Victoria — 8 mi away, nesting about the same time as Saanich
- Langford — 9 mi away, nesting about the same time as Saanich
- Sooke — 20 mi away, nesting about the same time as Saanich
- North Cowichan — 25 mi away, nesting about the same time as Saanich
- Tsawwassen — 35 mi away, nesting about the same time as Saanich
- Delta — 40 mi away, nesting about the same time as Saanich
Frequently asked
What birds live in Saanich all year?
Year-round residents across British Columbia include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Saanich.
When do birds start nesting in Saanich?
Saanich sits at a different latitude from British Columbia's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Saanich?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Saanich, sunrise is around 6:24 AM in mid-April and 5:10 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — British Columbia
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
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.