Backyard birds in Hanover, Massachusetts
Which birds visit Hanover yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Hanover's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 42.113°, -70.812°
- Population
- 16,906
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 15 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 6 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:04 AM / 5:06 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 5a–7b
Nesting timing in Hanover
The state guides give nesting windows for Massachusetts as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 42.3°N). Hanover is at 42.1°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts about the same time as the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Hanover goes from 9 h 6 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 15 min in June, a 6 h 9 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window April–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window May–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- Tufted Titmouse — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window May–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
Birds you can expect in Hanover
Year-round residents (53)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Eastern Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, American Crows, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wrens, Red Crossbills, Field Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Horned Larks, White-winged Crossbills, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (54)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Pine Warblers, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Hermit Thrushs, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Least Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, American Woodcocks, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Savannah Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Bobolinks
Winter visitors (13)
Dark-eyed Juncos, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Tree Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Pine Grosbeaks, Merlins, Snow Buntings, Common Redpolls, Hoary Redpolls, Bohemian Waxwings
Snowy winters with nor'easters; Cape Cod is milder and holds more half-hardy birds.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Hanover
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Hanover, sunrise is around 6:04 AM in mid-April, 5:06 AM at the June solstice and 7:07 AM in late December (local time, America/New York). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Hanover yards
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.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Nearby cities in Massachusetts
- Rockland — 5 mi away, nesting about the same time as Hanover
- Duxbury — 9 mi away, nesting about the same time as Hanover
- Brockton — 11 mi away, nesting about the same time as Hanover
- Middleborough — 16 mi away, nesting about the same time as Hanover
- Easton — 17 mi away, nesting about the same time as Hanover
- Taunton — 20 mi away, nesting about the same time as Hanover
Frequently asked
What birds live in Hanover all year?
Year-round residents across Massachusetts include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Hanover.
When do birds start nesting in Hanover?
Hanover sits at a different latitude from Massachusetts's population centre, so nesting runs about the same time as the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Hanover?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Hanover, sunrise is around 6:04 AM in mid-April and 5:06 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Massachusetts
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- 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.