Backyard birds in Sterling Heights, Michigan
Which birds visit Sterling Heights yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Sterling Heights's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 42.580°, -83.030°
- Population
- 132,052
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 19 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 3 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:52 AM / 5:54 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 4a–6b
Nesting timing in Sterling Heights
The state guides give nesting windows for Michigan as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 42.6°N). Sterling Heights is at 42.6°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. Sterling Heights goes from 9 h 3 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 19 min in June, a 6 h 16 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 May–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 Sterling Heights
Year-round residents (27)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Canada Jays, Eurasian Collared-Doves
Summer breeders (26)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, White-throated Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhees, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warblers, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds
Winter visitors (2)
Lake-effect snow and long cold spells; Purple Finches breed in the north and winter farther south.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Sterling Heights
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Sterling Heights, sunrise is around 6:52 AM in mid-April, 5:54 AM at the June solstice and 7:58 AM in late December (local time, America/Detroit). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Sterling Heights yards
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Winter fruit.
Fruit persisting into winter.
Nectar and seed.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Seeds and dense winter shelter.
Nearby cities in Michigan
- Clinton Township — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Sterling Heights
- Shelby — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Sterling Heights
- Warren — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Sterling Heights
- Troy — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Sterling Heights
- Saint Clair Shores — 9 mi away, nesting about the same time as Sterling Heights
- Birmingham — 9 mi away, nesting about the same time as Sterling Heights
Frequently asked
What birds live in Sterling Heights all year?
Year-round residents across Michigan include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Sterling Heights.
When do birds start nesting in Sterling Heights?
Sterling Heights sits at about the same latitude as Michigan'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 Sterling Heights?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Sterling Heights, sunrise is around 6:52 AM in mid-April and 5:54 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Michigan
- 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.