Backyard birds in Duluth, Minnesota
Which birds visit Duluth yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Duluth's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 46.783°, -92.107°
- Population
- 86,110
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 52 min
- December 21 daylight
- 8 h 32 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:22 AM / 5:13 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 7 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 3a–5b
Nesting timing in Duluth
The state guides give nesting windows for Minnesota as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 44.9°N). Duluth is at 46.8°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 7 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Duluth goes from 8 h 32 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 52 min in June, a 7 h 20 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window May–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window May–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window May–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–July; 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 Duluth
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 (24)
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, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhees, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warblers, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds
Winter visitors (2)
Temperatures below 0°F are routine — heated water, suet and roost boxes are survival aids, not extras.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Duluth
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Duluth, sunrise is around 6:22 AM in mid-April, 5:13 AM at the June solstice and 7:50 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Duluth yards
White fruit and red-stemmed winter cover.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Persistent fruit.
Nectar and seed.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Acorns and bark insects.
Nearby cities in Minnesota
- Hibbing — 59 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days later than Duluth
- Forest Lake — 112 mi away, nesting roughly 6 days earlier than Duluth
- Andover — 121 mi away, nesting roughly 6 days earlier than Duluth
- Lino Lakes — 122 mi away, nesting roughly 6 days earlier than Duluth
- Ramsey — 123 mi away, nesting roughly 6 days earlier than Duluth
- Elk River — 124 mi away, nesting roughly 6 days earlier than Duluth
Frequently asked
What birds live in Duluth all year?
Year-round residents across Minnesota include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Duluth.
When do birds start nesting in Duluth?
Duluth sits at a different latitude from Minnesota's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 7 days later 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 Duluth?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Duluth, sunrise is around 6:22 AM in mid-April and 5:13 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Minnesota
- 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.