Backyard birds in Fernley, Nevada
Which birds visit Fernley yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Fernley's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 39.608°, -119.252°
- Population
- 19,418
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 58 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 22 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:21 AM / 5:29 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 11 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 4a–10a
Nesting timing in Fernley
The state guides give nesting windows for Nevada as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 36.8°N). Fernley is at 39.6°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 11 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Fernley goes from 9 h 22 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 58 min in June, a 5 h 36 min swing.
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- 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
- 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
- House Finch — state window April–August
- Mourning Dove — state window March–September
- American Robin — state window April–July
- Dark-eyed Junco — state window May–July
- Song Sparrow — state window April–August
Birds you can expect in Fernley
Year-round residents (59)
Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Mountain Chickadees, Bushtits, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Anna's Hummingbirds, Lesser Goldfinchs, Cassin's Finchs, Spotted Towhees, Gambel's Quail, California Quail, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Black Phoebes, Gila Woodpeckers, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Cactus Wrens, Verdins, Bewick's Wrens, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red Crossbills, Phainopeplas, Black-throated Sparrows, Pinyon Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers, Western Screech-Owls, Band-tailed Pigeons
Summer breeders (23)
House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Costa's Hummingbirds, Say's Phoebes, Fox Sparrows, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, White-winged Doves, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Western Tanagers, Hooded Orioles, Lark Sparrows, Green-tailed Towhees
Winter visitors (5)
American Goldfinchs, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Pine Grosbeaks, Hooded Mergansers
Cold, dry winters in Reno and the north; mild winters in the south.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Fernley
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Fernley, sunrise is around 6:21 AM in mid-April, 5:29 AM at the June solstice and 7:13 AM in late December (local time, America/Los Angeles). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Fernley yards
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in 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.
Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies.
Nearby cities in Nevada
- Spanish Springs — 24 mi away, nesting about the same time as Fernley
- Reno — 30 mi away, nesting about the same time as Fernley
- Carson City — 41 mi away, nesting about the same time as Fernley
- Elko — 202 mi away, nesting roughly 5 days later than Fernley
- Pahrump — 295 mi away, nesting roughly 14 days earlier than Fernley
- Spring Valley — 326 mi away, nesting roughly 14 days earlier than Fernley
Frequently asked
What birds live in Fernley all year?
Year-round residents across Nevada include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Fernley.
When do birds start nesting in Fernley?
Fernley sits at a different latitude from Nevada's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 11 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 Fernley?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Fernley, sunrise is around 6:21 AM in mid-April and 5:29 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Nevada
- 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.