Backyard birds in Cortland, New York
Which birds visit Cortland yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Cortland's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 42.601°, -76.180°
- Population
- 18,907
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 19 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 3 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:24 AM / 5:26 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 7 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 3b–7b
Nesting timing in Cortland
The state guides give nesting windows for New York as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 40.9°N). Cortland is at 42.6°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. Cortland 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 Cortland
Year-round residents (29)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Canada Jays
Summer breeders (25)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, 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 (3)
Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Cortland
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Cortland, sunrise is around 6:24 AM in mid-April, 5:26 AM at the June solstice and 7:31 AM in late December (local time, America/New York). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Cortland yards
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Winter fruit.
Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.
Fall 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 year-round shelter.
Nearby cities in New York
- Ithaca — 20 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cortland
- Auburn — 30 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cortland
- Syracuse — 31 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cortland
- Vestal — 36 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cortland
- Binghamton — 37 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cortland
- Clay — 40 mi away, nesting about the same time as Cortland
Frequently asked
What birds live in Cortland all year?
Year-round residents across New York include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Cortland.
When do birds start nesting in Cortland?
Cortland sits at a different latitude from New York'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 Cortland?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Cortland, sunrise is around 6:24 AM in mid-April and 5:26 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — New York
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- New York Breeding Bird Atlas III
- 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.