Backyard birds in Apex, North Carolina
Which birds visit Apex yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Apex's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 35.733°, -78.850°
- Population
- 45,585
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 35 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 44 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:43 AM / 5:59 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 5b–8b
Nesting timing in Apex
The state guides give nesting windows for North Carolina as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 35.6°N). Apex is at 35.7°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. Apex goes from 9 h 44 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 35 min in June, a 4 h 51 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window March–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Carolina Chickadee — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window April–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 March–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
Birds you can expect in Apex
Year-round residents (34)
Northern Cardinals, Eastern Bluebirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Carolina Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Wrens, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatchs, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Phoebes, Pine Warblers, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves
Summer breeders (14)
Purple Martins, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds
Winter visitors (10)
Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows
Black-capped Chickadees and other northern birds are confined to the highest mountains; lowlands stay mild.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Apex
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Apex, sunrise is around 6:43 AM in mid-April, 5:59 AM at the June solstice and 7:21 AM in late December (local time, America/New York). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Apex yards
The state flower and a top fall fruit source.
Red fruit held into winter.
June fruit.
Winter food and cover.
Long nectar season.
Leave seed heads.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Nearby cities in North Carolina
- Cary — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Apex
- Holly Springs — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Apex
- Fuquay-Varina — 11 mi away, nesting about the same time as Apex
- Raleigh — 12 mi away, nesting about the same time as Apex
- Chapel Hill — 17 mi away, nesting about the same time as Apex
- Durham — 18 mi away, nesting about the same time as Apex
Frequently asked
What birds live in Apex all year?
Year-round residents across North Carolina include Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker. All of them visit backyard feeders in Apex.
When do birds start nesting in Apex?
Apex sits at a different latitude from North Carolina'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 Apex?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Apex, sunrise is around 6:43 AM in mid-April and 5:59 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — North Carolina
- 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.