Backyard birds in Ada, Oklahoma
Which birds visit Ada yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Ada's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 34.775°, -96.678°
- Population
- 17,303
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 30 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 49 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:56 AM / 6:13 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 6a–8a
Nesting timing in Ada
The state guides give nesting windows for Oklahoma as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 35.6°N). Ada is at 34.8°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Ada goes from 9 h 49 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 30 min in June, a 4 h 40 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)
- Carolina Chickadee — state window April–June; 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 April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- 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
- Blue Jay — state window April–July
Birds you can expect in Ada
Year-round residents (36)
Northern Cardinals, Eastern Bluebirds, Carolina Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatchs, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Phoebes, Pine Warblers, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Bushtits, Juniper Titmice, Black-crested Titmice, Canyon Towhees, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Curve-billed Thrashers, Bewick's Wrens, Eurasian Collared-Doves
Summer breeders (19)
Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Lesser Goldfinchs, Say's Phoebes, Bullock's Orioles
Winter visitors (16)
American Goldfinchs, Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Tree Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Mountain Bluebirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows
Mild winters with occasional severe ice storms.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Ada
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Ada, sunrise is around 6:56 AM in mid-April, 6:13 AM at the June solstice and 7:29 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Ada yards
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.
Nearby cities in Oklahoma
- Shawnee — 41 mi away, nesting about the same time as Ada
- Ardmore — 49 mi away, nesting about the same time as Ada
- McAlester — 53 mi away, nesting about the same time as Ada
- Norman — 53 mi away, nesting about the same time as Ada
- Durant — 57 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Ada
- Moore — 60 mi away, nesting about the same time as Ada
Frequently asked
What birds live in Ada all year?
Year-round residents across Oklahoma include Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker. All of them visit backyard feeders in Ada.
When do birds start nesting in Ada?
Ada sits at a different latitude from Oklahoma's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 3 days earlier 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 Ada?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Ada, sunrise is around 6:56 AM in mid-April and 6:13 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Oklahoma
- 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.