Backyard birds in Thetford-Mines, Quebec
Which birds visit Thetford-Mines yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Thetford-Mines's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 46.094°, -71.305°
- Population
- 25,704
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 46 min
- December 21 daylight
- 8 h 38 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:00 AM / 4:53 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- Canada 0a–5b
Nesting timing in Thetford-Mines
The state guides give nesting windows for Quebec as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 46.0°N). Thetford-Mines is at 46.1°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. Thetford-Mines goes from 8 h 38 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 46 min in June, a 7 h 8 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
- Downy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window August–September
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window June–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- Blue Jay — state window May–July
- House Finch — state window May–August
Birds you can expect in Thetford-Mines
Year-round residents (20)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Canada Jays
Summer breeders (28)
Eastern Bluebirds, American Goldfinchs, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, American Robins, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warblers, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows
Winter visitors (2)
Long, cold, snowy winters.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Thetford-Mines
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Thetford-Mines, sunrise is around 6:00 AM in mid-April, 4:53 AM at the June solstice and 7:24 AM in late December (local time, America/Toronto). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Thetford-Mines yards
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
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.
Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.
Nearby cities in Quebec
- Saint-Georges — 31 mi away, nesting about the same time as Thetford-Mines
- Victoriaville — 32 mi away, nesting about the same time as Thetford-Mines
- Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures — 45 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days later than Thetford-Mines
- Québec — 50 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days later than Thetford-Mines
- La Haute-Saint-Charles — 55 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days later than Thetford-Mines
- Sherbrooke — 56 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Thetford-Mines
Frequently asked
What birds live in Thetford-Mines all year?
Year-round residents across Quebec include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Thetford-Mines.
When do birds start nesting in Thetford-Mines?
Thetford-Mines sits at about the same latitude as Quebec'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 Thetford-Mines?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Thetford-Mines, sunrise is around 6:00 AM in mid-April and 4:53 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Quebec
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- 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.