Backyard birds in Richmond, Virginia
Which birds visit Richmond yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Richmond's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 37.554°, -77.460°
- Population
- 226,610
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 46 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 34 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:36 AM / 5:48 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 5b–8a
Nesting timing in Richmond
The state guides give nesting windows for Virginia as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 37.6°N). Richmond is at 37.6°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. Richmond goes from 9 h 34 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 46 min in June, a 5 h 12 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 April–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 April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
Birds you can expect in Richmond
Year-round residents (57)
Northern Cardinals, Eastern Bluebirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Carolina Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatchs, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Field Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Gooses, Killdeers, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Barn Owls, Horned Larks, Brown-headed Nuthatchs, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (49)
Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Pine Warblers, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Spotted Sandpipers, American Woodcocks, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Ospreys, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos
Winter visitors (22)
Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Winter Wrens, Red Crossbills, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Swamp Sparrows, White-winged Crossbills, Rusty Blackbirds
Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Richmond
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Richmond, sunrise is around 6:36 AM in mid-April, 5:48 AM at the June solstice and 7:20 AM in late December (local time, America/New York). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Richmond yards
Fall fruit.
High-fat red berries and caterpillar host.
Winter fruit.
Nectar and small fruit.
Winter cover.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Nearby cities in Virginia
- Tuckahoe — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Richmond
- Mechanicsville — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Richmond
- Highland Springs — 7 mi away, nesting about the same time as Richmond
- Meadowbrook — 7 mi away, nesting about the same time as Richmond
- Short Pump — 11 mi away, nesting about the same time as Richmond
- Midlothian — 11 mi away, nesting about the same time as Richmond
Frequently asked
What birds live in Richmond all year?
Year-round residents across Virginia include Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker. All of them visit backyard feeders in Richmond.
When do birds start nesting in Richmond?
Richmond sits at about the same latitude as Virginia'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 Richmond?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Richmond, sunrise is around 6:36 AM in mid-April and 5:48 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Virginia
- 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.