Perch Supply
Washington · 47.17°N

Backyard birds in Lakewood, Washington

Which birds visit Lakewood yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Lakewood's own coordinates.

Black-capped Chickadee perched on a bare branch
Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates
47.172°, -122.518°
Population
59,829
June 21 daylight
15 h 55 min
December 21 daylight
8 h 29 min
Sunrise mid-April / late June
6:23 AM / 5:13 AM
Nesting vs state average
about the same time as the state-wide average
Hardiness zones (state)
USDA 4a–9a

Nesting timing in Lakewood

The state guides give nesting windows for Washington as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 47.3°N). Lakewood is at 47.2°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. Lakewood goes from 8 h 29 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 55 min in June, a 7 h 26 min swing.

Birds you can expect in Lakewood

Year-round residents (73)

Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow-rumped Warblers, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Anna's Hummingbirds, Cassin's Finchs, Spotted Towhees, California Quail, Bewick's Wrens, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Varied Thrushs, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Winter Wrens, Red Crossbills, Clark's Nutcrackers, Western Screech-Owls, Hooded Mergansers, Band-tailed Pigeons, Canada Gooses, American Coots, Killdeers, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Barn Owls, Lewis's Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, White-headed Woodpeckers, Horned Larks, Brewer's Blackbirds, Rock Pigeons

Summer breeders (42)

Purple Martins, House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Rufous Hummingbirds, Lesser Goldfinchs, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Lark Sparrows, Green-tailed Towhees, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-breasted Chats, Orange-crowned Warblers, Warbling Vireos, Western Kingbirds, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Spotted Sandpipers, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Ospreys, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Mild, wet winters on the Puget Sound; cold winters in the east.

When to watch: dawn chorus in Lakewood

Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Lakewood, sunrise is around 6:23 AM in mid-April, 5:13 AM at the June solstice and 7:53 AM in late December (local time, America/Los Angeles). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.

Native plants for Lakewood yards

Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa · Perennial

Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.

Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.

Common sunflower
Helianthus annuus · Perennial

Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.

Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium · Perennial

Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.

Tall goldenrod
Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Paper birch
Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Rocky Mountain juniper
Juniperus scopulorum · Tree

Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.

Nearby cities in Washington

  • Tacoma — 7 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lakewood
  • South Hill — 12 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lakewood
  • Graham — 13 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lakewood
  • Federal Way — 14 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lakewood
  • Kent — 20 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lakewood
  • Olympia — 20 mi away, nesting about the same time as Lakewood

Frequently asked

What birds live in Lakewood all year?

Year-round residents across Washington include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Lakewood.

When do birds start nesting in Lakewood?

Lakewood sits at about the same latitude as Washington'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 Lakewood?

Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Lakewood, sunrise is around 6:23 AM in mid-April and 5:13 AM in late June.

Sources

  1. eBird region overview and bar charts — Washington
  2. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
  3. Audubon Native Plants Database
  4. GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
  5. 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.