Backyard birds in Gillette, Wyoming
Which birds visit Gillette yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Gillette's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 44.291°, -105.502°
- Population
- 32,649
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 32 min
- December 21 daylight
- 8 h 51 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:19 AM / 5:17 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 8 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 3a–5b
Nesting timing in Gillette
The state guides give nesting windows for Wyoming as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 42.4°N). Gillette is at 44.3°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 8 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Gillette goes from 8 h 51 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 32 min in June, a 6 h 40 min swing.
- 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
- Mourning Dove — state window April–September
- American Robin — state window May–July
Birds you can expect in Gillette
Year-round residents (59)
Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Bushtits, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Cassin's Finchs, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red Crossbills, Black-throated Sparrows, Pinyon Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers, Western Screech-Owls, Band-tailed Pigeons, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Merlins, Peregrine Falcons, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Lewis's Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Horned Larks, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs, Brewer's Blackbirds, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (57)
American Goldfinchs, House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Lesser Goldfinchs, Spotted Towhees, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Pine Grosbeaks, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Lark Sparrows, Green-tailed Towhees, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Yellow-breasted Chats, Orange-crowned Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Least Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Burrowing Owls, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds
Winter visitors (8)
Common Redpolls, American Tree Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Common Redpolls, White-winged Crossbills, Bohemian Waxwings
Cold, very windy winters.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Gillette
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Gillette, sunrise is around 6:19 AM in mid-April, 5:17 AM at the June solstice and 7:34 AM in late December (local time, America/Denver). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Gillette yards
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Nearby cities in Wyoming
- Sheridan — 80 mi away, nesting about the same time as Gillette
- Casper — 106 mi away, nesting roughly 6 days earlier than Gillette
- Laramie — 206 mi away, nesting roughly 12 days earlier than Gillette
- Cheyenne — 220 mi away, nesting roughly 13 days earlier than Gillette
- Rock Springs — 264 mi away, nesting roughly 11 days earlier than Gillette
Frequently asked
What birds live in Gillette all year?
Year-round residents across Wyoming include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay. All of them visit backyard feeders in Gillette.
When do birds start nesting in Gillette?
Gillette sits at a different latitude from Wyoming's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 8 days later 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 Gillette?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Gillette, sunrise is around 6:19 AM in mid-April and 5:17 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Wyoming
- 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.