Birds of Ellison

306 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Ellison (British Columbia) since 2010, across 432,516 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Northern Flicker and Black-billed Magpie.

Ellison is backyard-bird country: 60% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Northern Flicker, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin and European Starling make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

29 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle.

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 5.0 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

West Kelowna, 11 mi to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (302 against 306). Birds logged far more often around Ellison than there include Ruddy Duck, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Redhead and Black-necked Grebe.

Daylight runs from 16 h 22 min at midsummer to 8 h 5 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 AM in mid-April and 4:47 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

• Northern Flicker

  Suet · Peanut hearts

• Black-billed Magpie

  Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• Song Sparrow

  Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• House Finch

  Black-oil sunflower · Hulled sunflower · Nyjer

• West Kelowna11 mi south-west · 302 species
• Oyama13 mi north · 246 species
• Peachland20 mi south-west · 238 species
• Coldstream21 mi north · 257 species
• Lavington24 mi north-east · 201 species
• Naramata25 mi south-west · 259 species