British Columbia · 54.46°N

Birds of Fort St. James

What has actually been seen around Fort St. James: 185 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 185 within 6 mi
Observation records: 5,967 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 2,316 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17.3 h / 7.3 h

What the records say about Fort St. James

185 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Fort St. James (British Columbia) since 2010, across 5,967 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin and American Crow.

Fort St. James is backyard-bird country: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, American Crow and Dark-eyed Junco make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Hen Harrier and Osprey.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 25.0 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.

Vanderhoof, 32 mi to the south, has more species on record (199 against 185). Birds logged far more often around Fort St. James than there include Rufous Hummingbird, American Dusky Flycatcher, Purple Finch and Ruffed Grouse.

At about 2,316 ft above sea level, Fort St. James sits higher than most places in British Columbia. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter and early spring.

Daylight runs from 17 h 15 min at midsummer to 7 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 AM in mid-April and 4:40 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Fort St. James

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	294
2	American RobinTurdus migratorius	220
3	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	200
4	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	179
5	Common RavenCorvus corax	171
6	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	163
7	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	160
8	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	146
9	Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula	134
10	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	129
11	Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus	126
12	Warbling VireoVireo gilvus	125
13	Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor	111
14	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	109
15	Violet-green SwallowTachycineta thalassina	105
16	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	101
17	American Dusky FlycatcherEmpidonax oberholseri	92
18	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	88
19	Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus	87
20	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	86

Records by month

What to put out in Fort St. James

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Dark-eyed Junco
White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Peanut hearts

Seasonal bird notes for British Columbia

What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for Canadian backyards. One email a month at most.

Nearby places

Frequently asked

What birds visit backyards in Fort St. James?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Fort St. James are Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, American Crow, Dark-eyed Junco and Common Raven, based on 5,967 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Fort St. James?

185 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Fort St. James?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40 AM.

Sources

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.