British Columbia · 49.17°N

Birds of Gabriola

What has actually been seen around Gabriola: 287 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 287 within 6 mi
Observation records: 694,621 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Spotted Towhee
Busiest month: April
Elevation: 312 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.2 h / 8.2 h

What the records say about Gabriola

287 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Gabriola (British Columbia) since 2010, across 694,621 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Spotted Towhee, American Robin and Song Sparrow.

Gabriola is backyard-bird country: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Song Sparrow and Anna's Hummingbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in April and are lowest in August — about 2.3 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.

Cedar, 4 mi to the south, has fewer species on record (274 against 287).

Daylight runs from 16 h 14 min at midsummer to 8 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 AM in mid-April and 5:09 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Gabriola

#	Bird	Records
1	Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus	24,460
2	American RobinTurdus migratorius	23,963
3	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	22,496
4	Anna's HummingbirdCalypte anna	21,095
5	Chestnut-backed ChickadeePoecile rufescens	20,337
6	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	19,145
7	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	19,131
8	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	17,753
9	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	17,247
10	Common RavenCorvus corax	16,798
11	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	15,811
12	Great Blue HeronArdea herodias	15,370
13	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	15,032
14	Bewick's WrenThryomanes bewickii	13,873
15	Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens	13,785
16	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	12,964
17	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	12,292
18	House SparrowPasser domesticus	11,323
19	Golden-crowned SparrowZonotrichia atricapilla	10,159
20	BuffleheadBucephala albeola	10,078

Records by month

What to put out in Gabriola

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

Spotted Towhee
Millet · Sunflower chips
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Anna's Hummingbird
Sugar water: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet
Dark-eyed Junco
White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

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 Gabriola?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Gabriola are Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Anna's Hummingbird and Chestnut-backed Chickadee, based on 694,621 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Gabriola?

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

When is the best month for birds in Gabriola?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 5:09 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.