Perch Supply
British Columbia · 49.53°N

Birds of Hornby Island

What has actually been seen around Hornby Island: 238 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record
238 within 6 mi
Observation records
164,734 since 2010
Most recorded bird
Spotted Towhee
Busiest month
October
Elevation
246 ft
Daylight, June / December
16.3 h / 8.1 h

What the records say about Hornby Island

238 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Hornby Island (British Columbia) since 2010, across 164,734 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Spotted Towhee, Glaucous-winged Gull and Bald Eagle.

Water shapes this list. 44% of records near Hornby Island are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Loon and Harlequin Duck lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Spotted Towhee is still the most logged backyard bird.

15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle and Turkey Vulture.

Records peak in October and are lowest in November — about 1.7 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.

Denman Island Trust Area, 6 mi to the west, has fewer species on record (229 against 238). Birds logged far more often around Hornby Island than there include Band-tailed Pigeon.

Daylight runs from 16 h 18 min at midsummer to 8 h 9 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:28 AM in mid-April and 5:11 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Hornby Island

#BirdRecords
1Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus5,001
2Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens4,980
3Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus4,909
4Song SparrowMelospiza melodia4,707
5American RobinTurdus migratorius4,308
6Chestnut-backed ChickadeePoecile rufescens4,052
7Common RavenCorvus corax4,014
8Common LoonGavia immer3,567
9Harlequin DuckHistrionicus histrionicus3,355
10Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata3,342
11Northern FlickerColaptes auratus3,301
12Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis3,197
13Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena3,159
14American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos3,017
15Anna's HummingbirdCalypte anna2,696
16Horned GrebePodiceps auritus2,688
17White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys2,665
18Great Blue HeronArdea herodias2,627
19Pelagic CormorantPhalacrocorax pelagicus2,597
20White-winged ScoterMelanitta deglandi2,563

Records by month

What to put out in Hornby Island

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

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 Hornby Island?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Hornby Island are Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, American Robin, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Common Raven, based on 164,734 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Hornby Island?

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

When is the best month for birds in Hornby Island?

Observation records peak in October and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:11 AM.

Sources

  1. GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
  2. GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)

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.