Birds of Maple Bay

263 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Maple Bay (British Columbia) since 2010, across 447,004 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco and Chestnut-backed Chickadee.

Maple Bay is backyard-bird country: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Spotted Towhee make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in December and are lowest in August — about 2.2 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.

Crofton, 4 mi to the north-west, has fewer species on record (248 against 263). Birds logged far more often around Maple Bay than there include Mute Swan.

Daylight runs from 16 h 11 min at midsummer to 8 h 15 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 AM in mid-April and 5:10 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• Dark-eyed Junco

  White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• Spotted Towhee

  Millet · Sunflower chips

• Anna's Hummingbird

  Sugar water: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• Crofton4 mi north-west · 248 species
• Duncan4 mi south-west · 256 species
• Cowichan Bay6 mi south · 261 species
• Ganges6 mi north-east · 217 species
• Chemainus8 mi north-west · 222 species
• Saltair11 mi north-west · 218 species