Perch Supply
British Columbia · 48.45°N

Birds of Oak Bay

What has actually been seen around Oak Bay: 367 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record
367 within 6 mi
Observation records
2,484,768 since 2010
Most recorded bird
American Crow
Busiest month
April
Elevation
148 ft
Daylight, June / December
16.1 h / 8.3 h

What the records say about Oak Bay

367 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Oak Bay (British Columbia) since 2010, across 2,484,768 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Glaucous-winged Gull and Anna's Hummingbird.

Oak Bay is backyard-bird country: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Anna's Hummingbird, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and American Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in April and are lowest in July — about 2.1 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.

Esquimalt, 5 mi to the west, has more species on record (378 against 367).

Daylight runs from 16 h 7 min at midsummer to 8 h 18 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:24 AM in mid-April and 5:10 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Oak Bay

#BirdRecords
1American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos99,780
2Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens92,853
3Anna's HummingbirdCalypte anna90,323
4Chestnut-backed ChickadeePoecile rufescens81,449
5American RobinTurdus migratorius79,210
6Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus75,939
7House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus70,790
8Bewick's WrenThryomanes bewickii68,322
9Song SparrowMelospiza melodia66,794
10Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis63,197
11MallardAnas platyrhynchos58,084
12House SparrowPasser domesticus55,099
13Canada GooseBranta canadensis52,201
14Golden-crowned SparrowZonotrichia atricapilla47,603
15Northern FlickerColaptes auratus47,005
16Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis44,238
17Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens42,269
18European StarlingSturnus vulgaris41,720
19Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus36,684
20BushtitPsaltriparus minimus35,419

Records by month

What to put out in Oak Bay

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 Oak Bay?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Oak Bay are American Crow, Anna's Hummingbird, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin and Spotted Towhee, based on 2,484,768 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Oak Bay?

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

When is the best month for birds in Oak Bay?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 5:10 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.