Birds of Prince Rupert
What has actually been seen around Prince Rupert: 202 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 202 within 6 mi
- Observation records
- 58,794 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Raven
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 85 ft
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.2 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Prince Rupert
202 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Prince Rupert (British Columbia) since 2010, across 58,794 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Raven, American Crow and Bald Eagle.
Prince Rupert is backyard-bird country: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Common Raven, American Crow, European Starling and Steller's Jay make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle and Sharp-shinned Hawk. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders about 10 feet from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 2.5 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.
Kitimat, 70 mi to the east, has more species on record (236 against 202). Birds logged far more often around Prince Rupert than there include European Starling, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Townsend's Warbler and Rock Pigeon.
Daylight runs from 17 h 13 min at midsummer to 7 h 19 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:41 AM in mid-April and 5:06 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Prince Rupert
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 3,855 |
| 2 | American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos | 3,597 |
| 3 | Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus | 3,530 |
| 4 | European StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 3,097 |
| 5 | Steller's JayCyanocitta stelleri | 2,545 |
| 6 | Song SparrowMelospiza melodia | 2,445 |
| 7 | Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis | 2,395 |
| 8 | American RobinTurdus migratorius | 2,352 |
| 9 | Chestnut-backed ChickadeePoecile rufescens | 2,200 |
| 10 | Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens | 1,805 |
| 11 | Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 1,572 |
| 12 | Varied ThrushIxoreus naevius | 1,473 |
| 13 | Townsend's WarblerSetophaga townsendi | 1,100 |
| 14 | Short-billed GullLarus brachyrhynchus | 1,096 |
| 15 | Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon | 1,093 |
| 16 | Golden-crowned SparrowZonotrichia atricapilla | 1,075 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,070 |
| 18 | Pacific WrenTroglodytes pacificus | 1,024 |
| 19 | Pine SiskinSpinus pinus | 998 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 977 |
Records by month
What to put out in Prince Rupert
Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.
- Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
- American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
- European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
- Steller's Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
- Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
- 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 Prince Rupert?
The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Prince Rupert are Common Raven, American Crow, European Starling, Steller's Jay and Song Sparrow, based on 58,794 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Prince Rupert?
202 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Prince Rupert?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:06 AM.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- 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.