British Columbia · 52.98°N

Birds of Quesnel

What has actually been seen around Quesnel: 228 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 228 within 6 mi
Observation records: 120,064 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 1,572 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.9 h / 7.6 h

What the records say about Quesnel

228 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Quesnel (British Columbia) since 2010, across 120,064 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Northern Flicker.

Quesnel is backyard-bird country: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Flicker and Dark-eyed Junco make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

23 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Osprey and Red-tailed Hawk.

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 5.9 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.

Williams Lake, 60 mi to the south, has more species on record (247 against 228). Birds logged far more often around Quesnel than there include Dark-eyed Junco, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker and Pileated Woodpecker.

Daylight runs from 16 h 56 min at midsummer to 7 h 34 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 AM in mid-April and 4:43 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Quesnel

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	6,757
2	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	6,111
3	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	4,976
4	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	4,933
5	American RobinTurdus migratorius	4,578
6	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	4,475
7	Common RavenCorvus corax	3,645
8	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	3,171
9	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	2,829
10	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	2,749
11	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	2,318
12	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	2,125
13	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	2,045
14	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	2,022
15	Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus	2,009
16	Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula	1,982
17	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	1,973
18	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	1,893
19	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	1,811
20	Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus	1,741

Records by month

What to put out in Quesnel

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Northern Flicker
Suet · Peanut hearts
Dark-eyed Junco
White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Peanut hearts

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 Quesnel?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Quesnel are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Flicker, Dark-eyed Junco and American Robin, based on 120,064 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Quesnel?

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

When is the best month for birds in Quesnel?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:43 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.