Birds of Shawnigan Lake

210 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Shawnigan Lake (British Columbia) since 2010, across 58,389 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco and Spotted Towhee.

Shawnigan Lake is backyard-bird country: 72% 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, Spotted Towhee and Chestnut-backed Chickadee make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in August — about 3.4 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.

Mill Bay, 4 mi to the east, has more species on record (251 against 210).

Daylight runs from 16 h 9 min at midsummer to 8 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 AM in mid-April and 5:11 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

• Spotted Towhee

  Millet · Sunflower chips

• Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• Common Raven

  Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Song Sparrow

  Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Mill Bay4 mi east · 251 species
• Cowichan Bay6 mi north · 261 species
• Deep Cove8 mi east · 268 species
• Duncan10 mi north · 256 species
• Brentwood Bay10 mi south-east · 306 species
• Saanichton11 mi east · 303 species