Birds of Witless Bay
What has actually been seen around Witless Bay: 220 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 220 within 6 mi
- Observation records
- 44,086 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- American Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 154 ft
- Daylight, June / December
- 15.9 h / 8.5 h
What the records say about Witless Bay
220 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Witless Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador) since 2010, across 44,086 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Herring Gull, American Crow and Great Black-backed Gull.
Water shapes this list. 60% of records near Witless Bay are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. American Crow is still the most logged backyard bird.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle and Osprey.
Records peak in July and are lowest in December — about 11.5 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.
Goulds, 12 mi to the north, has more species on record (261 against 220). Birds logged far more often around Witless Bay than there include Great Black-backed Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Atlantic Puffin and Black Guillemot.
Daylight runs from 15 h 56 min at midsummer to 8 h 28 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 AM in mid-April and 5:04 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Witless Bay
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus | 3,553 |
| 2 | American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos | 2,120 |
| 3 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 2,102 |
| 4 | Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla | 2,102 |
| 5 | Atlantic PuffinFratercula arctica | 2,057 |
| 6 | Black GuillemotCepphus grylle | 1,620 |
| 7 | Common MurreUria aalge | 1,599 |
| 8 | Common LoonGavia immer | 1,528 |
| 9 | Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis | 1,495 |
| 10 | European StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,386 |
| 11 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 1,194 |
| 12 | RazorbillAlca torda | 1,100 |
| 13 | American RobinTurdus migratorius | 1,078 |
| 14 | Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus | 920 |
| 15 | Common TernSterna hirundo | 844 |
| 16 | Song SparrowMelospiza melodia | 820 |
| 17 | American Black DuckAnas rubripes | 785 |
| 18 | Brunnich's GuillemotUria lomvia | 776 |
| 19 | Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus | 761 |
| 20 | American GoldfinchSpinus tristis | 698 |
Records by month
What to put out in Witless Bay
Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.
- American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
- Dark-eyed Junco
White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
- European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
- American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
- Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
- Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Seasonal bird notes for Newfoundland and Labrador
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 Witless Bay?
The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Witless Bay are American Crow, Dark-eyed Junco, European Starling, American Robin and Song Sparrow, based on 44,086 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Witless Bay?
220 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Witless Bay?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:04 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.