Northwest Territories · 61.86°N

Birds of Fort Simpson

What has actually been seen around Fort Simpson: 195 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 195 within 6 mi
Observation records: 14,812 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Common Raven
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 436 ft
Daylight, June / December: 19.7 h / 5.2 h

What the records say about Fort Simpson

195 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Fort Simpson (Northwest Territories) since 2010, across 14,812 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee and Common Redpoll.

Fort Simpson is backyard-bird country: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Common Redpoll and House Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Merlin and Bald Eagle.

Records peak in May and are lowest in March — about 13.5 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.

Behchokǫ̀, 182 mi to the north-east, has fewer species on record (131 against 195). Birds logged far more often around Fort Simpson than there include Black-capped Chickadee, House Sparrow, Pine Grosbeak and American Crow.

Daylight runs from 19 h 41 min at midsummer to 5 h 13 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:45 AM in mid-April and 4:16 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Fort Simpson

#	Bird	Records
1	Common RavenCorvus corax	1,316
2	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	662
3	Common RedpollAcanthis flammea	642
4	House SparrowPasser domesticus	639
5	Pine GrosbeakPinicola enucleator	543
6	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	526
7	American RobinTurdus migratorius	525
8	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	385
9	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	313
10	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	295
11	Canada JayPerisoreus canadensis	258
12	Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina	253
13	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	239
14	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	230
15	Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus	216
16	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	195
17	American WigeonMareca americana	183
18	White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys	182
19	Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor	167
20	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	166

Records by month

What to put out in Fort Simpson

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

Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Common Redpoll
Nyjer · Hulled sunflower
House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
Pine Grosbeak
Black-oil sunflower · Hulled sunflower
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

Seasonal bird notes for Northwest Territories

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 Fort Simpson?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Fort Simpson are Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Common Redpoll, House Sparrow and Pine Grosbeak, based on 14,812 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Fort Simpson?

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

When is the best month for birds in Fort Simpson?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 4:16 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.