Ontario · 43.63°N

Birds of Acton

What has actually been seen around Acton: 232 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 232 within 6 mi
Observation records: 93,397 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 1,145 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.4 h / 8.9 h

What the records say about Acton

232 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Acton (Ontario) since 2010, across 93,397 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Blue Jay.

Acton is backyard-bird country: 85% 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, Blue Jay and American Goldfinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 6.1 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.

Rockwood, 5 mi to the west, has more species on record (254 against 232).

Daylight runs from 15 h 27 min at midsummer to 8 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:39 AM in mid-April and 5:38 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Acton

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	4,597
2	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	4,299
3	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	3,977
4	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	3,792
5	American RobinTurdus migratorius	3,704
6	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	3,522
7	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	2,974
8	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	2,583
9	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	2,522
10	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	2,226
11	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	2,136
12	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	2,087
13	Turkey VultureCathartes aura	1,892
14	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	1,822
15	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	1,815
16	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	1,747
17	Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus	1,571
18	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	1,438
19	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	1,355
20	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	1,281

Records by month

What to put out in Acton

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
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
American Goldfinch
Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Northern Cardinal
Black-oil sunflower · Safflower · Hulled sunflower chips

Seasonal bird notes for Ontario

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 Acton?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Acton are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch and American Robin, based on 93,397 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Acton?

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

When is the best month for birds in Acton?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:38 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.