Ontario · 46.02°N

Birds of Chalk River

What has actually been seen around Chalk River: 184 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 184 within 6 mi
Observation records: 11,982 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 528 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.8 h / 8.6 h

What the records say about Chalk River

184 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Chalk River (Ontario) since 2010, across 11,982 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay and American Robin.

Chalk River is backyard-bird country: 89% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Robin and Red-breasted Nuthatch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Broad-winged Hawk and Turkey Vulture.

Records peak in June and are lowest in March — about 51.7 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.

Deep River, 6 mi to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (180 against 184). Birds logged far more often around Chalk River than there include Mourning Warbler and Canada Warbler.

Daylight runs from 15 h 45 min at midsummer to 8 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 AM in mid-April and 5:18 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Chalk River

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	416
2	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	373
3	American RobinTurdus migratorius	322
4	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	301
5	Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus	285
6	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	278
7	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	247
8	OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla	245
9	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	243
10	Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica	234
11	Common RavenCorvus corax	231
12	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	220
13	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	202
14	Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus	197
15	Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius	191
16	Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas	189
17	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	189
18	VeeryCatharus fuscescens	188
19	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	183
20	Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapilla	179

Records by month

What to put out in Chalk River

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Peanut hearts
Red-eyed Vireo
None — mature deciduous trees are the draw
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

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 Chalk River?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Chalk River are Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Robin, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Red-eyed Vireo, based on 11,982 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Chalk River?

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

When is the best month for birds in Chalk River?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 5:18 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.