Ontario · 42.98°N

Birds of Dorchester

What has actually been seen around Dorchester: 234 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 234 within 6 mi
Observation records: 77,791 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Northern Cardinal
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 853 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.4 h / 9 h

What the records say about Dorchester

234 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Dorchester (Ontario) since 2010, across 77,791 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Northern Cardinal, American Robin and Mourning Dove.

Dorchester is backyard-bird country: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Mourning Dove and American Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 4.7 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.

Thamesford, 6 mi to the north-east, has fewer species on record (216 against 234). Birds logged far more often around Dorchester than there include Eastern Meadowlark and Northern Mockingbird.

Daylight runs from 15 h 22 min at midsummer to 9 h 0 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:44 AM in mid-April and 5:44 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Dorchester

#	Bird	Records
1	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	3,543
2	American RobinTurdus migratorius	3,502
3	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	3,433
4	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	3,015
5	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	2,967
6	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	2,904
7	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	2,887
8	House SparrowPasser domesticus	2,644
9	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	2,643
10	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	2,632
11	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	2,495
12	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	2,291
13	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	2,216
14	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	2,124
15	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	1,693
16	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	1,620
17	KilldeerCharadrius vociferus	1,509
18	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	1,447
19	Turkey VultureCathartes aura	1,291
20	Great Blue HeronArdea herodias	1,042

Records by month

What to put out in Dorchester

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

Northern Cardinal
Black-oil sunflower · Safflower · Hulled sunflower chips
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Mourning Dove
Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
American Goldfinch
Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower
Red-winged Blackbird
Cracked corn · Millet · Sunflower

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 Dorchester?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Dorchester are Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Mourning Dove, American Crow and American Goldfinch, based on 77,791 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Dorchester?

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

When is the best month for birds in Dorchester?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:44 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.