Ontario · 42.18°N

Birds of Essex

What has actually been seen around Essex: 253 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 253 within 6 mi
Observation records: 86,217 since 2010
Most recorded bird: House Sparrow
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 650 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.3 h / 9.1 h

What the records say about Essex

253 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Essex (Ontario) since 2010, across 86,217 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are House Sparrow, Mourning Dove and Canada Goose.

Essex is backyard-bird country: 64% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, American Robin and European Starling 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 8.1 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.

Belle River, 10 mi to the north-east, has fewer species on record (229 against 253). Birds logged far more often around Essex than there include Wood Duck, Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper.

Daylight runs from 15 h 16 min at midsummer to 9 h 6 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:52 AM in mid-April and 5:54 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Essex

#	Bird	Records
1	House SparrowPasser domesticus	3,502
2	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	3,466
3	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	3,058
4	American RobinTurdus migratorius	2,898
5	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	2,889
6	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	2,859
7	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	2,756
8	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	2,667
9	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	2,564
10	KilldeerCharadrius vociferus	2,435
11	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	2,226
12	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	2,213
13	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	1,986
14	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	1,979
15	Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor	1,895
16	Wood DuckAix sponsa	1,367
17	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	1,356
18	Turkey VultureCathartes aura	1,283
19	Great Blue HeronArdea herodias	1,262
20	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	1,261

Records by month

What to put out in Essex

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

House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
Mourning Dove
Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
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 Essex?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Essex are House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, American Robin, European Starling and Blue Jay, based on 86,217 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Essex?

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

When is the best month for birds in Essex?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:54 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.