Ontario · 43.10°N

Birds of Forest

What has actually been seen around Forest: 275 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 275 within 6 mi
Observation records: 69,537 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Mallard
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 725 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.4 h / 9 h

What the records say about Forest

275 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Forest (Ontario) since 2010, across 69,537 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Red-winged Blackbird and Canada Goose.

Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Forest are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Canada Goose and Killdeer lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Red-winged Blackbird is still the most logged backyard bird.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 26.5 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.

Lambton Shores, 6 mi to the north-east, has more species on record (306 against 275). Birds logged far more often around Forest than there include Ruddy Duck, Marsh Wren, Pectoral Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Daylight runs from 15 h 23 min at midsummer to 8 h 60 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:47 AM in mid-April and 5:48 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Forest

#	Bird	Records
1	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	1,683
2	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	1,655
3	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	1,607
4	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	1,527
5	KilldeerCharadrius vociferus	1,508
6	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	1,448
7	American RobinTurdus migratorius	1,351
8	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	1,331
9	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	1,329
10	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	1,214
11	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	1,214
12	Turkey VultureCathartes aura	1,192
13	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	1,173
14	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	1,101
15	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	1,016
16	Eurasian TealAnas crecca	985
17	American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus	956
18	Wood DuckAix sponsa	902
19	Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor	885
20	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	865

Records by month

What to put out in Forest

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

Red-winged Blackbird
Cracked corn · Millet · Sunflower
Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Mourning Dove
Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower
European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn

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 Forest?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Forest are Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, American Crow, American Robin and Mourning Dove, based on 69,537 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Forest?

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

When is the best month for birds in Forest?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 5:48 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.