Ontario · 42.90°N

Birds of Fort Erie

What has actually been seen around Fort Erie: 317 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 317 within 6 mi
Observation records: 866,649 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Ring-billed Gull
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 600 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.4 h / 9 h

What the records say about Fort Erie

317 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Fort Erie (Ontario) since 2010, across 866,649 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Ring-billed Gull, Canada Goose and Mallard.

The records split between backyard birds (59%) and waterbirds (36%), so a feeder in Fort Erie sees the familiar American Robin, European Starling and American Crow, while Ring-billed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 6.6 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.

Crystal Beach, 7 mi to the west, has fewer species on record (268 against 317). Birds logged far more often around Fort Erie than there include Belted Kingfisher, Osprey, Rock Pigeon and Greater Scaup.

Daylight runs from 15 h 21 min at midsummer to 9 h 1 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:35 AM in mid-April and 5:36 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Fort Erie

#	Bird	Records
1	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	31,599
2	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	30,943
3	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	28,354
4	American RobinTurdus migratorius	24,048
5	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	23,551
6	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	22,984
7	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	22,692
8	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	22,165
9	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	19,569
10	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	18,746
11	Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus	16,346
12	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	16,056
13	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	15,898
14	American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus	15,719
15	House SparrowPasser domesticus	13,650
16	Great Blue HeronArdea herodias	12,862
17	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	11,994
18	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	11,661
19	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	11,237
20	BuffleheadBucephala albeola	10,726

Records by month

What to put out in Fort Erie

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

American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Northern Cardinal
Black-oil sunflower · Safflower · Hulled sunflower chips
Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · 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 Fort Erie?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Fort Erie are American Robin, European Starling, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and Northern Cardinal, based on 866,649 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Fort Erie?

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

When is the best month for birds in Fort Erie?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 5:36 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.