Birds of Lucan

206 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Lucan (Ontario) since 2010, across 46,966 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mourning Dove, Blue Jay and American Robin.

Lucan is backyard-bird country: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, American Robin 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 Bald Eagle. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders about 10 feet from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 4.6 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.

Ilderton, 7 mi to the south, has more species on record (227 against 206). Birds logged far more often around Lucan than there include Snowy Owl, Hen Harrier and Common Raven.

Daylight runs from 15 h 23 min at midsummer to 8 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:45 AM in mid-April and 5:45 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• Mourning Dove

  Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• American Crow

  Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• House Sparrow

  Millet · Cracked corn

• Ilderton7 mi south · 227 species
• South Huron11 mi north-west · 247 species
• Exeter12 mi north · 247 species
• St. Marys14 mi east · 235 species
• Parkhill14 mi west · 211 species
• Hensall18 mi north · 248 species