Birds of Perth

220 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Perth (Ontario) since 2010, across 72,083 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay and Mourning Dove.

Perth is backyard-bird country: 83% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove and American Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

21 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Turkey Vulture and Osprey.

Records peak in May and are lowest in January — about 5.8 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.

Smiths Falls, 11 mi to the east, has a similar number of species on record (221 against 220). Birds logged far more often around Perth than there include Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Daylight runs from 15 h 36 min at midsummer to 8 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:22 AM in mid-April and 5:18 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• Mourning Dove

  Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• American Goldfinch

  Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower

• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Black-oil sunflower · Shelled peanuts · Suet

• Smiths Falls11 mi east · 221 species
• Carleton Place17 mi north · 247 species
• Sharbot Lake23 mi west · 186 species
• Mississippi Mills23 mi north · 248 species
• Athens24 mi south-east · 195 species
• Munster24 mi north-east · 238 species