Ontario · 44.44°N

Birds of Port Elgin

What has actually been seen around Port Elgin: 268 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 268 within 6 mi
Observation records: 165,975 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 659 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.5 h / 8.8 h

What the records say about Port Elgin

268 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Port Elgin (Ontario) since 2010, across 165,975 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay and American Robin.

Port Elgin is backyard-bird country: 74% 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, 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 and Bald Eagle.

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 38.6 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.

Kincardine, 21 mi to the south-west, has more species on record (278 against 268). Birds logged far more often around Port Elgin than there include Ovenbird, Veery, Northern Waterthrush and Great Egret.

Daylight runs from 15 h 33 min at midsummer to 8 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:43 AM in mid-April and 5:40 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Port Elgin

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	5,190
2	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	4,956
3	American RobinTurdus migratorius	4,917
4	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	4,745
5	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	4,180
6	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	4,026
7	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	3,596
8	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	3,525
9	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	3,515
10	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	3,304
11	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	3,282
12	American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla	3,265
13	Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus	2,897
14	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	2,772
15	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	2,591
16	Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas	2,591
17	American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus	2,507
18	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	2,497
19	Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis	2,199
20	Turkey VultureCathartes aura	2,148

Records by month

What to put out in Port Elgin

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
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
American Goldfinch
Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower

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 Port Elgin?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Port Elgin are Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Robin, American Crow and Song Sparrow, based on 165,975 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Port Elgin?

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

When is the best month for birds in Port Elgin?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:40 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.