Birds of Quinte West

243 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Quinte West (Ontario) since 2010, across 90,145 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Dove and Blue Jay.

Quinte West 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, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay and American Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in January — about 3.5 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.

Stirling, 13 mi to the north, has fewer species on record (213 against 243). Birds logged far more often around Quinte West than there include Mute Swan, Double-crested Cormorant, American Herring Gull and House Finch.

Daylight runs from 15 h 30 min at midsummer to 8 h 52 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:28 AM in mid-April and 5:26 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

• 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 Goldfinch

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

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Cracked corn · Millet · Sunflower

• Stirling13 mi north · 213 species
• Campbellford18 mi north-west · 208 species
• Picton22 mi east · 249 species
• Marmora27 mi north · 182 species
• Deseronto27 mi east · 223 species
• Norwood28 mi north-west · 226 species