Ontario · 43.53°N

Birds of St. Jacobs

What has actually been seen around St. Jacobs: 280 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 280 within 6 mi
Observation records: 646,380 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 1,129 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.4 h / 8.9 h

What the records say about St. Jacobs

280 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of St. Jacobs (Ontario) since 2010, across 646,380 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Northern Cardinal.

St. Jacobs is backyard-bird country: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Cardinal and American Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 5.4 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.

St. Clements, 5 mi to the west, has fewer species on record (267 against 280).

Daylight runs from 15 h 26 min at midsummer to 8 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:41 AM in mid-April and 5:40 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near St. Jacobs

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	30,897
2	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	28,687
3	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	28,129
4	American RobinTurdus migratorius	25,507
5	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	23,899
6	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	23,825
7	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	22,566
8	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	20,298
9	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	19,152
10	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	18,541
11	House SparrowPasser domesticus	17,665
12	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	17,556
13	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	16,866
14	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	16,271
15	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	14,404
16	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	12,852
17	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	11,845
18	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	11,522
19	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	10,658
20	Turkey VultureCathartes aura	9,956

Records by month

What to put out in St. Jacobs

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Northern Cardinal
Black-oil sunflower · Safflower · Hulled sunflower chips
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
American Goldfinch
Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower
Mourning Dove
Millet · Cracked corn · 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 St. Jacobs?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of St. Jacobs are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, American Robin and American Goldfinch, based on 646,380 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near St. Jacobs?

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

When is the best month for birds in St. Jacobs?

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.