Birds of Stirling

213 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Stirling (Ontario) since 2010, across 34,373 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee and Blue Jay.

Stirling is backyard-bird country: 87% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay and White-breasted Nuthatch 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 American Kestrel.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 4.3 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.

Campbellford, 12 mi to the west, has fewer species on record (208 against 213). Birds logged far more often around Stirling than there include Red-breasted Nuthatch and American Tree Sparrow.

Daylight runs from 15 h 32 min at midsummer to 8 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:28 AM in mid-April and 5:25 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

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Black-oil sunflower · Shelled peanuts · Suet

• American Goldfinch

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

• Downy Woodpecker

  Suet · Shelled peanuts · Black-oil sunflower

• Campbellford12 mi west · 208 species
• Quinte West13 mi south · 243 species
• Marmora14 mi north-west · 182 species
• Tweed17 mi north-east · 232 species
• Norwood22 mi west · 226 species
• Deseronto26 mi east · 223 species