Ontario · 43.81°N

Birds of Thornhill

What has actually been seen around Thornhill: 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: 425,243 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Northern Cardinal
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 551 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.5 h / 8.9 h

What the records say about Thornhill

268 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Thornhill (Ontario) since 2010, across 425,243 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Northern Cardinal, American Robin and American Goldfinch.

Thornhill is backyard-bird country: 80% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Northern Cardinal, American Robin, American Goldfinch and Black-capped Chickadee make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

23 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 4.7 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.

Concord, 3 mi to the west, has a similar number of species on record (270 against 268).

Daylight runs from 15 h 28 min at midsummer to 8 h 55 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:36 AM in mid-April and 5:35 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Thornhill

#	Bird	Records
1	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	24,026
2	American RobinTurdus migratorius	20,239
3	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	17,205
4	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	17,134
5	House SparrowPasser domesticus	15,328
6	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	14,065
7	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	13,724
8	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	13,606
9	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	12,851
10	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	12,604
11	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	12,601
12	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	11,969
13	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	11,598
14	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	10,409
15	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	10,395
16	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	9,849
17	Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis	9,189
18	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	9,075
19	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	8,107
20	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	7,800

Records by month

What to put out in Thornhill

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

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
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
Downy Woodpecker
Suet · Shelled peanuts · 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 Thornhill?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Thornhill are Northern Cardinal, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee and House Sparrow, based on 425,243 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Thornhill?

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 Thornhill?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:35 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.