Birds of Walpole Island

268 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Walpole Island (Ontario) since 2010, across 142,359 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay and American Robin.

Walpole Island is backyard-bird country: 61% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, American Robin and Northern Cardinal make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

19 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 5.3 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.

Wallaceburg, 7 mi to the east, has fewer species on record (244 against 268). Birds logged far more often around Walpole Island than there include Tufted Titmouse, Bufflehead, Common Merganser and Common Goldeneye.

Daylight runs from 15 h 19 min at midsummer to 9 h 3 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:50 AM in mid-April and 5:51 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Cracked corn · Millet · Sunflower

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• Northern Cardinal

  Black-oil sunflower · Safflower · Hulled sunflower chips

• Mourning Dove

  Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower

• Song Sparrow

  Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Wallaceburg7 mi east · 244 species
• Corunna19 mi north · 262 species
• Stoney Point/Pointe-aux-Roches21 mi south · 255 species
• Tilbury24 mi south · 254 species
• Belle River24 mi south-west · 229 species
• Petrolia26 mi north-east · 223 species