Ontario · 43.47°N

Birds of Waterloo

What has actually been seen around Waterloo: 285 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 285 within 6 mi
Observation records: 855,080 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 1,066 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.4 h / 8.9 h

What the records say about Waterloo

285 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Waterloo (Ontario) since 2010, across 855,080 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal and American Crow.

Waterloo is backyard-bird country: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, American Crow and American Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in January — about 5.9 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. Jacobs, 5 mi to the north-west, has fewer species on record (280 against 285).

Daylight runs from 15 h 25 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 Waterloo

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	41,949
2	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	39,353
3	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	37,513
4	American RobinTurdus migratorius	34,457
5	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	32,263
6	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	31,550
7	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	30,389
8	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	27,648
9	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	25,969
10	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	24,928
11	House SparrowPasser domesticus	24,063
12	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	23,756
13	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	23,135
14	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	21,363
15	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	19,737
16	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	17,286
17	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	15,866
18	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	15,109
19	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	15,002
20	Turkey VultureCathartes aura	12,485

Records by month

What to put out in Waterloo

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Northern Cardinal
Black-oil sunflower · Safflower · Hulled sunflower chips
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
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 Waterloo?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Waterloo are Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, American Crow, American Robin and American Goldfinch, based on 855,080 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Waterloo?

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

When is the best month for birds in Waterloo?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in January. 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.