Birds of Wellesley

218 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Wellesley (Ontario) since 2010, across 53,784 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and American Goldfinch.

Wellesley is backyard-bird country: 85% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch and American Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

20 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture and Rough-legged Buzzard.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 9.6 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, 6 mi to the north-east, has more species on record (267 against 218). Birds logged far more often around Wellesley than there include Savannah Sparrow and Bobolink.

Daylight runs from 15 h 25 min at midsummer to 8 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:42 AM in mid-April and 5:41 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• American Crow

  Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• American Goldfinch

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

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• St. Clements6 mi north-east · 267 species
• New Hamburg7 mi south-east · 217 species
• Baden8 mi south-east · 238 species
• St. Jacobs11 mi east · 280 species
• Tavistock12 mi south · 237 species
• Mannheim12 mi south-east · 269 species