Ontario · 43.88°N

Birds of Whitby

What has actually been seen around Whitby: 323 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 323 within 6 mi
Observation records: 909,702 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 285 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.5 h / 8.9 h

What the records say about Whitby

323 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Whitby (Ontario) since 2010, across 909,702 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Dove and Northern Cardinal.

Whitby is backyard-bird country: 62% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal 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 and Red-tailed Hawk.

Records peak in May and are lowest in July — about 5.1 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.

Port Perry, 15 mi to the north, has fewer species on record (254 against 323). Birds logged far more often around Whitby than there include Mute Swan, White-throated Sparrow, American Herring Gull and Double-crested Cormorant.

Daylight runs from 15 h 28 min at midsummer to 8 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:34 AM in mid-April and 5:32 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Whitby

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	32,945
2	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	32,385
3	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	30,369
4	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	28,652
5	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	28,072
6	American RobinTurdus migratorius	26,766
7	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	24,113
8	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	24,077
9	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	22,124
10	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	20,413
11	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	19,997
12	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	19,544
13	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	19,354
14	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	18,845
15	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	17,319
16	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	14,751
17	Mute SwanCygnus olor	13,533
18	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	13,019
19	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	12,369
20	American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus	11,679

Records by month

What to put out in Whitby

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Mourning Dove
Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower
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
Red-winged Blackbird
Cracked corn · Millet · 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 Whitby?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Whitby are Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, American Robin and American Goldfinch, based on 909,702 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Whitby?

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

When is the best month for birds in Whitby?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 5:32 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.