Birds of Amqui

187 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Amqui (Quebec) since 2010, across 26,146 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and Blue Jay.

Amqui is backyard-bird country: 83% 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, Blue Jay and European Starling make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Merlin. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders about 10 feet from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.

Records peak in May and are lowest in September — about 15.4 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.

Lac-au-Saumon, 5 mi to the south-east, has fewer species on record (181 against 187).

Daylight runs from 16 h 7 min at midsummer to 8 h 18 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:41 AM in mid-April and 4:27 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

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• Downy Woodpecker

  Suet · Shelled peanuts · Black-oil sunflower

• Mourning Dove

  Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower

• Lac-au-Saumon5 mi south-east · 181 species
• Val-Brillant7 mi north-west · 168 species
• Causapscal11 mi south-east · 137 species
• Sayabec14 mi north-west · 151 species
• Saint-Ulric26 mi north-west · 220 species
• Matane26 mi north · 274 species