Quebec · 45.48°N

Birds of Gatineau

What has actually been seen around Gatineau: 299 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 299 within 6 mi
Observation records: 1,110,067 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 174 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.7 h / 8.7 h

What the records say about Gatineau

299 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Gatineau (Quebec) since 2010, across 1,110,067 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Northern Cardinal.

Gatineau 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, American Crow, Northern Cardinal and American Goldfinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

25 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Turkey Vulture.

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 4.8 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.

Vanier, 3 mi to the south-east, has more species on record (305 against 299).

Daylight runs from 15 h 41 min at midsummer to 8 h 42 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:19 AM in mid-April and 5:13 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Gatineau

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	60,428
2	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	56,329
3	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	50,425
4	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	43,350
5	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	43,120
6	American RobinTurdus migratorius	38,499
7	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	36,116
8	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	35,992
9	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	34,716
10	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	29,632
11	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	29,612
12	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	26,920
13	Rock PigeonColumba livia	25,800
14	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	24,060
15	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	23,628
16	House SparrowPasser domesticus	22,941
17	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	20,533
18	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	18,720
19	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	16,224
20	Common RavenCorvus corax	15,635

Records by month

What to put out in Gatineau

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Northern Cardinal
Black-oil sunflower · Safflower · Hulled sunflower chips
American Goldfinch
Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

Seasonal bird notes for Quebec

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 Gatineau?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Gatineau are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch and American Robin, based on 1,110,067 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Gatineau?

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

When is the best month for birds in Gatineau?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 5:13 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.