Birds of Lac-au-Saumon

181 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Lac-au-Saumon (Quebec) since 2010, across 23,451 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and Mallard.

Lac-au-Saumon 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, European Starling and Blue Jay make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

16 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 December and are lowest in August — about 10.8 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.

Amqui, 5 mi to the north-west, has more species on record (187 against 181).

Daylight runs from 16 h 7 min at midsummer to 8 h 19 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

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• Mourning Dove

  Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower

• Downy Woodpecker

  Suet · Shelled peanuts · Black-oil sunflower

• Amqui5 mi north-west · 187 species
• Causapscal7 mi south-east · 137 species
• Val-Brillant12 mi north-west · 168 species
• Sayabec18 mi north-west · 151 species
• Matane29 mi north · 274 species
• Saint-Ulric30 mi north-west · 220 species