Birds of Le Plateau

331 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Le Plateau (Quebec) since 2010, across 2,582,735 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Northern Cardinal.

Le Plateau is backyard-bird country: 69% 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.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 6.0 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.

Chelsea, 4 mi to the north, has fewer species on record (280 against 331). Birds logged far more often around Le Plateau than there include American Black Duck, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron and Great Black-backed Gull.

Daylight runs from 15 h 41 min at midsummer to 8 h 43 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:19 AM in mid-April and 5:14 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• Chelsea4 mi north · 280 species
• Gatineau5 mi north-east · 299 species
• Vanier6 mi east · 305 species
• Elmvale Acres8 mi east · 302 species
• Bells Corners9 mi south · 333 species
• Cantley9 mi north · 227 species