Migration calendar

Spring migration in Ontario

Southern Ontario's Lake Erie peninsulas funnel northbound birds that have just crossed the lake. Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada, is one of the best-known spring migration sites in North America.

Migration window: Late March to early June
Peak: About May 10–25
Hardiness zones: Canadian zones 0a–7a (southern Ontario roughly equivalent to USDA 4–6)

Arrival timing

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Early-to-mid May

Purple Martin

Mid-to-late April

Warblers

Early May to early June, peaking mid-May

Hotspots

Point Pelee National Park — Peninsula trap for warblers and flycatchers in May.
Long Point — Home of Canada's oldest bird observatory.
Rondeau Provincial Park — Old-growth Carolinian forest.

Prepare your yard

Hang hummingbird feeders by the first week of May and plant wild columbine for early nectar.
Have martin housing open by mid-April.
Late cold snaps are common in May — offer mealworms or suet dough for insect-eaters.

Follow nightly migration intensity forecasts on BirdCast to time lights-out nights and feeder refills.

Backyard birds in Ontario

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay

Frequently asked

When is spring migration in Ontario?

From late March for early migrants to early June, with warbler numbers peaking in mid-to-late May.

When do hummingbirds arrive in southern Ontario?

Usually in early-to-mid May.

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.