In Quebec, you can easily bring these 10 birds to your yard

Who doesn’t love the sight of birds in their yard in summer and winter? How amazing it is to be able to observe these beautiful creatures from the comfort of your own home!

Virtually anybody can be a birdwatcher: in Quebec, there’s nearly 2.5 million of us!

If you want to stretch out the birdwatching season as much as possible, try installing some feeders and putting out the right food to attract different species of bird all year round!

Wild birds in Québec

QuébecOiseaux’s list of birds in Quebec [French only link] includes 458 species, but by our estimates, there are roughly 350 species in Québec. (Luckily, a number of other species of bird leave their distribution area to come visit us!)

That said, there are a number of species fully adapted to residential areas who you can count on seeing year after year! It’s important to note that, while certain species may be plentiful in some areas, the same may not be true for another region. Consider the well-known Northern cardinal, for example. This sedentary bird can be found here in Québec year-round, but is rarer in the Magdalen Islands. Likewise, while residents of the Magdalen Islands are familiar with the Atlantic puffin, these little “parrots of the sea” are rarely seen in Montreal.

While not exhaustive, this list includes species that are commonly found in Québec.

Mésange à tête noire — **Black-capped chickadee**

Chardonneret jaune — **Yellow goldfinch**

Merle d'Amérique — **Red-breasted nuthatch**

Colibri à poitrine rousse — **Ruby-throated hummingbird**

Sitelle à poitrine rousse — **American Robin**

Pic mineur — **Lesser-spotted woodpecker**

Roselin pourpré — **Purple finch (Northern Québec)**

How to bring the birds to your yard using food

Black-oil sunflower seed is without debate an excellent choice for most of these birds. While the Yellow goldfinch adores thistle, it is not uncommon for them to eat sunflower seeds. So, if you have a number of feeders containing a mixture of black-oil sunflower, thistle, safflower oil, peanuts for birds, rapeseed, suet and water, you’re sure to attract a variety of birds. Surprisingly, luring a Ruby-throated hummingbird is not such a difficult feat: all you need is some sugar water or plants, like bee balm!

Note: To avoid the spreading of illness, ensure that all feeders are well cleaned with no food stuck on due to humidity.

Follow these tips and you’ll bring all the birds to the yard! Happy birdwatching!