When do redpolls arrive in Alberta?
The Common Redpoll is a winter visitor in Alberta — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Common Redpoll timing in Alberta
- Arrives
- Around September
- Leaves
- By April
- Status here
- Winter visitor
- Present roughly
- September–April
In Alberta, redpolls are a cold-season bird, arriving around September and heading back north to breed by April.
These windows are set by latitude: Alberta sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when redpolls are expected in Alberta. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before September is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early September — the first redpolls into Alberta are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Through the winter, consistent food matters more than variety — birds map dependable stations into their daily routes and rely on them hardest during cold snaps.
What redpolls eat while they're here
- Birch seed and feeder nyjer
Redpolls survive −60°F nights with a throat pouch that stores seed; they arrive at feeders in irruption winters.
Full Common Redpoll diet guide → · Best feeder for redpolls →
Native plants that hold redpolls in Alberta
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Alberta-native plants are known to attract redpolls:
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.
Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.
Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do redpolls arrive in Alberta?
redpolls typically arrive in Alberta around September. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do redpolls leave Alberta?
Most redpolls have left Alberta by April. They spend the breeding season farther north and return in the fall.
Do redpolls stay in Alberta all year?
No — in Alberta the Common Redpoll is a winter visitor, present roughly September–April. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before redpolls arrive in Alberta?
Have feeders up and clean by early September — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: seeds and insects on the tundra.
Sources
- Common Redpoll — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Redpoll life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Redpoll — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Alberta
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
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.