Backyard birds in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Which birds visit Swift Current yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Swift Current's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 50.283°, -107.801°
- Population
- 16,604
- June 21 daylight
- 16 h 25 min
- December 21 daylight
- 8 h 2 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:19 AM / 4:59 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 5 days earlier than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- Canada 1a–3b
Nesting timing in Swift Current
The state guides give nesting windows for Saskatchewan as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 51.4°N). Swift Current is at 50.3°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 5 days earlier than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Swift Current goes from 8 h 2 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 16 h 25 min in June, a 8 h 24 min swing.
- Eastern Bluebird — state window May–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window May–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window June–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window August–September
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window June–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Finch — state window June–July
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird — state window June–August
Birds you can expect in Swift Current
Year-round residents (33)
Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Purple Finchs, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, Mallards, Belted Kingfishers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Black-backed Woodpeckers, American Three-toed Woodpeckers, White-winged Crossbills, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (77)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, American Goldfinchs, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Cedar Waxwings, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Spotted Towhees, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, Fox Sparrows, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Great Blue Herons, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Winter Wrens, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Hooded Mergansers, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Orange-crowned Warblers, Palm Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Least Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, Burrowing Owls, Lewis's Woodpeckers, Savannah Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Horned Larks, Bohemian Waxwings, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Rusty Blackbirds
Winter visitors (6)
Common Redpolls, American Tree Sparrows, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Common Redpolls, Hoary Redpolls
Very cold, dry winters.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Swift Current
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Swift Current, sunrise is around 6:19 AM in mid-April, 4:59 AM at the June solstice and 9:08 AM in late December (local time, America/Swift Current). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Swift Current yards
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Fast-growing northern cherry with midsummer fruit.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.
Nearby cities in Saskatchewan
- Moose Jaw — 100 mi away, nesting about the same time as Swift Current
- Saskatoon — 137 mi away, nesting roughly 7 days later than Swift Current
- Regina — 141 mi away, nesting about the same time as Swift Current
- North Battleford — 174 mi away, nesting roughly 10 days later than Swift Current
- Prince Albert — 219 mi away, nesting roughly 12 days later than Swift Current
- Yorkton — 242 mi away, nesting roughly 4 days later than Swift Current
Frequently asked
What birds live in Swift Current all year?
Year-round residents across Saskatchewan include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Swift Current.
When do birds start nesting in Swift Current?
Swift Current sits at a different latitude from Saskatchewan's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 5 days earlier than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Swift Current?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Swift Current, sunrise is around 6:19 AM in mid-April and 4:59 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Saskatchewan
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
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.