Alberta · Year-round resident

Brown-headed Cowbirds in Alberta

When cowbirds are present in Alberta, when they nest, which native Alberta plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 2a–4b yard.

Blackbirds (Icteridae)Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater

Status in Alberta: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: —
Hardiness zones: Canada 2a–4b

When to expect cowbirds in Alberta

Brown-headed Cowbirds live in Alberta all year. Cold winters broken by chinook thaws in the south. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Continental — prairie in the southeast, aspen parkland in the center, boreal forest in the north and the Rockies in the west.

Nesting in Alberta

Across Alberta, cowbirds typically nest from May–July. Plan around that window: April for setup, July for clean-out.

Warm, sunny summers with long days.

Brown-headed Cowbirds don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, rabbitbrush, willow (bebb) for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Alberta plants that attract cowbirds

Of the regional native plants we track for Alberta, these 8 provide food or cover cowbirds use:

Wild bergamot

Monarda fistulosa · Perennial

Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.

Common sunflower

Helianthus annuus · Perennial

Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.

Little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium · Perennial

Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Rocky Mountain bee plant

Cleome serrulata · Perennial

Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.

Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa · Shrub

Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.

Willow (Bebb)

Salix bebbiana · Shrub

Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.

Feeding cowbirds through the Alberta year

Top foods: Millet, Cracked corn.
In Alberta's winter: Cold winters broken by chinook thaws in the south.

Full diet breakdown for cowbirds · Best feeder for cowbirds

Frequently asked

Are cowbirds in Alberta year-round?

Yes. Brown-headed Cowbirds are year-round residents in Alberta.

When do cowbirds nest in Alberta?

Nesting in Alberta typically runs May–July, with —. Clutches are up to 36 eggs per season, one per host nest, incubated for 10–12 days.

What native plants attract cowbirds in Alberta?

Wild bergamot, Black-eyed Susan, Common sunflower, Little bluestem, Paper birch, Rocky Mountain bee plant, Rabbitbrush, Willow (Bebb) are native plants in Alberta that provide food or cover for cowbirds.

Other backyard birds in Alberta

Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Yellow-rumped Warbler Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Rufous Hummingbird Spotted Towhee Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Rock Pigeon

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.