Alberta · Year-round resident

Pine Grosbeaks in Alberta

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

Finches (Fringillidae)Pine GrosbeakPinicola enucleator

Status in Alberta: Year-round resident
Nesting window: June–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 2a–4b

When to expect pine grosbeaks in Alberta

Pine Grosbeaks 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, pine grosbeaks typically nest from June–July. Plan around that window: May for setup, July for clean-out.

Warm, sunny summers with long days.

Pine Grosbeaks don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, pin cherry, chokecherry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Alberta plants that attract pine grosbeaks

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

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Pin cherry

Prunus pensylvanica · Tree

Fast-growing northern cherry with midsummer fruit.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea · Shrub

White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.

Highbush cranberry

Viburnum trilobum · Shrub

Red fruit persists until late winter when other food is gone.

Rocky Mountain juniper

Juniperus scopulorum · Tree

Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.

Golden currant

Ribes aureum · Shrub

Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.

Western serviceberry

Amelanchier alnifolia · Shrub

Saskatoon berries ripen in early summer.

Feeding pine grosbeaks through the Alberta year

Top foods: Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower.
In Alberta's winter: Cold winters broken by chinook thaws in the south.

Full diet breakdown for pine grosbeaks · Best feeder for pine grosbeaks

Frequently asked

Are pine grosbeaks in Alberta year-round?

Yes. Pine Grosbeaks are year-round residents in Alberta.

When do pine grosbeaks nest in Alberta?

Nesting in Alberta typically runs June–July, with 1 per season. Clutches are 2–5 eggs, incubated for 13–14 days.

What native plants attract pine grosbeaks in Alberta?

Smooth sumac, Pin cherry, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Highbush cranberry, Rocky Mountain juniper, Golden currant, Western serviceberry are native plants in Alberta that provide food or cover for pine grosbeaks.

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 Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren 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.