Alberta · 51.18°N

Birds of Banff

What has actually been seen around Banff: 259 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 259 within 6 mi
Observation records: 124,677 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Common Raven
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 4,554 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.6 h / 7.9 h

What the records say about Banff

259 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Banff (Alberta) since 2010, across 124,677 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie and American Robin.

Banff is backyard-bird country: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin and Mountain Chickadee make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

23 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle and Osprey.

Records peak in June and are lowest in February — about 15.8 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

Canmore, 11 mi to the south-east, has fewer species on record (247 against 259). Birds logged far more often around Banff than there include Common Loon, American Coot, Eurasian Teal and Bufflehead.

At about 4,554 ft above sea level, Banff sits higher than most places in Alberta. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter and early spring.

Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:49 AM in mid-April and 5:26 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Banff

#	Bird	Records
1	Common RavenCorvus corax	6,362
2	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	5,227
3	American RobinTurdus migratorius	4,928
4	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	4,625
5	Mountain ChickadeePoecile gambeli	4,496
6	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	3,923
7	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	3,819
8	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	3,450
9	Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula	2,873
10	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	2,862
11	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	2,642
12	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	2,597
13	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	2,523
14	Common LoonGavia immer	1,988
15	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	1,899
16	American CootFulica americana	1,871
17	White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys	1,780
18	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	1,650
19	Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas	1,601
20	Eurasian TealAnas crecca	1,569

Records by month

What to put out in Banff

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Mountain Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Peanut hearts
Dark-eyed Junco
White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Suet · Hulled sunflower

Seasonal bird notes for Alberta

What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for Canadian backyards. One email a month at most.

Nearby places

Frequently asked

What birds visit backyards in Banff?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Banff are Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, Mountain Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco, based on 124,677 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Banff?

259 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Banff?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 5:26 AM.

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.