Birds of Brooks

245 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Brooks (Alberta) since 2010, across 42,036 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Robin, Black-billed Magpie and Common Grackle.

Brooks is backyard-bird country: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Robin, Black-billed Magpie, Common Grackle and Mourning Dove make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

22 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl.

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 155.2 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.

Vauxhall, 37 mi to the south, has fewer species on record (83 against 245). Birds logged far more often around Brooks than there include Common Grackle, Yellow Warbler, Least Flycatcher and Swainson's Thrush.

At about 2,454 ft above sea level, Brooks 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 28 min at midsummer to 7 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:35 AM in mid-April and 5:14 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• Black-billed Magpie

  Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn

• Common Grackle

  Cracked corn · Sunflower

• Mourning Dove

  Millet · Cracked corn · Black-oil sunflower

• Yellow Warbler

  None — plant native willow and dogwood thickets

• Northern Flicker

  Suet · Peanut hearts

• Vauxhall37 mi south · 83 species
• Grassy Lake53 mi south · 118 species
• Bow Island55 mi south-east · 117 species
• Taber56 mi south · 215 species
• Barnwell59 mi south · 187 species
• Redcliff60 mi south-east · 247 species